Builders Live

What are the challenges and opportunities of growing a company in a rural setting? What's different about an entrepreneurship economic development strategy in a lower population state as opposed to a denser one? Technical.ly publisher and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Rich Garman, Director of Economic Development & Finance for the North Dakota Department of Commerce for a conversation...

Pittsburgh just completed its StartUp PGH event series, with fifteen partner organizations shifting their flagship annual events into a single coordinated week along with new programming. Since the 2010s, collaborative and distributed startup weeks like this have become one of the most prominent methods of ecosystem building — but are they still working? Technical.ly publisher and cofounder Chris...

West Virginia recently established the nation’s first Office of Entrepreneurship operating directly under a statewide elected official, rather than an embedded sub-agency. Secretary of State Kris Warner now spearheads the WV Office of Entrepreneurship, with more than 35 years as a small business owner, real estate developer, incubator owner, and entrepreneur himself. What makes this new office dif...

What's actually working in supporting high-growth entrepreneurs today, and how can regions help create the next tech unicorn? (And is that even the right goal?) Co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, venture investor Rae'Mah Henderson, Taylor Eubanks of BlendHQ and Technical.ly cofounder and publisher Christopher Wink discuss this and other trends in ecosystem building and entrepreneur-l...

Over the past few years, traditional venture capital funds have increasingly moved up-market toward larger, later-stage rounds, leaving early-stage founders scrambling for initial checks. How are regional and public-private tech funds adapting to fill that widening seed-stage gap across the country? And how can ecosystem leaders balance the driving economic growth with the financial realities of e...

Companies are getting smaller. What does that mean for economic development? The median size of American firms has been declining for years, so are there better metrics to focus on than job growth? How do solopreneurs and "necessity entrepreneurs" fit into the picture? And how will AI impact this trend? Co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, venture investor Rae'Mah Henderson, Tayl...

Imagine two communities with nearly identical physical assets, institutions, and tax incentives, but dramatically different economic outcomes. What causes the difference? Amy Holloway believes it's trust. Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Aha! Advisors president Amy Holloway for a conversation about how to build and measure trust in your ecosystem and the importance of soc...

Nationally, we’re seeing variation in when states are driving tech, science and entrepreneurship economic development, and when it’s primarily taking place at the regional ecosystem level. How does a state leader balance multiple ecosystems and regions with distinct needs? Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Louisiana Economic Development CIO Josh Fleig for a conversation about...

Ecosystem building is coalition work, and there can be benefits and challenges to having a larger group of stakeholders. When does it make sense to take a statewide strategy as opposed to a regional one? Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Arizona Technology Council president & CEO Steven Zylstra for a conversation about what's changing about the tech council model and w...

Since joining the Research Triangle Foundation in 2017, Scott Levitan has overseen a transformation of the 7,000-acre Research Triangle Park including a mixed-use campus, coworking space and high-profile corporate investments. As the organization moves to implement its RTP 3.0 initiative, it announced a planned leadership transition, with Levitan set to retire in October. At this inflection point,...

What's really happening with entry-level workers? If it continues to get more difficult to start a career, that could create pipeline issues in the future with fewer experienced workers. Is a degree still worth it for young professionals, and what impacts are AI and remote work having on the employment landscape? Co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, venture investor Rae'Mah Henderson,...

Greater Cleveland Partnership has an "All In" plan to help the region grow, bringing together private, public and philanthropic partners to achieve that goal. But what does real collaboration look like when you’re working with a variety of stakeholders who may all define success differently? Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Greater Cleveland Partnership president &a...

Ahead of the July 4th holiday and America's 250th anniversary, it's a special edition of our monthly podcast on ecosystem building and entrepreneur-led economic development where we examine the United States of Entrepreneurship. Our Builders Live co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, Taylor Eubanks of Midwest House and Christopher Wink, Technical.ly's cofounder and CEO, discuss what...

A lot of startup advice still assumes the goal is venture capital, but the funding landscape is changing for companies that want to grow but may not be chasing a unicorn-style outcome. How should founders, investors, economic development groups and entrepreneur support organizations operate when the definition of success includes profitability, founder control, job creation and community impact —...

There's no shortage of great entrepreneurs out there, but not all of them will gain traction and break through. When it comes to successful founders, what traits feel innate, and what traits can actually be coached? Can a startup become more investable because of how the founder responds to feedback? And should regions be spending more energy identifying hidden talent, or building the systems...

So much of the work of ecosystem building can be invisible and intangible. Can storytelling help change that? What impact can storytelling have on economic development and how regional identities are shaped and evolve? Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Social Venturers founder Anika Horn for a conversation about her new book and lessons for founders and ecosystem builders. Rec...

What is philanthropy's role in economic development, and how can it make the most impact? Economic development has historically been government's job — incentives, tax policy, public investment. Where does philanthropy fit, and where does it overstep? Builders Live co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, venture investor Rae'Mah Henderson, Taylor Eubanks of Midwest House and Technical...

Entrepreneurship in America is at a pivotal moment. While more people are starting businesses, a small sliver are growing big and fast and far more are not growing at all, with the middle hollowing out. As AI decentralizes the ability to start a company, how can policymakers and ecosystem leaders encourage new business formation while ensuring the gains don't all go to the firms with the most...

As entrepreneurship becomes more accessible, the geography of where founders start companies is expanding. New data from LinkedIn shows Gen Z founder growth accelerating across nearly every major U.S. metro, often fastest outside traditional startup hubs, reflecting a move toward flexible “portfolio careers,” where networks, personal branding and digital tools are key. Technical.ly CEO and cofound...

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, this live recording in Philadelphia takes up a big question: why does entrepreneurship remain such a powerful American ideal — and what would it take for that ideal to mean more than branding, politics or founder mythology? With voices from policy, ecosystem building and investment, this conversation explores entrepreneurship as a source of agenc...

Nexus Louisiana has a goal to create 1000 new local tech startups by 2035 — but how is the org working to achieve that? What can those in Louisiana do to help, and what should other states and ecosystems learn from this start? Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Nexus president and CEO Tony Zanders for a conversation about what it takes to bolster entrepreneurship and when it ma...

Is the American entrepreneurship economy becoming k-shaped? The current business incorporation boom does include many thriving companies, but also many "solopreneurs" who are earning less than their traditionally-employed peers. When we say entrepreneurship is booming, are we conflating two very different stories? Are we celebrating necessity entrepreneurship — people fleeing a broken la...

In 2018, New Jersey launched the State Office of Innovation, which this January became codified in law as the New Jersey Innovation Authority — the first state to create a permanent Cabinet-level digital services team. During his time as CIO over the past two years, Dave Cole has worked to improve the lives of New Jersey residents through the use of data, collective intelligence, agile technology...

Since becoming Maryland's Lieutenant Governor, Aruna Miller has focused on matters including transportation, mental health, STEM equity and more. With a background as a civil and transportation engineer, she has a unique perspective on how the government can influence economic growth and remove systemic barriers to opportunity. Technical.ly CEO and cofounder Chris Wink is joined by Maryland Lt...

Many thriving ecosystems have long had one name and face attached to them — the person everyone credits with "making it happen." But is that a feature or a bug? When we celebrate ecosystem heroes, are we building something sustainable, or just setting ourselves up for a crisis when they move on? Builders Live co-hosts Victor Hwang of Right to Start, venture investor Rae'Mah Henderson...