Looking back, it has been a great ride launching and running a business organization through the modern technological revolution. SBE Council launched in 1993 – yes, pre-internet – and I still marvel at all the work we cranked out without the benefit of advanced technological or digital tools. How we adopted and changed during the growth and maturation of the internet has been profound, as it has been for millions of entrepreneurs and small businesses worldwide. The possibilities and potential promise to get more exciting as we enter the next wave of digital innovation.

SBE Council launched during the pre-internet period. I fondly remember, for example, when our new fax-blast system was cutting-edge. As an early adopter of workplace flexibility, my chief economist and I would overnight edited documents, talk through edits on the phone (until we were able to fax marked-up documents back and forth), and then distribute those reports, letters to Capitol Hill, issue briefs, member newsletters, and “action items” via mail, interns or service businesses that would hand deliver these items to Capitol Hill offices, media outlets, or federal regulatory agencies. We used a lot of paper, postage, and couriers.

The early internet seemed pretty cool, and so was SBE Council’s first webpage in 1995 that used our logo as “wallpaper.” We didn’t get many hits because not that many people were on the internet or they didn’t know where to find us, but we knew we had to keep up with technology given the prophetic guidance about how “all of this” would be connected someday and allow us to reach many more small businesses and millions of others affordably and with ease. Things happened pretty quickly, and the rest is history (and I haven’t even brought my first flip phone into the story), as the internet has evolved and transformed in ways we never imagined. This has all been good news for small businesses and disruptive entrepreneurship.

Now, as we move into a new era of emerging technologies — including AI, immersive tools, and advanced connectivity — I see similar parallels to those early days of the internet. Some may be skeptical or threatened, just as many were back then, but history tells us that innovation always finds its way forward.

Already, businesses are putting these tools to use in meaningful and practical ways. AI is helping companies of all sizes improve operations and understand their customers better. Companies of all sizes are using immersive simulation technology and virtual environments to onboard and train employees. The possibilities are limitless for entrepreneurs and small businesses who embrace these new platforms and technologies.

The Emerging Technology Alliance will work to educate business leaders, policymakers, and the public about the powerful and positive potential of these innovations — from AI and immersive tools to next-gen technologies. These developments are not simply enhancements to existing systems; recent research estimates that generative AI alone could add $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy. It is critical that the U.S. continue to lead this next technological phase, and I look forward to working with our business-community allies in these important educational and advocacy roles.

Karen Kerrigan