Mr. Gross is a dedicated international development worker who has devoted his life to helping people in more than 50 countries.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

This plan would not only jump start development of distinct child and worker incentives, but could also provide a stepping stone toward broader tax reform.

FORBES: Navigating The Maze Of Child Tax Credits

Several of the champions of the new economy are firms that were once hailed as plucky little start-ups but have long since grown huge, such as Apple, Google and Facebook. (In August Apple was the world's largest listed company by market capitalisation.) American firms with 5, 000 or more people spend more than twice as much per worker on research and development as those with 100-500.

ECONOMIST: Why large firms are often more inventive than small ones