Thank you to the ChIPs Network for this honor. I’m so proud to share this recognition with Under Secretary Vidal, who has been relentless in her work to encourage and protect more innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurism from everyone, especially women.

Women entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business owners power America’s economy and are a crucial driver of employment and prosperity across our communities. As the Secretary of Commerce, I wake up every day thinking about how I can make the United States more competitive. If we want to out-build, out-innovate, and out-compete the rest of the world, we have to invest in everyone’s success – including women. If we don’t tap into that full potential of our workers and creators and we’ll fall behind.

That’s why the work you do at the ChIPs Network is so important. You’re helping us to empower the next generation of women with the tools necessary to realize their own success, put more cracks in the glass ceiling, and drive US competitiveness.

At Commerce, inclusivity is baked into all our hallmark initiatives, because I fundamentally believe that homogeneity is the enemy of innovation. The Tech Hubs program makes transformational investments in regions across the country with the potential to be global leaders in advanced technology. We are making big bets on communities – and ensuring that potentially overlooked entrepreneurs get the tools they need to start and scale their businesses.

The CHIPS for America Program is fueling a resurgence in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, spurring economic growth in communities across the country and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying, high-quality jobs.

At the same time, skilled workers have never been in higher demand. We need to tap a much broader STEM workforce – in construction, engineering, computer science, and more. That’s why I established a workforce agenda focused on preparing our workers with the skills necessary to compete in a 21st-century economy. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has dedicated more than $1.6 billion and counting to workforce investment.  

By prioritizing these kinds of principles in our innovation investments, and building partnerships between community organizations, businesses, and the government, we’re going to tap into the limitless potential of girls and young women. To Under Secretary Vidal: thank you for being an incredible partner at the Commerce Department. And to the ChIPs Network: thank you for this honor and for the work you do to uplift women in technology, law, and policy. Thank you.