Ecosystem Building 101

What is the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem?

The entrepreneurial ecosystem is a metaphor for the dynamic resources and variables that impact an entrepreneur. You can think of it as everything, and everyone, who contributes or impacts an entrepreneur on their journey to start, grow, or scale a business. 

“The essence of an entrepreneurial ecosystem is its people and the culture of trust and collaboration that allows them to interact successfully. The ecosystem allows for the fast flow of talent, information, and resources so that entrepreneurs can quickly find what they need at each stage of growth. As a result, the whole is greater than the sum of its separate parts.”
Kauffman Foundation, 2019

What (or “Who”) is an Ecosystem Builder?

Ecosystem builders are people who are able to build relationships, identify resources, and navigate hurdles alongside entrepreneurs, helping the entrepreneurs to reach their goals to start, grow, or scale their businesses. 

“Ecosystem builders connect, empower, and collaborate with others to build the whole system. They are system entrepreneurs, working to lift up the whole community to achieve its potential.” – Kaufman Foundation, 2019

Ecosystem builders do their work by directly engaging with entrepreneurs, fostering community among the ecosystem, seeking out funding resources, and advocating for the voice of entrepreneurs in community, workforce, and economic development realms. 

“Ecosystem builders are people who look at all levels of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, from helping entrepreneurs startup, to connecting them to funding, to making sure they have talent to hire when they’re ready.” –  Mel Lambert, ecosystembuilderhub.com 

Meet Our Team of Ecosystem Builders

RISE Collaborative is an initiative led by a team of ecosystem builders who are passionate about supporting entrepreneurs across Southern Virginia. Each of us contribute to RISE Collaborative programs as part of our roles within our respective organizations. Through our individual and collective efforts, we are building a more connected, diverse, and inclusive ecosystem. We share a common goal to help entrepreneurs get access to capital needed to start, grow, and scale a business. 

Lauren Mathena

Lauren Mathena

Director of Economic Development & Community Engagement at Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corp. & SOVA Innovation Hub

Hope Harris-Gayles

Hope Harris-Gayles

Longwood SBDC Marketing Consultant + Director of Communications & Outreach at Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

Andrew King, PhD

Andrew King, PhD

Director of the Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Hampden-Sydney College

Sheri McGuire

Sheri McGuire

Longwood SBDC Executive Director + Associate Vice President at Longwood University Office of Community & Economic Development

Mallory Lawter

Mallory Lawter

SOVA Innovation Hub Community Manager

Jacob Dolence

Jacob Dolence

Longwood SBDC Business Consultant + Director of Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at Longwood University

Dana Knott, MBA

Dana Knott, MBA

Longwood SBDC Central Region Director

Michael Scales

Michael Scales

Longwood SBDC Western Region Business Analyst

Liz Trickey Smith

Liz Trickey Smith

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, Mid-Atlantic Broadband & SOVA Innovation Hub

Jen Cox

Jen Cox

Longwood SBDC Consultant + Director of Local and Community Relations at Longwood University

Katherine Anne Beale

Katherine Anne Beale

Longwood SBDC Business Consultant based in Mecklenburg County, VA

Lin Hite

Lin Hite

Longwood SBDC Western Region Director + Consultant for businesses in Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County, VA

Want to join our team of Ecosystem Builders?

RISE Collaborative is scaling our capacity to serve entrepreneurs and businesses across Southern Virginia. We anticipate several paid work opportunities to be created in early 2024. Stay tuned to our email newsletter and social media to be notified about these upcoming job announcements. 

Resources for Ecosystem Builders // created by RISE Collaborative

The Grapevine Monthly Workgroup

The Grapevine Monthly Workgroup

 The Grapevine Entrepreneur Workgroup meets monthly on Zoom to network, share ideas, and learn from each other. We welcome all entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders in Southern Virginia to join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to share resources, ask questions, and make connections. Learn More

Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast

Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast

Our podcast lets you multi-task while you learn about ecosystem building. We interview ecosystem builders and entrepreneurs from Southern Virginia and around the United States. We hope you enjoy these conversations and learn something you can bring into your own efforts to support entrepreneurs or grow your business. Listen Now

Quarterly REI Stakeholder Call

Quarterly REI Stakeholder Call

The goal for the Regional Entrepreneurship & Innovation Initiative Quarterly Stakeholder Call is to update and advance the regional entrepreneurship strategy in GO Virginia Region 3. These calls help ensure inclusive access to entrepreneurship across the unique geographies in GO Virginia Region 3. 

The first call for 2023 is Thursday, March 2, 2023, 9am-10am on Zoom.


Resources for Ecosystem Builders // recommended by RISE Collaborative

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building

In this course, Dr. Dell Gines teaches inclusive, entrepreneurial economic development. Through close examination of the advantages of entrepreneurial development to rural and minority communities, Dell highlights the opportunity for eliminating economic disparities and building sustainable, equitable ecosystems. Free course. 2.5 hours of video content. Enroll for free.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building

Right to Start is fighting to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all. We believe everyone has a fundamental right to pursue their dreams, build a business, and earn a living. Learn more at https://www.righttostart.org/

Ecosystem Building Leadership Project

Ecosystem Building Leadership Project

The Ecosystem Building Leadership Project    is an initiative to collaboratively design, create, and validate a formal entity or shared infrastructure whose purpose is to provide leadership for the advancement of the entrepreneurship ecosystem building field of practice. Learn more at https://www.ebleadershipproject.com/launch