By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems For over 25 years we have searched for community-centered economic development strategies and approaches appropriate for rural communities, regions and states. Working throughout North America, we evolved our Energizing Entrepreneurs (e2) Development Framework and a corresponding resource library known as e2 University. In collaboration with NetWork Kansas, one of rural Americas...
By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems While we all hope that the COVID-19 Pandemic and associated recession ends quickly and a new normal emerges this summer, chances of this happening appear less likely with the threat of virus resurgence, prolonged economic recession and now rising civil unrest. While coping with the...
By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems The Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund is a shining example of the power of eSystems during economic crisis. In just two weeks, NetWork Kansas and its partners were able to deploy $5 million in emergency loans to Kansas restaurants, bars and hotels. We detail how they were able to accomplish this...
By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Over the past month our conversations surrounding the pandemic and entrepreneurs have led us to believe there are some common threads to those businesses that will survive and thrive beyond this pandemic: They were some of the quickest to recognize the potential impact and begin...
e2s Rural Community Prosperity Development Framework By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems The development goals communities set tend to define how we measure success. If our goals are unclear, we tend to drift in our economic development work. If our goals are modest, we tend to achieve modest change. Work by the...
Community Quality of Life Placemaking: An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Design Element By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Every American community can thrive and should have the opportunity to be successful. We are employing our Community Prosperity Framework whereby every community willing to be smart and work hard can achieve prosperity. Within this framework there...
