Welcome to my seventh logbook, an in between seasons update on Ecosystems for Change.

In each logbook, I give you a peek behind the scenes of what’s happening in my day job as an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the Shenandoah Valley, some updates from the field of ecosystem building, an introduction to Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building doing amazing work in their communities, and a behind the scenes update about the show itself.

It’s a fun way for me to let you in on my thought processes and an invitation for you to contribute your own thoughts and experiences that make this show what it is.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• The event we convened in September that brought together entrepreneurial champions and advocates in the Shenandoah Valley
• A new advocacy organization with an online community
• Conference season is upon us! And the events you’ll find me at
• How Alax Foreman is building a community of tech entrepreneurs in Chicago
• What Nick Giraldo wants to change about how we think about economic development
• Why I’ve made the tough decision to put Ecosystems for Change on hiatus

Learn More About Alax Foreman:

• Chi Tech Collective

Learn More About Nicholas Giraldo:

• Wyoming Community Navigator

Learn More About Anika Horn:

• Website: www.socialventurers.com
• Instagram: SocialVenturers
• Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator

Resources:

• Common Wealth Crush
• shenandoahvalleyliving.com/entrepreneurship
• Field Notes
• Right to Start
• SOCAP Global
• Startup Champions Network Fall Summit
• Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit
• InBIA e.Builder’s Forum
• Zebras Unite
• Tech Link Up Chicago
• The Sanctuary Chicago
• Black Tech Saturdays Detroit
• Afrotech Conference
• Nicholas Giraldo on the Wyoming SBDC Network Podcast
• Unsung Hero Spotlight: Nida Ansari
• Unsung Hero Spotlight: Sameer Popat
• Unsung Hero Spotlight: Alax Foreman
• Unsung Hero Spoltight: Nicholas Giraldo

On today’s bonus episode, I’m speaking with Chris Heivly.

Chris has over 40 years of experience working as, for, and with entrepreneurs and I was delighted to talk with him about why he wants to see more ecosystem and community builders come together and build a fort.

Chris Heivly is a life-long entrepreneur and multifaceted investor who spent forty years working as, for, and with entrepreneurs. Prior to becoming a successful startup community builder and consultant, Chris co-founded MapQuest—which sold to AOL for $1.2 billion. He currently serves as a managing director of The Startup Factory and is a highly sought-after public speaker. His first book, Build the Fort: Why 5 Simple Lessons You Learned As a 10 Year-Old Can Set You Up for Startup Success, was inspired by his widely acclaimed TEDx talk in 2014.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why Chris uses the metaphor of building the fort when addressing ecosystem builders and entrepreneurs
• How the fluidity of complex adaptive systems benefits entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders
• Why you have to identify and speak with as many of the actors in your ecosystem as possible
• Why collaboration and partnerships are vital to creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts
• How to identify the gaps in your ecosystem and bring the right people together to fill them
• How adopting a short term mindset can help ecosystem builders dive in, get stuff done, and build momentum
• Why you can’t wait for a permission slip to get involved
• How leaders and influencers set the tone for the culture of an ecosystem

Learn More About Chris Heivly:

• Website
• The Startup Factory
• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
• Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide
• Building the fort -- a metaphor for starting anything

Learn More About Anika Horn:

• Website: www.socialventurers.com
• Instagram: SocialVenturers
• Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator

Resources:

• The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley, Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt
• Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City, Brad Feld
• The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway
• Ecosystems for Change Season Two: The Slow and Complex Nature of Ecosystem Change
• S05E05: Start. Hand over. Repeat. The Cycles of Ecosystem Building with Larkin Garbee
• S04E06: Investing in the Lives of Founders with Todd Nuckols
• S04E08: Succession Planning: Transferring Social Capital To The Next Generation with Rick Turoczy
• EcoMap Technologies

We started this season by asking how we can tell better stories about what is happening in our ecosystems.

As I reflect on the lessons learned throughout the season, the key piece is that storytelling is not just some fun marketing campaign; it’s a tool to show the community what is possible and what the future might look like.

But most of us–entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners alike–are so bogged down in the day-to-day that we rarely have the chance to envision the bigger picture of where the ecosystem is headed. Storytelling allows us to gather and curate all these different stories of doers, makers, and dreamers into a mosaic that creates a beautiful picture as it comes together.

Once we understand that every story, whether on a blog, in a newsletter, or in a YouTube video, contributes to this greater picture and narrative, we can start chipping away at it. You don’t need a degree in journalism or media production to contribute. You just need a genuine sense of excitement about the entrepreneurs you encounter and the willingness to look for solutions.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How solutions-based storytelling, supported by clear and objective facts, moves the needle
• How the accessibility of technology creates opportunities for more diverse stories and storytellers
• Different strategies for leaning on your networks to spread your stories
• Choosing your format and making the money work
• How storytelling not only shines light on the doers and makers in your community, but allows the community to shift how they see themselves

Learn More About Anika Horn:

• Website: www.socialventurers.com
• Instagram: SocialVenturers
• Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator

Resources:

• Season 6: All Episodes
• Tea After Twelve
• Solutions Journalism Network
• Hometown Hustle
• The Rural Edge
• Entrepreneurship Indiana
• Connect IND
• The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph, Ryan Holiday
• EcoMap Technologies