Meredith Tretiak’s Post

“We really focus on building community power because over the last four years, and really, my whole life. If we don't figure out how to work together, we are not going to be successful. I've been doing entrepreneurial ecosystem building for 10 years, but before that, for 20 years, I worked with young people, I worked with communities, and I did youth development education. What I've seen in my 30 years of work is if you're fragmented, you're weak. We need to figure out how to get fragmented and siloed groups of people to work together as a larger entity. This is the crux of this Summit. How do we get people doing great work connected and pooling resources? How do we advocate for more resources from the federal government, from our state governments, from our local governments? How do we actually work as a group with JP Morgan Chase and get some actual funding that can be systemic and long-term to actually grow small businesses? I think we have to create a space where we can all win together,” This is the vision behind the Building Community Power Summit the ESO Foundation is hosting with Startup Champions Network 10/30-11/1... check out the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gGAmUdq6 #SCNBayArea #Buildwhereyouare #Communitypower #startupecosystem #nexteconomy #ecosystembuilders

Building a community is a hard thing to do. But it get's a lot easier if you get like-minded minds, good people and a common purpose to gather around. If people truly like each other and care for each other's success then the "community building" aspect comes to a second plane as most of the heavy lifting will be done by the members themselves. A community that constantly has to be triggered and bothered to become active is really just someone trying to make a group of people follow a cause. Our vision in Pygma is fostering a global ecosystem where Latin tech founders can innovate and transform industries with technology and it so happens to be, that many people believe in this and those "many" just happen to be really cool people with an eagerness and determination to build one of the biggest, most driven communities, for latinos building in tech. Hopefully you get to be part in some way, either going to our events, becoming a Pygmalion through our accelerator's cohorts or simply supporting our content. Pd: You don't need to community build, when your community builds itself. #startups #community #events

“We really focus on building community power because over the last four years, and really, my whole life. If we don't figure out how to work together, we are not going to be successful. I've been doing entrepreneurial ecosystem building for 10 years, but before that, for 20 years, I worked with young people, I worked with communities, and I did youth development education. What I've seen in my 30 years of work is if you're fragmented, you're weak. We need to figure out how to get fragmented and siloed groups of people to work together as a larger entity. This is the crux of this Summit. How do we get people doing great work connected and pooling resources? How do we advocate for more resources from the federal government, from our state governments, from our local governments? How do we actually work as a group with JP Morgan Chase and get some actual funding that can be systemic and long-term to actually grow small businesses? I think we have to create a space where we can all win together,” This is the vision behind the Building Community Power Summit the ESO Foundation is hosting with Startup Champions Network next week at CoBiz Richmond, Inc., Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, Block and Oakstop. I said yes to hosting SCN in the Bay Area, because I believe there is an incredible opportunity to bridge the social capital between the Bay Area and the national network of ESOs in SCN that we all collectively represent. Together we are an amazing group of community and social impact leaders who have something very special to share with a very divided and fragmented world... a vision for shared prosperity through entrepreneurship. Next week will be an intimate affair of 100 of our people who live and breathe ecosystem building. We'll let you know what we decide to do with our power... #SCNBayArea #startupecosystem #sharedprosperity #communitypower #ecosystembuilding #nexteconomy

You hear from her every week but have you actually met our Startup Community Engagement Manager? She's breaking down the communities we support this week! And begins to answer this question: What does NEXT do? -Support broad entrepreneurial ecosystem – affectionately #StartupGVL -Identify, support, and engage with high-growth entrepreneurs and their teams (through programs, services, and events) -Measure the impact of entrepreneurial activity – act as a Fitbit for the ecosystem

This summer heralds the launch of a groundbreaking venture, the C.E.O. CoLab - Cultivating Entrepreneurial Outcomes, a transformative youth-led project aimed at revolutionizing youth entrepreneurship in Long Beach. The C.E.O. CoLab incubator program doesn’t just teach business; it instills a mindset to conquer the challenges ahead. We stand as a testament to the belief that, within our vibrant city, lies a rich breeding ground for the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. We're breaking down barriers to ensure this empowering space is accessible to all youth aged 14-24, equipping them with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to transform their bold ideas into successful businesses. More than just a workspace, C.E.O. CoLab is your summer gateway to a supportive community and network. We’re not merely growing entrepreneurs; we’re nurturing leaders who will become the bedrock of our communities. With wellness practices and collective empowerment at its core, the C.E.O. CoLab is where new paths are forged, and progress speaks in actions.

"So, Rare Founders is a pitching competition, right?" 🎤 Nope, not really… 🤔 I've been spreading the word about our event next week, and a lot of people have been asking me this. This event is an opportunity for founders to pitch their startups 🚀 and for investors to pitch their funds 💰. There's no money on the line. 🚫💸 But it's all about having the guts. The guts to stand up in front of a room full of strangers and explain what you are building in under 1 minute. ⏱️ And let me tell you, that's freaking hard! People get nervous, struggle to explain their solution, or go over time… 😬 The pitches aren't always perfect, but that's not the point. Rare Founders’ events are about finding the courage to grab the mic and share your passion 🔥 Not everyone is willing to put themselves out there. But those who do are then admired! 🤩 So that's what Rare Founders is all about: courage and support! 🙌 Come see us next week Tuesday (22nd Oct)! Get your free ticket via the link in my profile.

This one's for people in the greater Bangor area! I'd love to hear your thoughts. What would you say we're missing the most in the business support landscape here? Overall, I'd say we're doing pretty well on a lot of fronts. We have some great conferences and bigger for established businesses / those who can afford them, we have some pretty great university-supported programs, there are a lot of resources for early-stage startups, especially in focused areas like food / climate / blue tech, and there are a ton of great webinars about business fundamentals and even some more specialized topics. The biggest gap in my view is open, low barrier-of-entry opportunities to network and build community. There are some targeted events – again, the startup community stands out here – but there seems to be a big chasm between that and stuff that you need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars a year to attend. What're your thoughts? What opportunities are there to support and grow Bangor-area businesses that we haven't fully realized yet?

If you have an idea for a patent visit us at menloparkpatents.com to see how our reasonably priced fixed fee services by USPTO licensed team members can help you. If you need a trademark visit trademarkowl.com to see how our US Licensed attorneys can help you with our fixed fee services. #patent #provisionalpatent #invention #innovation

Next year for StartupNash, founders are doubling down on go-to-network strategy. My role is as always: support. But this year, StartupNash is adding something new: our first launch program for founders. How are we doing it? I got together with a few company partners (these meetings are ongoing and some are in the new year). I'd love to add a few more. Then I asked my community about marketing and go-to-market (over the year, this has consistently been one of the top things founders in Nashville say they need help with). Then I created the outline for a program to help: -Small group style -Quarterly check-ins -6 Happy Hours: Build relationships with peers, stakeholders, and talent (continued from 2024) -6 Hands-on sessions for: Identify, outreach, pipeline for customers, stakeholders, peers, talent, and expertise. -Actually creating marketing assets for each audience. Outcomes: -A GTN strategy for the above groups -Materials for communicating to customers, investors, and talent. -Defined way for teams to measure what is working. * This could change but this is the gist. How you can help: I want to talk to large Nashville based tech companies to see what their innovation teams are doing in 2025. Are there any companies with a good relationship to the startup community? What does that look like and how do both groups benefit? Is there a company out there who wants to sponsor a founder to go through this type of program? Are there folks with access to community grants looking to partner with someone with a program like this? Tagging a few folks! Cameron Crain Phil Shmerling Maebellyne Ventura Monique Villa Capra Sam Davidson Yesenia Sevilla Brian Moyer Deanna Meador Cynthia Cohen Peter Swan #StartupNash #Networking #StartupGrowth #GoToMarket #gotonetwork

If you are going to UP, let’s have a chat about clean tech and impact!