Hello Reader,

In early September, I convened a regional coalition of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial supporters in the Shenandoah Valley. I talked about it on LinkedIn here. We meet every 6 months to share what's happening for entrepreneurs in the Valley, to identify gaps in the ecosystem and collaboratively work on closing them.

A year and a half into this role, I can't put in words how fulfilling it is to share a space with 20 people trusting and collaborating with each other toward the greater goal of reducing barriers to entrepreneurship and business success in our region.

These meetings used to make me nervous: Would enough people care to show up? Would we have a meaningful conversation that would lead to action? Even now, I refer back to my conversation with master facilitator and convener Margo Fliss who shared her insights to building trust and social capital in season 4 of the show.

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Between my Ears

All things life in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond:

• I just finished Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz. If you're looking for a whodunnit to get lost in, I highly recommend it!
• As I mentioned in my last newsletter, Belle Isle Moonshine - a Richmond-based moonshine company - is raising $1.3 million through crowdfunding and I'm so excited to see that they're at almost $500k!
• Turns out, once you start looking into investing and financial management, it becomes addictive. I recently came across Tori Dunlap's book and podcast Financial Feminist and I can't stop listening and reading!
• Since my daughter started Kindergarten about six weeks ago, my husband and I do our best to walk her from and to school every day. Suddenly, we have an hour each day of walking and talking as a family without screens and other distractions. That step count is looking good y'all! Major upgrade in quality of life!

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On my desk

Here are some of the projects keeping me busy at the moment:

• I had forgotten how much I enjoy teaching masterclasses! Last Friday, I taught a 90-minute intensive on Ecosystem Building for a group of 15 young social entrepreneurs from around the world. Hearing their ambitions for a better world and helping them view their work through an ecosystem lens was absolute joy! If you're in need of an intensive or refresh on ecosystem building, please reach out!
• After I read Tara McMullin's What Works last fall, I've been planning my year and work load out in 3-month sprints. I'm coming up on my fourth review and planning for the next quarter.
• We are gearing up for our second Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit! For those in Virginia - come swing by and join our ecosystem for two days of workshops and collaborative learning!
• If you're curious about what a Director of Ecosystem Building does on the day-to-day, read my monthly recap of our work at the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund:

Field Notes

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From the podcast

How do we simplify startup community building? I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Chris Heivly to talk about what building forts can teach us about building ecosystems: Listen & Subscribe

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On my Radar

I come across a lot of resources that I want to share with fellow ecosystem builders and changemakers. If we're connected on LinkedIn or Instagram, they might already show up in your feed! In case you missed any, here's my curated list from the last two weeks:

Events

• October 20 & 21: DazzleCon in Washington, D.C. Come meet me and fellow Zebras in DC!
• October 23-24: Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit. For the second year, we're hosting an entrepreneur-first conference for founders in the Valley. If you're in the area, come join us (and stay for Creative Mornings on October 27!)!
• October 23-25: SOCAP Global, San Francisco
• October 24-26: Startup Champions Network Fall Summit in Phoenix, AZ. I won't be able to go but guarantee that you will have a wonderful time!

Jobs

• Virginia Main Street is hiring a Program Administrator for their Richmond office.

News

• I was thrilled to see that Black Farmers Fund raised $11 million to support Black agricultural business.
• Congratulations to Morgan Allen (season 6 episodes 4 & 5)on her promotion to Director, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation!
• Germany just published their National Strategy for Social Innovation and I'm so thrilled to see that the need for social progress has risen to a federal policy priority in my home country!

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I will be back in your inbox in two weeks with Logbook #7 where I have the privilege to introduce you to two new Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building and fill you in on some updates from the field!

In camaraderie,

Anika