Advisory
Ecosystem building, with people who've done it.
The foundational SourceLink engagement. Strategy, scoping, and hands-on partnership for communities standing up (or rebooting) their entrepreneurial infrastructure. We walk in with the same questions your team is already asking, and we stay past launch.
How an engagement runs
Four steps, a tested process.
01
Identify
We help you gather all of the entrepreneurial resources you are aware of in your community and help you identify where there may be gaps.
02
Connect
Connect your entrepreneurial community through one central hub: an robust website, a central events calendar, and an online resource directory using the partners we've identified.
03
Empower
We help you engage and uplift your ecosystem by listening, responding and collaborating to solve problems and fill gaps.
04
Measure
Our process and tools enable you to measure your impact based on your entrepreneurial ecosystem's stage of development.
Who this is for
Three shapes of engagement we see most.
If your community doesn't fit neatly into one, that's fine. The scoping call is where we sort it out.
New network
You're standing it up for the first time.
A new regional, statewide, or territory-scale ecosystem being assembled from the ground up. Partners willing, no shared infrastructure yet.
Typical scope: full platform + resource partner meeting + support.
Rebuild
It exists, but it's not working.
A prior ecosystem initiative with old data, fragmented partners, and a board asking harder questions than it used to. Often follows a leadership transition or a funder cycle.
Typical scope: assessment + implementation plan + selective platform adoption.
Multi-org peer
Several orgs, one shared layer.
A federated network where peer organizations each run their own local instance and roll up into a shared measurement layer. Collaboration is key and privacy is a priority.
Typical scope: Enterprise CRM + cross-org measurement + annual convening + continuous network support.
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
Contact us to see if we're the right fit.
A quick meeting with our team to understand your ecosystem's stage, your funders, and what's already on the table.
Hi, I'm Krista. Real reply, usually within a day.