Sustainable Work
Stories & articles related to ESHIP Goal #7: Develop professional recognition and resources for ecosystem builders.
Frustrations and Challenges of Ecosystem Builders
This post is part of a series featuring highlights from the Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building campaign which shone a spotlight on 40+ entrepreneurial ecosystem builders from around the U.S. and abroad between February and September 2020. As an emerging field that is challenging the status quo of entrepreneurship in economic development, ecosystem builders are […]
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Sustainable Work: ESHIP Goal 7
Goal 7 Sustainable Work: Develop professional recognition and resources for ecosystem builders In a nutshell: Entrepreneurial ecosystem building requires perseverance. The work is arduous and often ambiguous, and it can take 20 years to see concrete results. Many practitioners – including grassroots organizers and change agents within large institutions – operate without adequate training, funding, […]
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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Mark Lawrence
To you, what is an Ecosystem Builder? An ecosystem builder is a person that takes the system-level view of the innovation and entrepreneurial assets in a community, connects them, and fills in the gaps where necessary in order to help the ecosystem to continue to thrive and grow. What motivates you as an ecosystem builder? […]
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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Mel Lambert
Mel Lambert is the Director of Adult & Community Services at Kirkwood Public Library. Prior to that she was a Reference Librarian at St. Louis County Library who assists small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs with using FREE library resources to grow their businesses. Mel credits her work at St. Louis County Library as her introduction to […]
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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Kim Louis
To you, what is an Ecosystem Builder? A person who connects the initiatives that otherwise would not have collaborated in a way that they can support and raise each other in their entrepreneurial journeys. What motivates you as an ecosystem builder? I am passionate about seeing people achieve what they are on earth to do! […]
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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Eric Parker
To you, what is an Ecosystem Builder? An Ecosystem Builder is someone working to make resources available to support entrepreneurs in their community. What motivates you as an ecosystem builder? Short answer: I believe that by helping people start business we build communities of people that care about each other’s welfare instead of people focused […]
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Case Study: The Dan River Region Ecosystem Development
As with any movement, there comes a day when grand visions need to either remain that, or be executed on so that they may evolve to the next stage of development and maturation. We found one of those exemplary steps in southern Virginia where the Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem recognized the need for an […]
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Jess Edwards’ Reflections as Dan River Region Ecosystem Builder
The Dan River Region Ecosystem Development Project as a promising sign for the sustainable future of Ecosystem Building… As a project-based Ecosystem Builder, I have observed the exciting recent shift in conversation and strategy around building and scaling entrepreneurial ecosystems. Evolving from, “We need to be collaborating more and breaking down our silos…” to a […]
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