Ecosystem Building 101
What is Ecosystem Building?
1. 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
2. What 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
Give First: Get Involved in the RISE Ecosystem
The Grapevine Entrepreneur Network
The Grapevine Entrepreneur Network is an informal communication network connecting entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders across the region! We host a Facebook group, LinkedIn group, and a monthly virtual meetup: The Grapevine Virtual Meetup. This is your chance to show up 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
Ecosystem Builders of Southern Virginia
Ecosystem Builders of Southern Virginia is an informal network of people who work to support entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development across the RISE Collaborative / Southern Virginia region.
RISE Collaborative Economic Development Meetings
Hosted twice annually
Economic Development, Community Development, Workforce Development, Business Service Providers, and all Ecosystem Builders of Southern Virginia are invited to join in our inclusive approach to support entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development across the RISE Collaborative / Southern Virginia region.
Want to volunteer, mentor, or be an entrepreneur-in-residence? Email hello@sovarise.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
Director of Economic Development & Community Engagement at Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corp. & SOVA Innovation Hub
Hope Harris-Gayles
Longwood SBDC Marketing Consultant + Director of Communications & Outreach at Southern Virginia Higher Education Center
Andrew King, PhD
Director of the Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Hampden-Sydney College
Sheri McGuire
Longwood SBDC Executive Director + Associate Vice President at Longwood University Office of Community & Economic Development
Mallory Lawter
SOVA Innovation Hub Community Manager
Jacob Dolence
Longwood SBDC Business Consultant + Director of Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at Longwood University
Dana Knott, MBA
Longwood SBDC Central Region Director
Michael Scales
Longwood SBDC Western Region Business Analyst
Liz Trickey Smith
Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, Mid-Atlantic Broadband & SOVA Innovation Hub
Jen Cox
Longwood SBDC Consultant + Director of Local and Community Relations at Longwood University
Katherine Anne Beale
Longwood SBDC Business Consultant based in Mecklenburg County, VA
Lin Hite
Longwood SBDC Western Region Director + Consultant for businesses in Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County, VA
Looking for a paid position in the RISE Ecosystem? Visit https://sovarise.com/careers
Resources for Ecosystem Builders // recommended by RISE Collaborative
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.
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
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/
Startup Champions Network
Ecosystem builders are people who are collaborative by nature and who are systems thinkers. SCN members are ecosystem builders who create long-term economic opportunity in communities by ensuring that people and resources are connected and working together to develop new approaches and solutions for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurial ecosystem builders come from a variety of backgrounds and expertise, including entrepreneurs, government officials, economic developers, grassroots community leaders, university leaders, academics, philanthropists, corporate leaders, and media. Learn more and join SCN at https://www.startupchampions.co
Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast
Bethann West James and Hope Harris-Gayles on Creating Inclusive Entrepreneurial Support Networks
Bethann West James and Hope Harris-Gayles on Creating Inclusive Entrepreneurial Support NetworksBy working together and bringing entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders together with an interest in supporting Black and Brown-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, we can...
Brandon Hennessey on Leveraging Data to Support Entrepreneurs
Brandon Hennessey on Leveraging Data to Support EntrepreneursIt is important not just to look at data for what it is but to craft a narrative with the data and allow it to lead us toward innovation and growth. This week, season 2 episode 10 of Entrepreneurship on the...
Todd Waldo on Human-Centered Solutions and Technology to Help Entrepreneurs Scale
Todd Waldo on Human-Centered Solutions and Technology to Help Entrepreneurs ScaleThroughout the pandemic and subsequent years, we saw a shift in the way businesses approached diversity and equity but it is clear that if we want to continue improving our ecosystems, we...
Anand Macherla on How to Build a Resilient Startup Ecosystem
Anand Macherla on How to Build a Resilient Startup Ecosystem To create an ecosystem that is thriving, it’s important that ecosystem builders work together with the local community. Everyone impacted should have a voice and be made aware of the shifts happening in...
Beth Zimmer on Reducing the Barriers to Entry for Rural Startups
Beth Zimmer on Reducing the Barriers to Entry for Rural StartupsSerendipity in ecosystem building is a huge underlying and immeasurable resource. It’s important to have communities the support of amazing things coming together in a harmonious way. This episode of the...
Eric Weissmann on The Value of Variety in Ecosystem Building
Eric Weissmann on the Value of Variety in Ecosystem BuildingWhen you look at ecosystems in nature, like the rainforest, for example, it’s not all tall trees but a variety of different species that come together to create a bigger landscape. The same goes for our...
Trinity Thorpe-Lubneuski on The Impact of Internet Access in Rural America
Trinity Thorpe-Lubneuski on the Impact of Internet Access in Rural AmericaThose of us who have easy access to the internet often take for granted the benefits we reap from it. By providing equitable access to the internet across our rural communities, we are opening...
Tara St. Clair on Fostering Collaboration and Connection while Ecosystem Building
Tara St. Clair on Fostering Collaboration and Connection while Ecosystem BuildingFor anything to come together in a short amount of time AND without funding, it takes a community of people believing in the same mission and working together to create a network of...
Brian Deurloo // FrogCreek Partners
Entrepreneur Interview with Brian Deurloo, President & Founder of FrogCreek PartnersWhen it comes to your startup, if you don’t have the passion behind what you’re selling, you’re not going to make it as far as you think. This week, season 2 episode 2 of...
Anika Horn on Putting People First in Ecosystem Building
Anika Horn on Putting People First in Ecosystem BuildingWe often fall into this trap of only looking at the professional facet of a person rather than the people themselves. When you take the time to understand the person, what it is they want, and how you can support...
Sheri McGuire on The Ever-Evolving Nature of Rural Ecosystem Building
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Sheri McGuire of Longwood UniversityYou can't control an entrepreneurial ecosystem. It has its own form, its own life. It's the magic that happens when certain things and people come together. On episode 10 of the Entrepreneurship on...
Baylie Evans on Generating Investment in Rural Entrepreneurs
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Baylie Evans, gBETA Managing Director at gener8torWhat every ecosystem needs is a connector that builds this vast network of open doors for more and more people to access different people and resources they were never able to before....
Warren Reid on Present, Community-Centered Leadership
Interview with Warren Reid, Owner of The Reid Executive Group Not everyone has the privilege to travel the world so it is even more important for the ones that can to bring some of that knowledge and perspective back to their small towns for the greater benefit....
Tad Deriso on Getting Connected within your Region
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Tad Deriso of Mid-Atlantic Broadband & SOVA Innovation Hub Connectivity is a key consideration when it comes to bringing new people, businesses, and job markets to the region and MBC works to do just that. That’s why episode...
Bret Carpenter on Bridging the Resource Gaps in Rural Communities
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Bret Carpenter of Reinventing Rural Rural communities are so often left behind, but if we work to bridge the resource gap and empower these communities to work together for the common good, we can change the region as a whole. This...
Michael Scales on A Lifetime of Ecosystem Building
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Michael Scales, Small Business ConsultantOne of the most important considerations in economic development is securing those opportunities for generational wealth and development. Today’s guest is a perfect example of someone that not...
Joe Kirgues on Supporting the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Joe Kirgues, Co-Founder of gener8tor, on Supporting the Next Generation of EntrepreneursWhen you create a pipeline for the next generation of entrepreneurs to get the resources and support they need, you are able to make an immense impact on building and growing the...
Startup Colorado on Working Together to Support Emerging Communities
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Taylor Sanders Grande and Margaret Hedderman of Startup ColoradoWhen you foster relationships between entrepreneurs across different communities, the benefits span to everyone across the region and create a snowball effect for change....
Kristin Slice on Inclusivity and Accessibility in Entrepreneurship
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Kristin Slice of Arizona State UniversityIt is so important for every type of entrepreneur to have a seat at the table because there is strength in experiences from all walks of life and that strength is going to be what keeps other...
Natalie Hodge on Representation of Small Town Stories
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Entrepreneur Natalie K. Hodge, Founder of Rudy's Girl Media and HometownHustle.tvWhen you think of television and film, your brain automatically connects to the big stories coming out of LA, but it’s the small town stories that are the...