Near the beginning of the shelter in place order — what seems like years ago at this point — one of the first virtual events in which I had the honor of participating was the Skoll World Forum, an annual global gathering that had pivoted into a virtual event. During our panel, I had the opportunity to learn from startup ecosystem builders around the world. Here are some of the insights on how startup communities were dealing with COVID-19 at the time.
Read MoreTag: ecosystem builders
Revisiting the Startup Champions Network Portland visit
Sometimes, it takes an outside perspective to help you better understand your world. Earlier this year, Portland had the opportunity to host the Startup Champions Network, a group of startup ecosystem builders who mentor one another on what’s working in their respective communities. And as much as it was a pleasure to introduce folks to what was happening in Portland, getting feedback and insights from a variety of viewpoints was the true reward of putting the event together.
Read MorePortland startup community, meet folks from a bunch of other startup communities
One of the things I love most about the Portland startup community is how collaborative, supportive, and engaged the entire community is. Rather than a single person or group carrying the load, it’s all of us. But not every community has the same dynamic. Sometimes it’s an individual or handful of folks who shoulder the bulk of the effort. But no matter what the dynamic, a bunch of folks from other startup communities are visiting us in Portland, this week.
So a bunch of ecosystem builders walk in front of a camera…
The past couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to get invited to the Kauffman Foundation’s ESHIP Summit. A chance to gather and learn from folks who help entrepreneurs, participate in economic development, and generally try to make the whole world of startups more accessible to both founders and the mentors that they need.