Hello Reader,

My body is still tired from hosting the Startup Champions Network Summit in the Shenandoah Valley last week but mentally and emotionally, my cup has been overflowing.

Typically, by the time I hit a big milestone, I have mentally already moved on to the next thing. But with this gathering, it's different. I'm allowing myself time to process, reflect and follow up with people. I'm wallowing in this accomplishment and I'm in no rush to move on to the next thing.

In brief (because I don't have the words yet to fully describe the event): it was everything I had hoped for. The things I was a little worried about up-front came true (a segment with too many talking heads) and most aspects that I had hoped for came equally true: meaningful conversations, a colorful tour of the Valley, a little dancing. And a handful of surprises throughout the event (hello fire alarm and building evacuation!). I couldn't have asked for a better experience and enjoyed every minute of being in community.

As I look back on last week, it's a lot of small moments that stick with me:

• A lunch and walk with someone I rarely get to see, chatting about how far our field has come over the last eight years
• A hug from Amy (see below) who I see even less often and adore greatly (I hope you're reading her Ecosystem Builder's Edge newsletter as religiously as I do!),
• A quick visit from my dear friend Larkin Garbee, re-"tired" ecosystem builder
• Getting stuck in my welcome speech remembering the ecosystem builders who are no longer with us.

I shared some of my immediate impressions on Instagram if that's your thing.

Between my ears

Life, most recently: Things I'm excited about, pondering and trying out:

• One of my favorite things in the world is checking the mailbox (talk about simple pleasures) because I'm a sucker for handwritten cards and letters (I won't turn down surprise checks either!). I knew I wanted to send handwritten notes to all the partners who helped make the SCN Summit happen and when I came across these letterpressed notecards from Palindrome Creative (based in Richmond, VA), I knew I had found the perfect stationary! Bonus: I got to show off local-ish creatives instead of buying generic bulk cards and if they're not the most perfect representation of the Appalachian Mountains I don't know what is. They are perfect.
• Last week, I finished Yellow Face by R.F. Kuang and highly recommend it. The older I get, the more I appreciate nuance and a narrative that shows that none of us are all good or all bad - it makes the story so much more interesting, and real.
• April 27 was National Indie Bookshop Day. No need to tell me twice! I picked up a copy of Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and spent most of my afternoon perusing Staunton's independent bookstores (more here).
• Now that early summer is well underway, we hosted our first backyard party last weekend! I can't tell you how watching nine kids aged 3 to 10 chase around my backyard fills my heart! If you're looking for foolproof side dishes that you not only can, but SHOULD, prepare a day before (so they can marinate), try Eating Birdfood's Mexican Street Corn Salad (glutenfree and vegetarian) and this Sesame Noodle Salad (vegan; I skip the sugar and use regular spaghetti).
• OK, this one needs to stay between us: A true simple pleasure was pouring a glass of wine and putting on Dirty Dancing 2 Havana Nights last night while my husband played basketball at the YMCA. Believe it or not, I first and last watched it in 2004 at the movie theater two towns away from my village when I'd just gotten my license (wild times!). And yes, you better believe I owned the soundtrack on CD😂
• Spring in the Valley is perfect bike weather. I can't put in words how great it feels to whiz into downtown Staunton when the sun is making its way over the mountains and the air is still crisp. I took my Instagram followers on my bike commute and you can check it out here.

On my desk

What I'm working on right now:

• I'm still recovering from last week's ecosystem builder summit and have purposefully not put anything new on my schedule. With so much extroversion, I'm keeping to myself this week. Virginia Business wrote a short article getting most of the facts right:

Featured Episode

Funding for Ecosystem Building Last year, I chatted with Melissa Roberts Chapman about the funding landscape for ecosystem building: Listen & subscribe

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:

​Amy Beaird and my friends at EcoMap are hosting a webinar on Fundraising for Ecosystem Building Organizations on May 15! I don't know about you, but I'll be taking lots of notes!

​George Neighbors is one of the most caring, compassionate, servant leaders you'll ever meet and he is opening the doors to his first ever coaching program.

The Rodenberry Fellowship is accepting applications for their 2025 cohort (thank you Kristine for passing this along!): This 12-month program offers selected leaders a $50,000 grant along with access to a remarkable community of peers who are driving tangible change for communities across the U.S. If this is you or someone you know, pass it along! Good luck!

Mark your calendars for 2024:

• May 15 - 17: CityScapes Summit, Durham, North Carolina
• May 29-31: Inventures, Calgary, Canada
• June 13-14: Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Conference, Boulder, Colorado
• June 16-18: IEDC's Economic Future Forum​
• October 28-30: SOCAP, San Francisco, California

Did I miss anything? Reply to this email and let me know what cool things are on YOUR radar!

I will be back in your inbox in two weeks!

In camaraderie,

Anika