Northeast Ohio’s JumpStart, which supports and funds high tech entrepreneurs, has been chosen to be part of the White House’s new national job creation and economic growth initiative, called Startup America. Today’s Akron Beacon Journal summarizes the impact of the Knight-funded JumpStart’s work , and the potential for the new initiative, Jumpstart America, to help build networks for high tech growth in other regions.

As the Obama administration’s initiative unfolds, it is expected to reflect a shift away from using federal dollars to stimulate the economy and toward a business-oriented strategy geared to making the country more competitive in the global economy. That’s a good fit for what JumpStart has been pursuing since its founding in 2004, with more than $20 million invested in 52 companies in Northeast Ohio.

Knight Foundation funded the Cleveland-based organization to expand to St. Paul, Duluth, Fort Wayne, Gary, Detroit and Akron.