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Field writing from SourceLink practitioners on Network news.

Ecosystem Building

SourceLink 2023: On the Verge of a Renaissance

One of my favorite end of the year activities is to fire up YouTube and watch the previous year in search video.  This last one so beautifully mirrored what I have personally felt and heard from our affiliates that I just had to share. Drum roll, please… the most searched term of 2022 was, “can...

Rob Williams Dec 19, 2022
Network news

SourceLink℠ Affiliate Quarterly Conversation - December 2022

Looking Back SourceLink director, Rob Williams summarized exciting events from 2022 at our final SourceLink Affiliate Quarterly Conversation of the year.  We welcomed Dana Masters, Business Development Communications Specialist at SourceLink! Dana will be working with Dara to develop outreach communications with our affiliates, social media and marketing activities as well as business development.  Additions...

Pola Firestone Dec 19, 2022
Network news

SourceLink℠ Affiliate Quarterly Conversation – October 2022

Change is Beautiful  As SourceLink director, Rob Williams pointed out at our recent Affiliate Quarterly Conversation, along with the change in seasons, this fall brings change to the SourceLink network as well. New employment opportunities brought change to our staff and the people we work with.  We have seen this at SourceLink and among our...

Pola Firestone Oct 24, 2022
Ecosystem Building

SourceLink staff join key national efforts to expand entrepreneurship-led economic development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2022 Contact: Sarah Mote, Marketing Director smote@joinsourcelink.comKansas City, MO – SourceLink, a program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center, is proud to announce two of its employees have joined leadership positions with organizations dedicated to economic development and entrepreneurship ecosystem building. Rob Williams will be serving a two-year...

Rob Williams Oct 24, 2022
Network news

SourceLink leads the charge in entrepreneurship-led economic development in post-pandemic economy 

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Deploy Date: September 7, 2022 Contact: Johanna Cook (816) 235-6482 | jcook@joinsourcelink.com   SourceLink leads the charge in entrepreneurship-led economic development in post-pandemic economy   Kansas City, Mo. — Entrepreneurship has always been a vital contributor to the U.S. economy. Research from the Kauffman Foundation and others shows that startups...

Rob Williams Sep 27, 2022
Network news

Fall conferences to boost your entrepreneurship knowledge

Relationship building is fundamental to SourceLink’s ecosystem building methodology, and we make it a priority not only in our work with affiliates, but also with our own industry peers. Attending conferences and events allows us to spark new connections, learn from those who are doing similar excellent work, and gives us all a chance to...

Rob Williams Aug 22, 2022
Network news

Engaging in local community innovation: SourceLink continues partnership with the National League of Cities to build thriving entrepreneurship ecosystems

Communities across the country are working together to build thriving cities in the global, innovation-driven economy as part of the City Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) program from the National League of Cities (NLC). Today, we're excited to celebrate the third cohort of communities committed to advancing their communities through entrepreneurship. SourceLinkSM proudly serves as an official...

Dara Macan Aug 10, 2022
Network news

Top 5 Questions from Communities Considering Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building

As an entrepreneurship ecosystem builder and national network connector, I have the opportunity to speak to a variety of people and organizations–such as economic developers, ecosystem builders, government leaders and entrepreneurs–interested in improving the economic success of their communities by supporting entrepreneurs. While these communities vary in location, size and resources, I often hear recurring...

Dara Macan Jul 18, 2022
Network news

SourceLink Affiliate Quarterly Conversation – June 16, 2022

Welcome New Affiliates! SourceLink director, Rob Williams, kicked off our June Affiliate Quarterly Conversation sharing exciting news from around our network. Congratulations to new affiliates, Business Forward Oakland County, MI and Evergreen BizLink (Washington state) on their recent launches. Also, congratulations to the ChiBizHub team on the innovative rebranding of their website. A new statewide...

Pola Firestone Jun 27, 2022
Network news

The future of entrepreneurship in economic development: An update on the EDP certification

Last year, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) supported the development of a new professional certification for the field in partnership with SourceLink and the International Economic Development Council. The Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) certification course is a first-of-its-kind accreditation that offers knowledge and tools for developing and implementing...

Dara Macan May 31, 2022
Ecosystem Building

Building Rural Communities Through Entrepreneurship

On Thursday, April 21, SourceLink hosted Building Rural Communities Through Entrepreneurship, a webinar on strategies for growing rural communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development. The session was moderated by SourceLink’s director of strategic partnerships, Dara Macan, and panelists included: Nathan Ohle – President and CEO, International Economic Development Council Nicole LaChapelle – Mayor, Easthampton, MA Don...

Rob Williams May 04, 2022
Network news

SourceLink Affiliate Quarterly Conversation - March 17, 2022

All things SourceLink was the theme of our March 17 SourceLink Affiliate Quarterly Conversation. We announced new projects including: ChiBizHub website redesign, Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) – Evergreen BizLink, Ecosystem Building Leadership Project, SBA Community Navigators Pilot Project and welcomed new clients and affiliates: Monroe County – Launch 734, Oakland County, MI – Business...

Pola Firestone Apr 01, 2022