We all know the value community-led Entrepreneur Support Organizations (such as accelerators and incubators) provide to their ecosystems. They are deeply connected to local networks, have a profound understanding of local problems, and have a high level of local ownership. They are often the first line of support for entrepreneurs with lived experience who are solving real-world problems (social, economic, and environmental) and sit in investor blind spots. But these startup supporters are often startups themselves. Across emerging markets, community-led ESOs are underfunded and underappreciated, working with small budgets and volunteer teams and constantly competing for restrictive grant funding.
In this session, we will dive into ways community-led ESOs can thrive beyond traditional acceleration programs and explore a holistic approach to ecosystem-building for impact investing. Recognizing the crucial role of diverse perspectives in building thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems, let’s hear from the ESOs firsthand!
This session boldly challenges the Silicon Valley acceleration model with firsthand accounts from ESO leaders from Emerging Markets. Discover how they’re building ecosystems that authentically address the unique needs of underrepresented founders, driving innovation from a fresh perspective. We will discuss:
– Sustainability: Building lasting, impactful, and self-sufficient ecosystems that support growth beyond individual programs
– Funding: Identifying avenues innovative financing models and championing unrestrictive for support organizations
– Partnerships: Identifying the missing outliers in the ecosystem and how they’re disrupting acceleration models in the ecosystem to avoid duplicated efforts and foster collaboration through regional networks
