There are significant disparities in entrepreneurship start-up and success for women and racial and ethnic minorities relative to White men. These differences are due, in part, to significant inequities in accumulated wealth, access to capital, and the development of valuable networks that provide mentorship and support. Rectifying these inequities represents a significant opportunity: More-effective entrepreneurial support has the potential to improve wealth accumulation among these groups, revitalize communities where minority business owners are located, and boost economic growth by unlocking the talent of would-be entrepreneurs.
By crafting targeted and thoughtful policies to enhance entrepreneurship among these underrepresented groups, policymakers would be promoting equality of opportunity while lifting up the economy as a whole.
Related Products
Content
RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center Feb 25, 2021
Research conducted by RAND Education and Labor
Funding for this research was provided by gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations. The research was conducted within the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center within RAND Education and Labor.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Perspective series. RAND Perspectives present expert insights on timely policy issues. All RAND Perspectives undergo peer review to ensure high standards for quality and objectivity.
Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.