Hello Reader,

I'm the first to run the other way when the topic of "politics" comes up. It's fair to say that being born and raised an East German, politics was never my cup of tea. But spending last week at the Startup Champions Network Summit in Washington, D.C., to learn how we as ecosystem builders can better advocate for the changemakers we serve has started to open up that world. I might still run, but certainly a little slower. Say, maybe more like a speed walk. And I'll look back over my shoulder. I call it progress.

Any other anti-politics changemakers out there?

Between my Ears

Little updates from my not-so-little life in the Shenandoah Valley:

• ​Tough Titties: One of my favorite copywriters, Laura Belgray, finally published her first book and you better believe I pre-ordered that sucker right away! Luckily for you, it officially drops TODAY so you can run out the door and grab your own copy right now! (Please purchase from an independent bookstore or Bookshop.org so we can stay friends. Please and thank you!)
• Gif fun: The lovely Smartello, aka Minima Designs (my most trusted resource for all things digital content & marketing), just published a tutorial on how to make your own gifs (watch it on youtube). You can see my first product on Instagram! So every time you talk about me on social media (hopefully with only good things to say) you can now search for @socialventurers and have at it! Once you ARE a gif, that means you're relevant, right?
• Curious Elixirs: I've cut back on drinking but still love love LOVE the ritual of a beverage to commence shut down at the end of my work day (I even serve my kombucha in a wine glass😂). So I'm trying out Curious Elixirs (not a paid link, I'm not that famous!) to see what an alternative happy hour might look like. Is it an absolutely overpriced racket ($36 for 8 mocktails)? Very likely! I'll let you know in 2 weeks to see whether the organic ingredients and adaptogens have turned me into a floating being of eternal light!
• ​Sugar Cleanse: While we're on the topic of becoming floating beings of eternal light: Pure Roots Nutrition (season 3, episode 6) just announced her upcoming Summer Sugar Cleanse! If you're looking for accountability, structure, and support in creating healthy habits, if you want some whole foods recipes and 1:1 guidance (highly recommended!), sign up here. The program starts on July 12th!
• On my bookshelf: As a seasoned fiction lover, I recently straight up DEVOURED Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (earning her the 2023 Pulitzer Price in Fiction). On the professional front, I just started Build the Fort: A startup community builder's field guide by Chris Heivly who I look forward to having on the show in late summer!

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On my desk

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

• I'm supporting the Content Curation team at SOCAP in - you guessed it - curating the content for this year's conference! I recently sat down with Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter (season 1, episode 7) to talk about how she's rethinking SOCAP's approach to content (read it here).
• I spent most of last week at the Startup Champions Network Summit in Washington, D.C., to learn how we as ecosystem builders can advocate for the needs of entrepreneurs on a local, state and federal level (here's an Instagram recap). I'm super excited to explore policy making in season 7 of the podcast!

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From the podcast

What stories do we tell? Eva-Maria Verfuerth takes us behind the scenes of her award-winning online magazine Tea After Twelve and shares her approach to solutions-based storytelling: Listen & Subsribe

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Practically Speaking

I admit: I don't watch the news much anymore. I certainly don't watch the news after 4 p.m. or else my mood plummets and I can't go to sleep. When my husband (an avid news watcher) is away, I avoid them completely. I stay up-to-date with world events (thanks Tagesschau) but I can't stomach the all-too-common disaster-loving "news" any longer.

Instead, I subscribe to outlets such as Tea After Twelve or The Good News Movement on Instagram. Give me all that dopamine!

Where do YOU get your good news? I'd love to hear where you get your dopamine fix! Let's make this a two-way conversation!

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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:

• My friends at the Center on Rural Innovation are hiring a Director of Research, Knowledge and Evaluation, Director of Communications and Marketing and several other roles!
• I just came across this list of funding opportunities for Black and Women-owned businesses. Let's get the word out!
• I learned a lot more about Right to Start last week. If you're policy-curious, check out their Statement of Principles and - if you agree - sign it. We're trying to get to 10,000 signatures!
• Something personal: My friends Sam and Jonathan just published the 7th issue of Millpond Collective, a magazine capturing life here in the Shenandoah Valley. Two of the articles were written by me and are very close to my heart. You can view the online version here and purchase a hardcopy here (or just get a subscription and get a slice of the Shenandoah Valley delivered to your mailbox! Yay snailmail!).

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I will be back in your inbox in two weeks with my second guest of the season, Natalie Hodge, the producer of Hometown Hustle.

In camaraderie,

Anika