Forward Cities Inc

TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED PROSPERITY THROUGH INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ENTREPENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT.

COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATORS (CEA): THROUGH ITS COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATOR (CEA) IS A CAPACITY-BUILDING SERIES OF ENGAGEMENTS DESIGNED TO EQUIPS AND SUPPORT NETWORKS OF METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. TO GROW AND SUSTAIN EQUITABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS. FORWARD CITIES CONVENES AND FACILITATES A DISCOVERY PROCESS TO GATHER INSIGHTS ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS, EQUIPPERS, AND THE ECOSYSTEM. WE COMPLETE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTH AND EQUITY OF THE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM VIA THE E3 SCORECARD USING FOUR KEY METRICS PRESENT IN EVERY ECOSYSTEM: PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, NETWORKS, AND NARRATIVES. USING THOSE FINDINGS, FORWARD CITIES ALIGNS CROSS-SECTOR ECOSYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH AN IDEATION AND DESIGN PROCESS TO CO-CREATE AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES AIMED AT LOWERING THE BARRIERS TO SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH. FORWARD CITIES CUSTOMIZES AND DELIVERS A LONG-TERM ACTIONABLE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT COMMUNITIES USE TO ALIGN AND CATALYZE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS, INCREASE THE EFFICACY OF SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS WHO SERVE THEM, AND INCREASE COLLABORATION, CULTURAL COMPETENCE, AND DISTRIBUTED POWER ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM.

ESHIP COMMUNITIES: THE KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION FUNDED ESHIP COMMUNITIES PROGRAM IS A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH FOR BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT FOSTER INCLUSION, RELATIONSHIPS, COLLABORATION, AND SOCIAL CAPITAL ACROSS NETWORKS OF ENTREPRENEURS AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM. ACROSS ITS FOUR COMMUNITIES IN KANSAS CITY, BALTIMORE, LONG BEACH, AND THE RIO GRANDE AREA, NEW MEXICO, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION AND EVALUATION OF A REPEATABLE, BOTTOM-UP APPROACH TO BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS. FORWARD CITIES HAS ASSISTED IN THE FORMATION OF FOUR COLLABORATIVE COUNCILS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO REPRESENT DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS THEIR COMMUNITY. THE COUNCILS HAVE DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED PILOT PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC BARRIERS OR GAPS IN THEIR ECOSYSTEM AS IDENTIFIED THROUGH RESEARCH EFFORTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN ALL COMMUNITIES WE HAVE SEEN PILOTS CATALYZE ADDITIONAL ECOSYSTEM EFFORTS AND INVESTMENTS AS WELL AS MEET DIRECT NEEDS OF UNDER-SERVED ENTREPRENEURS OR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS.

MINIMAL VIABLE SOLUTIONS (MVS), ALSO KNOWN AS PILOT PROGRAMS, ARE STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH A COMMUNITY-LED PROCESS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO INCREASING ENTREPRENEURIAL STARTS AND SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH IN UNDER-CONNECTED COMMUNITIES. MVS ARE CO-CREATED DURING A DATA-INFORMED FACILITATION PROCESS INVOLVING LOCAL WORKING GROUPS, LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORTERS, AND FORWARD CITIES. THEY ARE DESIGNED TO TEST A SET OF PILOT INTERVENTIONS THAT, IF SUCCESSFUL, CAN BE SCALED TO BENEFIT A BROADER SET OF ENTREPRENEURS IN SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE CITY AND/OR THE REGION.