More than 60% of Americans have an idea for something that could become a new company. Of that, 40% would take action in the next six months if they could, yet less than 2% do.*
This was just one of many nuggets of thoughtfulness, inspiration, and introspection that resulted from SuperConnect, EcoMap’s first conference and high-level connector event, held on September 24 and 25 at Brown Advisory in Baltimore. Ecosystem builders from around the country attended to understand and empower their respective communities—the 38% hamstrung from taking action—with unparalleled resources and opportunities to do so.
Entrepreneurial support organizations, innovation centers, and economic development arms across diverse regions are democratizing points of entry and scale for founders by streamlining access to information, resources and stakeholders within ecosystems. But this is about more than just allowing entrepreneurs to grow businesses. It’s about changing the trajectory of communities and lifting up its members.
In panel discussions throughout the 2-day conference, leaders and experts discussed important ecosystem-building topics, such as inclusivity and diversity, collaboration and connectivity, prioritizing local context, funding pathways and sustainability, and the role of super connectors.
Particularly in underserved communities, ecosystem building is not something layered onto an existing infrastructure. An ecosystem is personal, imbibed by local culture and built by experts on the ground. It is vital to understand and leverage local strengths and the unique characteristics of each ecosystem to create lasting and relevant change. It is impossible to have an ecosystem without first having a community.
Building inclusive ecosystems that reflect the diversity of their communities was a major takeaway of the conference and part of its very fabric. Speakers and panelists were fully represented. Half were female and half were people of color, providing diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences.
The importance of building connections between different stakeholders in the ecosystem was a consistent theme, as was the concept of “super connectors”—on brand for the conference—emphasizing how crucial this role is for ecosystem development, particularly to:
- feed learning back into the ecosystem
- facilitate connections
- preserve institutional knowledge and democratize it to the general population
- understand and propagate systems thinking
- leverage the power of partnerships and resource-sharing within communities
The importance of good storytelling was also a common theme. Effective storytelling communicates the value and progress of ecosystem-building efforts. There was a focus on balancing quantitative data and qualitative insights with narrative to create compelling stories about ecosystem development. While it can be a challenge to obtain accurate and comprehensive data, especially for underrepresented groups, the importance of using data to inform decision-making and measure progress in ecosystem building is paramount. Each role in the ecosystem needs to be able to articulate who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
A highlight of the conference was an appearance by Governor Wes Moore, who brought an inspiring energy and talked about how attendees would look back at this decade as “Maryland’s decade.” He paid a heartfelt tribute to EcoMap’s forever Chief Ecosystem Officer and late co-founder, Pava LaPere, fondly remembering her direct, action-oriented approach, fearlessness and belief in a larger vision. He praised EcoMap for building something indispensable and meaningful, turning an idea into a legacy.
He also spoke directly to current CEO and EcoMap co-founder, Sherrod Davis, praising him for his extraordinary leadership during difficult times, even while processing his own healing and grief.
Governor Moore said, “The more connected we are, the faster we can go; the faster we can go, the more people we can touch; and the more people we can touch, the more impact we can have. And that, in effect, is how we change the world.”
*Statistics provided by SuperConnect speaker, Donna Harris, Founder and CEO of Builders + Backers.