Center for American Entrepreneurship Welcomes Three New Board Members

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Center for American Entrepreneurship (CAE) is delighted to welcome three new members of its board of directors: Bailey DeVries, of Baltimore, MD; Joe Kirgues of Milwaukee, WI; and Claudia Reuter of New Haven, CT.

CAE is a nonpartisan research, policy, and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. CAE’s mission is to engage policymakers in Washington and across the nation regarding the critical importance of entrepreneurs and startups to innovation, economic growth, job creation, and expanding opportunity – and to pursue a comprehensive policy agenda intended to achieve a stronger, more resilient, and inclusive U.S. economy through thriving entrepreneurship.

Left to right: Bailey DeVries, Joe Kirgues, and Claudia Reuter

From 2021 to 2025, Bailey DeVries served as Associate Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Head of the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation, where she led the agency’s $48 billion portfolio of private fund investments and $4 billion in annual innovation funding programs.  In this role, Ms. DeVries managed federal programs that provide America’s smalls businesses and startups with access to private equity and debt financing, as well as R&D contracts and grants to stimulate innovation and economic growth.  These programs include the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, the Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR), and SBA’s innovation ecosystem support organization (ESO) programs, including the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST).  In 2023, she was the Acting Head of the SBA’s Office of Capital Access, where she led the agency’s portfolio of loan programs including SBA’s flagship 7(a) Business Loan Guaranty Program, the 504 Certified Development Company Loan Program, the Microloan Program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Surety Bond Guaranty Program.  Ms. DeVries also served on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, which was established by Congress in 2016 to provide the Commission with advice on its rules, regulations, and policies with regard to investor protections, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.

Joe Kirgues is cofounder of gener8tor – a national and international network of startup accelerators, based in Madison, WI.  gener8tor runs 105 startup accelerators – including its newest Skills Accelerator – across 47 communities in 28 states and Puerto Rico, supported by a full-time staff of 120.  The company also recently expanded into Luxembourg, India, and Saudi Arabia.  To make these programs successful, gener8tor partners with a range of investors, universities, cities, states, and corporate partners.  gener8tor also maintains a 54-member corporate network with flagship conferences in Insurtech, Medtech, Manufacturing Tech, Agtech, Edtech, and Corporate Impact.  Graduates of the gener8tor and gBETA accelerators have raised over $2.3 billion in follow-on financing and have created over 13,000 jobs.

Claudia Reuter is the Executive Director, Engineering Innovation and Director of the Roberts Innovation Fund, Yale Ventures, at Yale University.  The fund was launched in 2022 to provide funding, mentoring, and strategic support for Yale faculty-led projects to assist in the commercialization of breakthrough inventions that solve real-world problems.  Claudia is a former Managing Director and GM at Techstars, and was the co-founder and CEO of SchoolChapters, Inc., which was acquired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where she went on to lead Digital Services & Labs.  She is also the author of the best-selling book, “Yes, You Can Do This!” (Wiley 2020).

“What has always distinguished CAE as an organization is the extraordinary caliber of its leadership and their commitment to American entrepreneurs,” said Ian Hathaway, chair of CAE’s board of directors.  “The addition of Bailey DeVries, Joe Kirgues, and Claudia Reuter continues that tradition of excellence.  Each brings remarkably relevant experience and expertise to the board, as well as a unique geographic perspective, that will further strengthen the quality and credibility of CAE’s work with policymakers on behalf of America’s innovators.”

“Bailey, Joe, and Claudia are recognized leaders of the nation’s innovation community and CAE is very fortunate to now count them among its board directors,” said John Dearie, president of CAE.  “They each understand the economic importance, vulnerabilities, and needs of startups, and are activists who have dedicated their careers to supporting American entrepreneurs.  CAE is thrilled to welcome them to the board to participate in our important work with Washington policymakers.”

For more information, visit www.startupsUSA.org 

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