Building Community Immunity
What happens when “together” gets cancelled? How do we continue our mission of supporting business starters and growing communities in the face of catastrophic circumstances? How do we support each other when the word “community” itself feels like a threat?
Navigating the Stages of Community Growth
A Model for Starting and Sustaining an Entrepreneurial Community
By Enoch Elwell
Entrepreneurial culture is changing
There’s something exciting afoot if you look through the negative national narrative on the decline of small cities and towns across the United States. Despite suffering significant economic loss which spawns a culture of grim survival, a growing number of communities are beginning to break […]
CO.STARTERS Partnering With Ecosystem Builder Hub
CO.STARTERS announces a partnership with Ecosystem Builder Hub, an online clearinghouse for content about entrepreneurial ecosystem building.
CO.STARTERS Partners with Startup Space Platform to Provide Integrated Solution for Ecosystem Builders
CO.STARTERS and Startup Space are joining forces to provide a best-in-class integrated solution for startup communities and entrepreneurs that leverages Startup Space technology and CO.STARTERS tools.
Bridging the Rural Opportunity Gap
Creativity is key to innovation in rural areas. In Part 3 of our series on Overlooked Aspects of Inclusion in Ecosystem Building, Matt Dunne from Center on Rural Innovation shares key learnings from years of work addressing the opportunity gap in rural communities.
How to Have Difficult Conversations
Conversations about inclusion in ecosystem building can be difficult because they bring up issues that may become contentious and polarizing. In Part 2 of our series on Overlooked Aspects of Inclusion in Ecosystem Building, we have a conversation with author Meg Bolger about how the art of facilitation can make these conversations more effective and productive.
Including the 50+
People over 50 are likely to be overlooked as potential entrepreneurs, yet also make up a growing percentage of new entrepreneurs. A program created by AARP Foundation is helping communities tap into the potential of these founders and help them succeed.
It Takes a Village to Build an Ecosystem
Exploring the Many Roles of Ecosystem Building
By Enoch Elwell, CO.STARTERS Founder & Visionary
As the ecosystem building approach to economic and community development gains interest and credibility, the title of “ecosystem builder” has emerged to represent a specific type of community leader. This title signifies important distinctions in the intended outcomes as well as the type […]
Partnering with McClure Placemaking to Help Four Rural Communities
CO.STARTERS is excited to partner with McClure Placemaking to help four rural regions in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado to develop actionable blueprints to create opportunity in some of the nation’s most economically challenged rural regions.
“McClure Placemaking has an incredible model that helps rural regions create a plan and follow through on it,” said Enoch Elwell. “CO.STARTERS is […]
Networks vs. Nodes: Developing New Business Models for the Connected Age
By Enoch Elwell, CO.STARTERS Founder & Visionary
As CO.STARTERS has worked as a leader in the emerging field of entrepreneurial ecosystem building—which is essentially about building dense networks of trust, both institutional and personal, to support entrepreneurs—we find our work positioned in the middle of a unique combination of players:
- Grassroots leaders and local […]
Identifying the Stages of Community Growth
A new type of entrepreneurial culture is springing up everywhere. By better understanding the stages of community growth, local leaders can be better equipped to capitalize on common trends. CO.STARTERS founder Enoch Elwell shares a model for growth built on decades of learnings from grassroots entrepreneurial communities.