Halfway there – I’m traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet and educate elected officials and regulators on the booming tech industry. As a leader in the field of custom app development, InterKnowlogy – and so many of our clients – are greatly affected by the policies that our elected officials author and support. It’s an important reminder that our voices DO count, people listen, and we each have a responsibility to get involved.

As part of ACT | The App Association’s annual fly-in, I’m joining more than 50 small tech companies from across the country to advocate for an environment that encourages innovation and inspires growth.  Our message is simple. Small companies like ours are creating solutions that are improving lives, creating jobs, and invigorating our economy.  The creativity that comes from these discussions is amazing, and the energy inspires each of us to go out and craft our message in a way that is unique to each of our environments.

Policymakers in Washington must understand issues threatening small tech companies to ensure growth continues. The concerns we will raise next week include data privacy and security, internet governance, intellectual property and patent reform, mobile health regulation, and regulatory obstacles to growth. These are important issues for which the federal government is considering taking action.

I look forward to meeting with my elected officials and others in Washington to educate them about the tech industry so they can make the right decisions about our future. Hopefully, an informed Congress will help entrepreneurs continue to flourish.

Follow our activities at www.ACTonline.org, or via Twitter @EmilieHersh, and @ACTOnline – come join in the fun as we make a difference in our collective future!