In January we took a closer look at how we might better understand value and impact at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and ecosystem building. It’s an overwhelmingly complex topic and you can read some of my observations in Value: Redefined.
The second highlight for me was hosting our first global meetup of impact-driven solopreneurs. Thirty of us came together from South America, Europe and the US for an on-the-spot peer coaching session and to pool our strengths and ideas. The results?
- We are kicking off a monthly series of meetings to continue to support each other: Solopreneurs for Impact.
- We have started a LinkedIn group to continue the conversation (if you are self-employed in the impact space, please join us!).
Thirdly, I shared the highlights from our roundtable #4 Live the Values throughout the months to shed more light on how we might show up as role models for the values we hope to see in our communities.
What’s next
February is dedicated to introducing some of the most accomplished and insightful ecosystem builders who work in communities of color. We will hear from David Ponraj whose company Startupspace helps build the underlying infrastructure between entrepreneurial support organizations and entrepreneurs themselves. You will meet Angela Jackson of New Profit who is concerned with the Future of Work for the American workforce. If you enjoyed my conversation with Matt Dunne, you are going to love Angela’s approach! With Mildred Franco, I spoke about the importance of strengthening local capacity for historically underserved entrepreneurs in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and – as the crowning highlight – you get to listen in on my conversation with Dell Gines who recently completed his PhD on Entrepreneurial ecosystem building and who is a dedicated advocate for equity and inclusion in our field.
Hot off the press of our internal Insights, we are discussing how we might better connect people in our ecosystems across perceived boundaries. What started out as a conversation about effective introductions quickly turned into a discussion about complex, adaptive systems. You can read it all in #5 Connect People Bottom-Up, Top-Down, Inside-Out, etc.
How you can help
If you know any ecosystem builders who pave the way for social entrepreneurs in Central Eastern Europe as well as in Indigneous Communities, i would love an introduction!
If you know any economic developers – or you are one yourself – who believe in the power of social entrepreneurship for economic growth, I would love to talk!
Lastly, I’m curious about who the academics are who don’t only teach social entrepreneurship but support these ambitious founders through programming. Know anyone? Make a connection!