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Gary Shapiro has headed up the Consumer Electronics Association and spoken before Congress, but according to emcee Jason Zone Fisher, Big KC is what he’s most excited for.
Through his speech he brought a sort of approachability to the CEA and its trade show, The International Consumer Electronics Show.
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Shapiro calls himself the main advocate for the technology industry and unlike other heads of major organizations, he actually means it. Innovation in everything is his goal and his obsession.
Shapiro believes people should decide how they want to solve a problem, not the government. No Labels, which Shapiro supports, takes a non-partisan approach to innovation. The group hopes to increase innovation by getting rid of patent disputes and patent trolls, among other political initiatives..
He said that America has the best people and ideas for innovation, but the red tape and legislation is wasting that gift. Through hard work, Lyft, Uber and AirBnB have been able to cut through that red tape and are setting the tone for other startups.
Shapiro said a millennial “revolution” is needed to continue rewriting of legislation and regulation. They are the users of this technology and the people who will be solving future problems so it’s crucial that they have a voice in the conversation, he said.
At The International CES, Shapiro continues that promise of innovation by promoting hundreds of startups over four days at a startup village called Eureka Park. The accessibility for startups to Eureka Park for startups is incredible, costing less than a thousand dollars, he said. The serendipity of running into someone who could change your business or help it grow is worth the cost of getting there, Shapiro said.
Innovation is not only key, but Americans need to make sure that the country is able to innovate better than the rest of the world, Shapiro said.
