Anika Horn

Anika Horn is an ecosystem building expert who helps communities create entrepreneurial ecosystems for social change. Through systems thinking, storytelling, and strategic training, she empowers ecosystem champions to support the doers, dreamers, and makers in their communities.

Anchored in her belief that a rising tide lifts all boats, Anika teaches advocates of entrepreneurship how to take a systems approach to supporting local innovation. Her work sits at the intersection of systems thinking, social impact, and storytelling, advancing the field of ecosystem building through practical training and thought leadership.

Anika's approach combines three core elements: systems thinking for understanding ecosystem dynamics, strategic storytelling to communicate impact, and hands-on training to build capacity. She works with clients to tell meaningful stories about their ecosystems, the people who nurture them, and how entrepreneurs navigate local assets. Her podcast, Ecosystems for Change, shares insights from ecosystem builders worldwide.

Anika co-founded three innovative programs: Unreasonable Lab VA (Virginia's first mini-accelerator for social entrepreneurs), CO.STARTERS VA (a startup program for idea-stage founders), and Rebelle Con (a boutique conference for entrepreneurial women). She worked with high-growth startups at nationally ranked accelerator Lighthouse Labs and spearheaded Virginia's B Corp movement as the state's official B Keeper. Most recently, she served as Director of Ecosystem Building in the Shenandoah Valley.

Prior to her North American work, Anika earned a Bachelor of European Studies and Masters of Sustainability Sciences in Germany, France, and Australia. She spent a decade working across journalism, non-profits, government, and private sector roles, bringing international perspective to ecosystem building challenges.