This week eBay CEO Jamie Iannone participated in a roundtable hosted by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Broadband and Economic Opportunity. The event included executives from Etsy, Airbnb, and Block (formerly Square).  Entrepreneurs that utilize each of the platforms also participated, including eBay seller and Small Business Ambassador Network member Laurie Wong, owner of Reflections of Trinity. 

The event focused on the importance of broadband for creating economic opportunity that is equitable for all Americans. Laurie Wong explained how her eBay sales fund her charitable organization, which provides goods and food to people in need in the Atlanta area. Laurie explained that selling on eBay enabled her organization to handle the sharp increase in demand for services they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that without eBay, they wouldn’t have been able to meet the needs of the community.

eBay CEO Jamie Iannone focused on how eBay was built on economic opportunity, and how broadband empowers both sellers and buyers no matter where they live. He noted that rural small business growth outpaces urban small business growth on the platform in 75% of US states, and cited a finding from our recent report Equitable Entrepreneurship: Empowering Women Through eCommerce showing that 82% of women who were new to eBay or increased sales because of the pandemic did so due to financial burden. Jamie also highlighted the importance of lower cost refurbished goods for lifting up communities, particularly around education access. 

eBay appreciates the administration’s efforts to ensure access to affordable, reliable broadband everywhere in the country, so that consumers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses can access digital tools no matter where they live