Time for Change

BY BRIAN DISABATINO

“TIME FOR A CHANGE!” That was the battle cry of many candidates in 2024. But now comes the real question: Will our newly elected leaders deliver? I hope you’ve saved their promises to review in 2028. Let’s see if the results match the rhetoric, because Delaware cannot afford a future built on empty promises.

We need bold ideas enacted swiftly—ideas that knock down barriers and remove the impediments to progress. For example, we need an overhaul of the regulatory environment that impedes business, slows down permitting, and chokes off economic development. Because it’s not just businesses that suffer under these conditions; social programs, families, and those in need are affected as well.

The Courage to Take Risks

The only way we’ll see real change is if our newly elected leaders are willing to take risks. However, risk-taking is the antithesis of politics. For politicians, it could mean jeopardizing their status, income, or credibility. Ironically, it’s this very element of risk that fuels the entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurs thrive on challenges, while government leaders, unfortunately, often shy away from them.

In 2028, we should hope to be in a position to celebrate those leaders who dared to take risks, stepped outside their comfort zones, and worked to create meaningful change. At the same time, we must be willing to hold accountable those who clung to the status quo, because Delaware’s economic ecosystem depends on courageous, risk-taking leadership.

The Organic Nature of Business

Businesses are organic by nature—much like a farm. We plant, collaborate, nurture, adapt, and hope for a harvest. Yet, being organic means facing a cycle of birth, maturity, and potential decline. Entrepreneurs must constantly tend to their businesses to ensure they thrive, despite external forces that threaten survival. By definition, we are constantly working to avoid demise, while governments often overlook this crucial, sometimes harsh reality. We need to help them change their perspective, to see the upside of risk.

While entrepreneurs occasionally cause their own struggles, it’s deeply frustrating when opportunities are blocked, nurturing is disrupted, or customer relationships are interrupted due to onerous regulations. These interventions, often stemming from our well-intentioned elected neighbors and friends, may not fully grasp the fragility of business ventures. When businesses falter, so do our communities—and ironically, so does the vital tax revenue that funds public services.

A Call for Collaboration

In 2025 and beyond, my hope is that the public sector will engage in early, open dialogue with the business community—not with predetermined solutions, but with genuine curiosity. By valuing entrepreneurial ideas alongside regulatory remedies, Delaware can foster a collaborative environment where innovation thrives.

Business should be at the center of health care cost reform, affordable housing improvement, and new business attraction. Fortunately, because of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, we are at the table for the latter—it is time to put us at the center for the former. The hurried passage of HB 350 demonstrates the damage that can be done when legislation happens in a silo, without collaboratively working with those who are intimately involved in the health care industry. Additionally, leaders must start thinking about setting statutory deadlines for bureaucracies that currently delay land use, transportation, and environmental reviews. They must ask the fundamental question every entrepreneur asks: “What can we do to accelerate this idea?” And they should approach policy challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset.

A Time for Real Change

We cannot afford a decelerating economy. Let’s assist in this effort by embracing change. Delaware has bright and motivated individuals in both elected and administrative positions who can drive meaningful change. But it requires courage and a willingness to take risks. Let’s encourage our leaders to listen to and collaborate with the entrepreneurial community. Together, we can create an environment that nurtures innovation and allows businesses to flourish.

Because “It’s time for change” isn’t just a slogan— it’s a necessity.

Brian DiSabatino is the president and CEO of EDiS Company. He also chairs the Delaware Business Roundtable.