About SourceLink
Built by practitioners, for the people building ecosystems.
SourceLink started at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2003. We've spent over two decades running, studying, and supporting the systems that turn local resources into measurable economic impact, and creating the tools we wished we had when we were doing the work ourselves.
2003
Founded at UMKC
200+
Organizations served
35+
States & territories
20+
Years in the field
Who we are
Twenty years in the field.
Still running.
SourceLink was founded in 2003 to make entrepreneurship easier: connecting business owners to the resources they need to succeed. It began as a partnership between the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the practitioners who were actually building local entrepreneurial ecosystems.
For more than 20 years we have helped nearly 200 organizations build strong entrepreneurial ecosystems through consulting and technology. Our platforms have served more than 165,000 requests and facilitated nearly one million connections nationwide.
That origin shapes the work we still do today. We are built by people who have run ecosystems themselves, anchored to a public university that keeps us honest about what "impact" actually means. Every feature has been pressure-tested in the field.
Founding Partners Establish SourceLink
Kauffman, UMKC, and SBA come together to better connect entrepreneurs. Pioneering technologies developed: SiteConnex, SourceLink Pro CRM, and AI-powered Resource Navigator.
KCSourceLink Launches
SourceLink's first affiliate, KCSourceLink, launches for the Kansas City bi-state region. It is the first of its kind platform and service dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs to resources.
SourceLink Founded
KCSourceLink is so well received that SourceLink national is formed to share the developed model, technologies, and best practices with other communities.
NetWork Kansas Statewide Expansion
NetWork Kanas demonstrates that the SourceLink model not only can travel beyond Kansas City, but implemented statewide.
Urban Entrepreneur Centers Join
Four city-based entrepreneur centers join in Cleveland, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati. These later become part of the National Urban League's signature Entrepreneurship Center programs, which SourceLink continues to proudly support today.
First SourceLink Conference
The network gathered for its first dedicated SourceLink conference. The early network of leaders discussed best practices, lessons learned and became better in doing entrepreneurship-led economic development and ecosystem building work.
First Womens Business Center Joins SourceLink
Kansas City Women's Business Center and Women's Employment Network begin using SourceLink Pro, helping the CRM become SBA EDMIS-II and EDMIS-NG compliant.
University Economic Development Association Bestows Award to SourceLink
SourceLink's ecosystem visibility work recognized by the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
U.S. SourceLink: Making the U.S. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Visible
What started as a way to get entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time in Kansas City has expanded to help rural and urban business owners find the help they need all across the United States. In this IEDC Journal article, Maria Meyers shares how systems level ecosystem development approaches can transform communities.
JPMorgan Chase + SourceLink
A partnership with the JPMorgan Chase Foundation empowered ecosystem mapping in Seattle, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tampa Bay, Phoenix, and Denver. This created the first resource poster called SourceFinder.
Colmena66 Launch
Puerto Rico became home to the Colmena66 entrepreneurial support platform. They are the first affiliate to launch with a completely human translated website to deliver services to owners and entrepreneurs where they are in their native language. They go on to become a leading affiliate for SourceLink.
Making (and Measuring) an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
In this IEDC Economic Development Journal article, Maria Meyers of SourceLink presents a framework for measuring entrepreneurial ecosystems, arguing that communities should look beyond jobs as the sole indicator of success.
Resource Rail Ecosystem Map
KCSourceLink and SourceLink created the award-winning Resource Rail map. It attracts immediate interest across the county and within the first year is used in multiple markets.
We Create wins IEDC Gold
The We Create Annual Report earned IEDC Gold Excellence in Economic Development recognition.
Resource Rail Expands to Missouri
The KCSourceLink Resource Rail is a hit, and immediately expands across Missouri. Later design adaptations include a wider more playful design, and a custom regional version for Northwest Missouri in partnership with Missouri Western State University.
SEDC honors We Create
The Southern Economic Development Council recognized the We Create Annual Report for communications.
Resource Rail wins NEDA award
NEDA honored the Resource Rail with a visual marketing business resource guide award.
Early Mapping of Ecosystem Builders
At the ESHIP Summit Science Fair, SourceLink creates the first physical map of ecosystem builders by taking all the attendees and having them weave themselves together. The fun project helped to emerge early super connectors in the ecosystem building space.
Beyond Collisions Book Published
SourceLink publishes Beyond Collisions. A practical guide to building entrepreneurial infrastructure, distilled from a decade of field work.
Tu Camino Empresarial
Colmena66 releases Tu Camino Empresarial based on the SourceLink Resource Rail. The newly adapted version later expands to multiple sectors.
We Create Jobs wins IEDC Bronze
The We Create Jobs Report received IEDC Bronze Excellence in Economic Development recognition.
SEDC honors We Create Jobs
The Southern Economic Development Council gave the We Create Jobs Report a merit award.
BBQ & Credential
At the ESHIP Summit, SourceLink co-creates the idea that will form the basis of what will later become the first international credential for our field, the Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP). Most importantly, a hosted dinner for affiliates shares Kansas City BBQ with the network.
KCSourceLink redesign wins IEDC
The KCSourceLink website redesign received IEDC Silver recognition for internet and digital media.
NLC + SourceLink
SourceLink engaged in a multi-year partnership with the National League of Cities to help more than 20 U.S. mayors and cities strengthen their entrepreneurial support infrastructure. Through resource mapping and visualizations, ecosystem analysis, and ecosystem reports, SourceLink equipped municipal leaders with actionable insights to identify gaps, align partners, and advance economic growth.
Broadband Resource Rail
For nearly five years, SourceLink worked with the University of Missouri, UM Extension CARES to develop a platform to support the advancement of broadband information, adoption, and advancement across the state of Missouri. The project was later sunset, but it's impact durable on expanding broadband knowledge, access, and reach in the state.
SourceLink COVID Recovery Response
SourceLink mobilized resiliency and recovery support for communities during COVID. This included weekly calls, sharing of best practices, and leveraging the national network to better respond and address the significant challenges posed to local business during the pandemic.
Team Members Earn Stevie Awards
Dara Macan and Sarah Mote earned prestigious Stevie Awards for their contributions to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center team programs.
Nine SourceLink Systems Go Online
Nine new communities come online the same year during the COVID pandemic. This sets a new record for concurrent affiliate launches for SourceLink.
International Credential Developed
SourceLink develops the curriculum for the landmark Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) credential delivered by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The initial idea was born during the ESHIP Summits, then delivered through funding and support from the Kauffman Foundation and U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Start In Wisconsin Demonstrates Regional Impact at Statewide Scale
SourceLink brought together the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin, and StartingBlock Madison to launch the nation's first statewide entrepreneurial support network, connecting regional resources through dozens of local websites so entrepreneurs could find the right help locally and across Wisconsin.
West Virginia BusinessLink Launches
West Virginia adds a SourceLink-powered statewide platform. SourceLink was selected as the trusted partner to build on existing work completed by the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, West Virginia Small Business Development Center, and West Virginia Department of Economic Development.
SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program
SourceLink supported multiple affiliates in their applications to apply for and secure SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program funding. Technology customizations and national network access bolstered affiliate's ability to earn this federal funding and greatly improved ability to track local business owner impact as part the grant.
Personal Action Plan Developed
SourceLink pioneers the development of an improved AI powered online form for businesses to get tailored help called the Personal Action Plan. Only after the first six months of its development, nearly every SourceLink affiliate adopted and now uses the technology product.
SourceFinders Expand
Interest in both SourceFinder and Resource Rail visualizations take off. Now more than 20 cities, counties and some state have SourceLink created compelling visualizations of their resource network. The posters and handouts are great guides for entrepreneurs, but most importantly, they are a durable community asset that can be used to understand strengths and areas for improvement in the ecosystem.
SourceLink Summit in Puerto Rico
Colmena66 hosts the SourceLink Summit in Puerto Rico. SourceLinkers are treated with intimate conversations with international thought leaders, including Jonathan Ortmans of Global Entrepreneurship Network, Andy Stoll with Kauffman, Nathan Ohle with the International Economic Development Council, Charles Ross of InBIA, and more. We also learned to salsa dance, because we are fun network!
Louisiana Business Hub Launches
Louisiana launches the second regionally powered but statewide connected network for entrepreneurs and small business owners, inspired by the work done in Wisconsin. With the addition of Louisiana, SourceLink boasts the largest network of statewide economic development groups focused on entrepreneurship-led economic development.
20 Years of Impact
SourceLink celebrates 20 years of international impact while at the SourceLink Summit in Puerto Rico.
SourceLink Enterprise CRM Launches
Rochester, New York supported the shared CRM development and became the first SourceLink Enterprise shared CRM affiliate. The pioneering CRM was the first of its kind allowing client data sharing among multiple support organizations.
e.Builders Summit in KC
In a first for InBIA, SourceLink helped co-host InBIA’s e.Builders Summit in Kansas City, combining the event with SourceLink’s annual convening.
SourceLink Platform Exceeds 1MM Pageviews
SourceLink systems support over 1MM pageviews in one year across all public facing websites. The milestone stands as a commitment to the quality, scale, and reliability of the development technologies to connect entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time.
Maria wins GEN Compass Award
Maria Meyers was recognized for sustained contributions to global ecosystem building practice.
Elevate Event
SourceLink and IEDC convene Elevate to gather input from thought leaders in the field of entrepreneurship-led economic development and ecosystem building to discuss where the future of our field is headed and to inform redevelopment of the Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) curriculum.
SourceLink Expands to Workforce Development
SourceLink worked with a regional talent and workforce ecosystem across Northern Colorado, led by 30+ organizations, to develop the NoCo Works platform. The ethos was not to duplicate great work, but to amplify, empower, and accelerate workforce development alignment in the region.
MI Small Business Helper Launches
The New Economy Initiative, part of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, launched MI Small Business Helper with SourceLink. A pioneering advancement for both Michigan and SourceLink, bolstering a new supercharged Get Recommendations plan, a complete library of resources, and online community for resource partners.
Our team
A team of practitioners, researchers, and builders and growing.
SourceLink operates inside the UMKC Innovation Center in Kansas City. The team is battle-tested and split between people who have run ecosystems and people who build the software those ecosystems run on.
Maria Meyers, like the organization she leads, is entrepreneurial about supporting entrepreneurs. She has years of experience in creating successful companies in the high technology, biotechnology, manufacturing and museum industries. She has lived through the struggles of launching a startup, turning it into a small business and sustaining its growth.
Maria founded KCSourceLink in 2003, creating a network that connects entrepreneurs with hundreds of business-building organizations throughout the Kansas City region. She later scaled that network model nationally as founder of SourceLink®, creating America's first platform for entrepreneur-led economic developers and e-community champions.
Maria is frequently requested to keynote and facilitate discussions on topics like entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship economic development, and entrepreneurial infrastructure and ecosystem building for leading international organizations, including the Kauffman Foundation, International Economic Development Council, as well as regional economic development organizations.
In addition to her SourceLink accomplishments, Maria is executive director for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center, connecting university resources with the community to ignite collaborative partnerships leading to innovations. The center supports thousands of community members every year in starting and growing businesses, delivering jobs and creating wealth for the Kansas City region and across the state of Missouri.
Maria has a strong project management background, successfully leading a variety of large projects and has a solid background in information technology. At UMKC, she was also instrumental in the creation of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, establishing entrepreneurship as a mainstream field of study that now offers BBA and MBA degree concentrations in entrepreneurship. Through the UMKC Innovation Center, Maria has recently launched UMKC TalentLink, an initiative that connects professionals to non-credit continuing education at UMKC.
Rob Williams is national network builder and director of SourceLink℠. In this role, Rob has empowered a variety of communities, from small towns to entire states, to build and activate more local entrepreneurs.
Rob has extensive entrepreneurship development project expertise, including successful implementations of SourceLink consulting services and deployment of custom technologies from Seattle to San Juan. Many past projects have been innovations in the entrepreneurship-led economic development industry, including analysis and impact reporting within an ecosystem, the first statewide yet regionally driven entrepreneurship support network (later scaled to four other states), and led the first collective impact Client Relationship Management (CRM) software made specifically for economic developers and ecosystem builders.
Before joining SourceLink, Rob spent nearly a decade at the University of Northern Iowa where he led and expanded multiple statewide entrepreneurship programs earning recognition from IEDC, InBIA, and UEDA. Preeminent examples included the Iowa Business Concierge, Dream Big Grow Here business grant program, and an EDA-funded Entrepreneurial Regions Project. In collaboration with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Rob was the co-creator of the IASourceLink system, a statewide affiliate of SourceLink launched in 2012. Rob also served as a small business development center consultant, providing personalized guidance to diverse business owners, and was among the first trained by the National Center for Economic Gardening in both the new media and market research certifications.
Rob is a long-time member of the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA), and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He serves on the Board of Directors for IEDC. In 2024, Rob earned his Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) from IEDC, the first international certification of its kind for the field that he helped create and redevelop during his tenure with SourceLink.
Krista Markley, in her role as the Director of Business Development at SourceLink, assumes the responsibility of providing consulting services for those who are dedicated to creating supportive ecosystems for entrepreneurs in their communities. Working closely with ecosystem builders and seasoned economic development professionals, Krista serves as a consultant, offering specialized software solutions tailored specifically to support the needs of entrepreneurs. Additionally, she and the SourceLink team provide hands-on training to enhance local efforts in nurturing a thriving entrepreneurial environment.
Before joining SourceLink, Krista accumulated extensive experience in sales and business development within the media and advertising industry. She excelled as a sales and business development consultant, collaborating closely with community and business leaders to deliver outstanding outcomes. Notably, she played a pivotal role in successfully launching a variety of new products, leading to significant revenue growth.
Additionally, Krista possesses a wealth of expertise in selling sponsorships and organizing highly successful events, ranging from virtual gatherings to large-scale affairs. Her experience extends to working with associations and technology vendors. Through collaborative partnerships with each client, she skillfully identified their unique business needs, ensuring the implementation of tailored programs and products that drove their success. Her consultative selling approach and proficiency in building relationships were particularly instrumental in her previous success.
Mark Galeassi is technical director at SourceLink, where he leads the engineering behind the platform and the network of sites it powers. He pairs two decades of internet engineering with working depth in artificial intelligence, systems design, and visual communication, and is most useful where those overlap.
Day to day, Mark oversees dozens of affiliate websites and ships new capabilities for more than 50 client organizations. His real strength is translation: turning the messy, real-world problems ecosystem builders face into practical software staff and partners can actually use. His range runs deep, from C#, PHP, and SQL to JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, with a steady eye on SEO and user experience.
Several of his most-used builds are custom, database-driven tools made for SourceLink affiliates: a business-license smart-search engine, an event campaign manager for week-long entrepreneurship celebrations, and a mentoring module that connects young firms with advisors and boards.
Pola Firestone is relationship manager and affiliate liaison providing customer service and training to existing SourceLink affiliates, assists with project implementations of new SourceLink networks across the country and coordinates SourceLink gatherings and Affiliate Quarterly Conversations, an exclusive benefit for affiliate members.
Through her outreach, she provides a window into the challenges of building entrepreneurial ecosystems, and uses that knowledge to help inform new products and new solutions. Pola is the first line of contact for customer relations and provides ongoing support for new affiliate implementations. Successful projects she has been instrumental with include Baltimore SourceLink, BizLink Orange, ChiBizHub, Colmena66, Klamath IDEA, New Bedford SourceLink, Nexus i90, NWI BizHub, SEEN Startups, Sparkyard, Start in Wisconsin and the National Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers.
As a previous business owner, publisher and consultant, Pola brings a wide range of skills and experience to the SourceLink team, including marketing communications and business development.
Callie England currently holds the position of Director of Marketing for the UMKC Innovation Center. Before assuming this role, she built a reputation as an entrepreneur in the Kansas City community, successfully launching three consumer product brands and introducing close to 3,000 SKUs to the market. Callie's focus has shifted towards leveraging her expertise and passion to assist others in overcoming entrepreneurial challenges and contributing to enhancing the Innovation Center's brand awareness.
During her leisure time, Callie engages in various activities such as renovating houses, enjoying the company of her charming yet mischievous pup, and exploring unfamiliar cities.
Satya Kovuri joins the SourceLink team as a WordPress developer. Satya is dedicated to making significant contributions at SourceLink, specializing in the meticulous creation and upkeep of the SourceLink Plugin and SourceLink Pro CRM. Proficient in PHP, his expertise extends to various technologies, including JavaScript frameworks, HTML, CSS, Angular, Drupal, PHP, and NodeJS, with a particular knack for frontend technologies.
Satya has experience working with various frontend technologies from his past work with his previous roles. He is known for crafting visually appealing and responsive interfaces and he an unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding digital experiences. Continuously honing his skills to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, Satya is eagerly seeking opportunities to contribute his expertise to ongoing digital initiatives at SourceLink.
Monica is joining the SourceLink community as the new Student Research Assistant. She will help conduct research and analysis related to job creation and capital investment on a local, regional, and statewide basis. Monica is hoping after completing her education and gaining real-world experience through SourceLink, she can become an independent consultant.
Monica is a born and raised native to the Kansas City, MO metropolitan area. After recently completing her Bachelor's degree in Communications with the University of Missouri Kansas City in May 2023, she went on to pursue her MBA with UMKC. Her focus is on Business and Data Analytics.
Monica is currently employed full-time with the University of Kansas Health System as an Applications Analyst II. She has been with KU for five years. She works as part of the HITS Hospital Billing team where she is responsible for implementation and support of the Epic Application for their end users and stakeholders. Prior to working with KU, Monica has worked with other organizations such as NueSynergy and Forrest T. Jones and Co. helping to implement new products and software applications. Monica also sits on the board for The Family Conservancy and the Dean's Student Advisory Board.
Our network
Coast to coast, from Seattle to San Juan.
We've supported nearly 200 organizations across 40+ states and territories, building entrepreneurial ecosystems and, increasingly, the adjacent infrastructure these communities need in broadband, healthcare, experiential learning, and childcare.
200+
Organizations we have helped build, launch, or measure ecosystem work across the country.
1.2M+
Entrepreneur connections made through the SourceLink network since 2003.
40+
States and territories with active SourceLink affiliates or partners today.
Sectors we serve
The SourceLink Network
Affiliates and partner organizations
Colored states and territories indicate where a SourceLink affiliate or partner organization is active.
Careers
We're always looking for talent!
Recognition
What the field has said.
SourceLink and our affiliated networks have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, International Economic Development Council, International Business Innovation Association, American Chamber of Commerce Executives, and University Economic Development Association.
Global Entrepreneurship Network
2025 Ecosystem Champion Compass Award
"For sustained contributions to the global practice of entrepreneurship ecosystem building."
International Economic Development Council
2019
Silver Excellence in Economic Development
2018
Bronze Excellence in Economic Development
2017
Gold Excellence in Economic Development
Accepting the 2019 Silver Excellence award, IEDC Annual Conference, Indianapolis
Southern Economic Development Council
2018
Merit Award
2017
Communications Award
Northeast Economic Development Association
2017
Visual Marketing: Business Resource Guide
University Economic Development Association
2011
Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Partners
We build alongside the field's best.
SourceLink works with the international organizations shaping entrepreneurship and economic development, so the work in your community is connected to the broader movement.
Case Study: IASourceLink
How Iowa turned scattered business help into statewide infrastructure.
"This is not a directory website. It's a platform that allows you to actually engage with your ecosystem."
Patrick Luensmann · Director, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
99/99
Iowa counties on the platform
20,000+
Entrepreneurs served
400+
Support organizations
See the technology we've built in action.
Fifteen minutes with our team is usually enough to figure out whether SourceLink fits your community. Or, if you just want to say hello, we'd like that too.
Prefer email? Reach us at hello@joinsourcelink.com