The Ecosystem Building Leadership Network is a network of networks with the mission of advancing entrepreneurship ecosystem building as a valued practice, a trusted profession, and a pathway for economic health and community wellbeing.
Background
The origin of the Ecosystem Building Leadership Network (EBLN) stems from the great work of 1500+ participants of the ESHIP Summits hosted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Over the course of three years and four Summits, ecosystem builders from all 50 U.S. States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 20 other countries gathered to join collective efforts to explore and progress the entrepreneurship ecosystem building field of practice. Through a collaborative, community-driven approach, participants created tools, resources and knowledge to better support communities that are working to empower entrepreneurs. Learn more about ESHIP, including the seven goals that emerged from the work.
Through the ESHIP work to advance entrepreneurship ecosystem building as a practice, the need to centralize actions serving the field through a field-wide infrastructure emerged. This structure will further accelerate wider understanding and adoption of ecosystem building as a practice in economic, community, workforce and entrepreneurship development in the United States. Thus, the first phase of development, called the Ecosystem Building Leadership Project (EBLP) was launched in 2022.
During this first phase, EBLP brought together Ecosystem Builders (EBs) and the National Resource Providers (NRPs) who serve them with training, convenings, information and other resources, to co-design the infrastructure.
Through the ESHIP work to advance entrepreneurship ecosystem building as a practice, the need to centralize actions serving the field through a field-wide infrastructure emerged. This structure will further accelerate wider understanding and adoption of ecosystem building as a practice in economic, community, workforce and entrepreneurship development in the United States. Thus, the first phase of development, called the Ecosystem Building Leadership Project (EBLP) was launched in 2022.
During this first phase, EBLP brought together Ecosystem Builders (EBs) and the National Resource Providers (NRPs) who serve them with training, convenings, information and other resources, to co-design the infrastructure.
Leadership Council
(Seated November 2023)
Ifeoma Aduba
Executive Director at Entrepreneurship Funders Network
Lomax Campbell
President & CEO at Third Eye Network
Melissa Roberts Chapman
Director, Entrepreneurship + Ecosystems at Federation of American Scientists
Mo Collins
Economic Development Ecosystem Builder at International Economic Development Council
Julie Heath
Executive Director, IU Innovates at Indiana University
Fay Horwitt
President & CEO at Forward Cities
Norris Krueger
Founder at Entrepreneurship Northwest
Executive Director at Entrepreneurship Funders Network
Lomax Campbell
President & CEO at Third Eye Network
Melissa Roberts Chapman
Director, Entrepreneurship + Ecosystems at Federation of American Scientists
Mo Collins
Economic Development Ecosystem Builder at International Economic Development Council
Julie Heath
Executive Director, IU Innovates at Indiana University
Fay Horwitt
President & CEO at Forward Cities
Norris Krueger
Founder at Entrepreneurship Northwest
Provisional Council
(October 2022 - October 2023)
Ifeoma Aduba
Executive Director at Entrepreneurship Funders Network
José Alvarez
Vice President at Prospera USA North Carolina
Grace Belangia
Executive Director & Co-Founder at Make Startups
Enoch Elwell
Founder & Board Chair at CO.STARTERS
Tarsha Hearns
Senior Director of Ecosystems at Dallas Entrepreneur Center
Julie Heath
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builder
Executive Director at Entrepreneurship Funders Network
José Alvarez
Vice President at Prospera USA North Carolina
Grace Belangia
Executive Director & Co-Founder at Make Startups
Enoch Elwell
Founder & Board Chair at CO.STARTERS
Tarsha Hearns
Senior Director of Ecosystems at Dallas Entrepreneur Center
Julie Heath
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builder
Project Support Team
(January 2022 - October 2022)
Jennifer Hunter
Facilitator
Jason Barnes
Facilitator
Ed Morrison
Facilitator
Scott Hutcheson
Facilitator
Dr. Brint Milward
Facilitator, Research
Facilitator
Jason Barnes
Facilitator
Ed Morrison
Facilitator
Scott Hutcheson
Facilitator
Dr. Brint Milward
Facilitator, Research
With the help of a facilitation team and a network researcher, a collaborative advisory group of national support organization leaders formed and working teams came together to develop a charter, governance model, communications plan, sustainability and resiliency model, and network health recommendations. This work culminated in the election of a Provisional Council charged with translating those recommendations into a plan for standing up the Ecosystem Building Leadership Network.
The Provisional Council delivered several detailed recommendations to the network in the late summer and early fall of 2023. In November of that year, the network elected a more permanent Leadership council under the fiscal sponsorship of Community Initiatives. See below for the list of current EBLN Leadership Council members as well as the project leadership team who served from 2022-2023.
In taking EBLN to the next phase, the Leadership Council is in the process of hiring an executive director - if you might be interested in this position, check out the listing on the EBLN community platform.
To learn more about EBLN and to join the conversation, please create a profile in the online platform and introduce yourself to the hundreds of other ecosystem builders and resource providers who look forward to hearing from you.
The Provisional Council delivered several detailed recommendations to the network in the late summer and early fall of 2023. In November of that year, the network elected a more permanent Leadership council under the fiscal sponsorship of Community Initiatives. See below for the list of current EBLN Leadership Council members as well as the project leadership team who served from 2022-2023.
In taking EBLN to the next phase, the Leadership Council is in the process of hiring an executive director - if you might be interested in this position, check out the listing on the EBLN community platform.
To learn more about EBLN and to join the conversation, please create a profile in the online platform and introduce yourself to the hundreds of other ecosystem builders and resource providers who look forward to hearing from you.
Vanessa Roanhorse
CEO at Roanhorse Consulting
Denisse Rodriguez
Executive Director at Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust
Charles Ross
President & CEO at International Business Innovation Association
Andy Stoll
Senior Program Officer at Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Cecilia Wessinger
Director for Global Community at Global Entrepreneurship Network
Jim Woodell
Founder, Principal and CEO at Venn Collaborative
CEO at Roanhorse Consulting
Denisse Rodriguez
Executive Director at Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust
Charles Ross
President & CEO at International Business Innovation Association
Andy Stoll
Senior Program Officer at Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Cecilia Wessinger
Director for Global Community at Global Entrepreneurship Network
Jim Woodell
Founder, Principal and CEO at Venn Collaborative
Tiffany Henry
Instructional Designer, Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Arkansas Tech University
Pava LaPere
Co-Founder & CEO at EcoMap
Dara Macan
National Director Partnerships & Engagement at SourceLink
Charles Ross
President & CEO at International Business Innovation Association
Jim Woodell
Founder, Principal and CEO at Venn Colloborative
Beth Zimmer
Project Manager at Ecosystem Building Leadership Project
Instructional Designer, Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Arkansas Tech University
Pava LaPere
Co-Founder & CEO at EcoMap
Dara Macan
National Director Partnerships & Engagement at SourceLink
Charles Ross
President & CEO at International Business Innovation Association
Jim Woodell
Founder, Principal and CEO at Venn Colloborative
Beth Zimmer
Project Manager at Ecosystem Building Leadership Project
Charles Ross
Host & Co-Chair
Dell Gines
Co-Chair
Kristin Leutz
Co-Chair
Beth Zimmer
Project Manager
Charlton Cunningham
Communications Lead
Lindsay Schuenke
Coordination Lead
Host & Co-Chair
Dell Gines
Co-Chair
Kristin Leutz
Co-Chair
Beth Zimmer
Project Manager
Charlton Cunningham
Communications Lead
Lindsay Schuenke
Coordination Lead
Collaborative Advisory Group
e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Don Macke
Opportunity HUB
Rodney Sampson
Forward Cities
Fay Horwitt
1863
Melissa Bradley
Black Innovation Alliance
Kelly Burton
Sourcelink
Rob Williams
InBIA
Krista Covey
NACCE
Becky Corbin
Startup Champions Network
Tom Chapman
CO.STARTERS
Enoch Elwell
Don Macke
Opportunity HUB
Rodney Sampson
Forward Cities
Fay Horwitt
1863
Melissa Bradley
Black Innovation Alliance
Kelly Burton
Sourcelink
Rob Williams
InBIA
Krista Covey
NACCE
Becky Corbin
Startup Champions Network
Tom Chapman
CO.STARTERS
Enoch Elwell
Inncuvate
Mark Lawrence
Urban Manufacturing Alliance
Katy Stanton
Angel Capital Association
Pat Gouhin
Comena 66
Denisse Rodriquez
Black Female Founders
Erin Horne McKinney
UF Innovate | Accelerate @ The Hub & Sid Martin BioTech
Karl LaPan
Aspen Institute's Latinos in Society City Learning & Action Lab
Alejandro Manzanares
Prospera
Augusto Sanabria
Mark Lawrence
Urban Manufacturing Alliance
Katy Stanton
Angel Capital Association
Pat Gouhin
Comena 66
Denisse Rodriquez
Black Female Founders
Erin Horne McKinney
UF Innovate | Accelerate @ The Hub & Sid Martin BioTech
Karl LaPan
Aspen Institute's Latinos in Society City Learning & Action Lab
Alejandro Manzanares
Prospera
Augusto Sanabria
4th Economy
Rich Overmoyer
National League of Cities
Corianne Rice
Community Development Venture Capital Alliance
Kerwin Tesdell
Rural Rise
Tina Metzer
STARTOUT
Andres Wydler
Jim Woodell & Co
Jim Woodell
University Economic Development Association
Margo Fliss
International Economic Development Council
Nathan Ohle
Global Accelerator Network
Patrick Riley
Rich Overmoyer
National League of Cities
Corianne Rice
Community Development Venture Capital Alliance
Kerwin Tesdell
Rural Rise
Tina Metzer
STARTOUT
Andres Wydler
Jim Woodell & Co
Jim Woodell
University Economic Development Association
Margo Fliss
International Economic Development Council
Nathan Ohle
Global Accelerator Network
Patrick Riley
Entrepreneurship Funders Network
Ifeoma Aduba
GET Cities at Second Muse Foundation
Leslie Smith
Roanhorse Consulting
Vanessa Roanhorse
National Urban League
Stephanie Devane
Established
Jen Consalvo & Frank Gruber
NRP Relations
Christine Lai
Value Web
Mike Fleisch
U.S. Small Business Administration
Jennifer Shieh
Institute for Work & the Economy
Peter Creticos
Ifeoma Aduba
GET Cities at Second Muse Foundation
Leslie Smith
Roanhorse Consulting
Vanessa Roanhorse
National Urban League
Stephanie Devane
Established
Jen Consalvo & Frank Gruber
NRP Relations
Christine Lai
Value Web
Mike Fleisch
U.S. Small Business Administration
Jennifer Shieh
Institute for Work & the Economy
Peter Creticos
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