The E3 Approach: A Community-Driven Framework for Empowering Every Entrepreneur

Too often, small business ecosystems struggle to deliver real impact to the very entrepreneurs they set out to serve. Funding flows, but the progress is slow. Resources exist, but they don’t reach the right people at the right time. Entrepreneurs, especially Black, Latino, and women-owned businesses, tap into every resource they know, spending endless time and effort only to struggle to access capital, networks, and sustainable growth pathways. The problem isn’t a lack of talent or ambition — it’s a disconnect between local assets and real access. What if cities focused on tapping into the wealth (financial, social, cultural, knowledge, and resources) that already exists in their communities?

E3 Durham’s success in our place-based approach is reimagining economic development through a holistic community lens. We lean in an ‘E3’ approach: helping Entrepreneurs effectively navigate local resources and grow their networks, building capacity of Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESO’s) and B2B Service Providers, and aligning Ecosystem partners through intentional collaboration.

In this session, we will introduce the E3 Durham framework, provide tangible examples of impact for entrepreneurs, equippers, and ecosystem partners, and guide attendees through an exercise to help them map and access E3 strengths and opportunities for growth in their own local communities.