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<br /> Relevant Experience Board #2
<br /> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD In 2012, 1 was appointed by President Obama to
<br /> serve in his Administration as an Economic Policy Advisor. From 2012-2016, 1 worked on President
<br /> Obama's economic agenda at federal agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S.
<br /> Department of Commerce, U.S. Export-Import Bank, and The White House National Economic Council.
<br /> While in the U.S. Small Business Administration, I started a program, Boots to Business, which helped
<br /> transitioning military veterans start their own company. I worked to create an entire 12-week
<br /> entrepreneurship course that taught thousands of military veterans how to take an idea to securing
<br /> funding and generating revenue. The program still exists today and is used by the Department of Veteran
<br /> Affairs to teach military members entrepreneurship. Also, while working in the U.S. Small Business
<br /> Administration, I helped increase access to small business loans and grants. Furthermore, during my 4
<br /> years in the Obama Administration, I spent time working at the U.S. Export Import Bank helping expand
<br /> small business access to working capital loans so they could sell their products into global markets. From
<br /> 2014-2015, 1 worked in the White House National Economic Council where I launched a new federal
<br /> government office, SelectUSA, which helped international companies create factories and open locations
<br /> in the United States thereby creating U.S.jobs. I helped companies like Lufthansa open a facility in Puerto
<br /> Rico, Hankook Tire open a factory in South Carolina, and increased Walmart's supply chain in the United
<br /> States. From my help starting SelectUSA, the office has created 50,000 U.S.jobs from businesses
<br /> choosing to open offices and factories throughout the United States. I have also had a career as an
<br /> entrepreneur, starting two companies, one in Orange County. In 2009, 1 started a bike-sharing company,
<br /> WeCycles, in Chapel Hill, where I worked with the town to get the right permitting and access to
<br /> resources. Starting WeCycles was not easy and was my motivation to get into the Obama Administration
<br /> since I felt we can do much better to support local startups have access to resources and capital. To
<br /> support my professional experiences, I have a wide-range of masters degrees that I think can help
<br /> provide a unique perspective to the board. I received my undergrad degree in Economics at the University
<br /> of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a masters in public policy, a masters of business administration, and a
<br /> masters in computer science.
<br /> Reasons Want to Serve Board #2
<br /> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD Orange County is ripe with opportunities to attract
<br /> business, including tech startups. As the world has changed, more and more opportunities that were once
<br /> global or far reaching are now possible here. High-growth companies are choosing North Carolina for our
<br /> labor force, high education institutions, and local government resources. North Carolina is becoming a
<br /> prime location for business with companies like transportation startup Boom opening a large job-creating
<br /> facility in the triad and mature companies like Toyota choosing to open a battery plant in Greensboro. I
<br /> want to help encourage companies to come and stay in Orange County so that we can create long-term
<br /> jobs in our backyard. For example, we have a fast-rising Al startup, Well.co, based right here in Chapel
<br /> Hill which plans on hiring hundreds of employees, many in Orange County over the next four years. I think
<br /> we can attract more tech and high growth companies given the resources and highly-educated workforce
<br /> in Orange County. But to me, it is also more than high-growth companies. Given the labor shortage,
<br /> restaurants and small businesses are having trouble finding workers. Added to all this is inflation, making
<br /> prices higher, supplies harder to find, and revenue for small businesses decreasing day by day. As a son
<br /> of immigrants who struggled making ends meet in Chapel Hill, I know first-hand what it means to strive
<br /> day in day and out to put food on the table for one's family. My parents were born and raised in Karachi,
<br /> Pakistan. In the early 80's, my parents applied to 300 universities across America hoping for just minimum
<br /> wage research positions. 299 universities said no, only 1 said yes, and that was the University of North
<br /> Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was born in Chapel Hill in 1986, and along with my two sisters, my parents
<br /> raised us in Chapel Hill/Carrboro going not just paycheck to paycheck, but one credit debt to another
<br /> credit card debt.
<br /> Hasan AAbdullah
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