Speaking Startup: Parsing pandemic entrepreneurship data

Though economic recessions historically lead to increased unemployment, they also can lead to increased entrepreneurial activity. Dane Stangler, director of strategic initiatives at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Census numbers show a surge in business applications in the second half of 2020. Stangler said one cause of this is that when people lose their jobs and can’t find another, their next best option is to become self-employed. The latest episode of the Speaking Startup podcast digs into recession entrepreneurship data to get a sense of what the entrepreneurial landscape may look like after the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, we hear from Sarah Hill, the founder of Healium, a Columbia-based augmented and virtual reality startup focused on relieving stress. In a recent presentation, Hill shared lessons she’s learned while getting her startup off the ground.