ATC spawns policy group

Today, the Austin Technology Council announced the formation of a new group — the ATC Policy Coalition — which is designed to bring together “leaders from the tech and entrepreneur community, business advocacy groups, elected officials and the voting public with the mission to aid in the creation of a policy and representative environment that reflects Austin’s economy and innovation brand.” A press release from the group noted the important timing of the coalition: “As the intersection of innovation and regulation becomes an increasingly regular occurrence in Austin, our hard-won reputation as a leading technology hub and a top city for entrepreneurs is compromised by a growing disconnect between our elected officials and the citizens and economies they represent. Recent votes on housing and mobility confirm this gap as our elected officials struggle to meet the needs of a 21st century economy through regulation and policies that foster innovation and entrepreneurship.” The statement goes on to explain that the ATC Policy Coalition will report on regional and state entrepreneurship and tech as well as make recommendations on those topics in an effort to preserve Austin’s current position.