Ecosystems For Change
Transforming communities is hard work. That may go without saying, but when your job is about helping your neighborhood, city or region thrive, talking about being underpaid, burnt out and frustrated with the slow pace of change is kind of frowned upon. As ecosystem builders, we amplify the work of local makers, doers and innovators by championing their efforts and rallying support around them. And maybe most importantly, we build a culture of trust and collaboration among all stakeholders, so that the doers and innovators among us have equal access to information, talent and resources when they need them. On Ecosystems for Change we'll explore how ecosystem building can help us unleash the full potential of the makers, doers, innovators and visionaries in our communities. And I’ll be talking with my guests about the tactics and practical skills they use in their everyday work and what they do to prevent burning the candle at both ends.
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 37 minutes
- Episodes
- 75
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
E 7.11 - Season Finale: Hard-Won Lessons from America's Boldest Innovation Experiment
This season, we traveled around the country to take a look under the hood of nine US National Science Foundation-funded Regional Innovation Engines. We learned about pressing issues facing our countr…
E 7.10 - Regenerative Economic Development with Brian Sherman at the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest
Today marks the final stop on our tour of the US National Science Foundation-funded Regional Innovation Engines. To round out our adventure, we’re headed to Tempe, Arizona to talk with Brian Sherman,…
E 7.9 - Batteries for America, by America with Meera Sampath at the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York
Take a quick look around you. How many things in your field of view run on batteries? Your smartwatch, phone, the earbuds you’re listening to this podcast on, or maybe even the electric vehicle you’r…
E 7.8 - Safeguarding the Fabric of our Nation with Anne Wiper and Molly Hemstreet at the NSF Textile Innovation Engine in North Carolina
In an industry dominated by fast fashion, our next US National Science Foundation funded Regional Innovation Engine is working to bring sustainability and circularity to the textile industry.
Headquar…
E 7.7 - The Future of Energy Innovation with Mike Mazzola at the NSF FUEL Engine in Louisiana
Our next region has been part of the world’s energy story for over a century. Today, we’re visiting the US National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine that is aiming to not only be part of…
E 7.6 - Powering Ideas That Feed The World with FARMS CEO Dr. Hollie Mackey
Everybody needs to eat, and our food has to come from somewhere. With changing weather patterns and landscapes, ensuring we have secure and resilient agricultural and food systems is crucial to our f…
E 7.5 - Scaling Regenerative Medicine for Global Impact with Tim Bertram and Jesse Thornburg at the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine
As we continue our tour of the US National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines, today we’re headed to North Carolina.
Tim Bertram and Jesse Thornburg of the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medi…
E 7.4 - Building a Climate-Ready Future in Colorado and Wyoming featuring Mike Freeman
Colorado and Wyoming are famed for their wide open spaces and incredible landscapes.
They’re also very, very dry.
Changes in rainfall and snowpack are already impacting agriculture, tourism, and the f…
E 7.3 - From NeoCity to National Security: How Florida Is Shaping the Semiconductor Industry with Tawny Olore
Would you be able to describe what a semiconductor is?
A lot of us probably can’t, but they’re essential to modern life as we know it.
Today, we’re headed to NeoCity and the Central Florida Semiconduc…
E 7.2 - Solving Global Water Challenges from the Great Lakes Region featuring Alaina Harkness
Fresh water is a vital resource for life on earth, and it plays an increasingly important role in developing technologies like AI, quantum computing, and the data centers on which both rely.
Managing …
E 7.1 - Innovation Ecosystems: Inside the NSF Regional Innovation Engines
How do we make our communities more resilient to extreme weather events?
How do we become smarter about using and recycling water, one of the most precious resources on our planet?
And how can we tur…
Season 7 Preview: Resilient Communities, Real Solutions
Water scarcity, food insecurity, and wasteful textile supply chains are major societal challenges with no easy solutions. But some of the nation's leading scientists, researchers, innovators, and ent…
Ecosystems For Change: Logbook #7
Welcome to my seventh logbook, an in between seasons update on Ecosystems for Change.
In each logbook, I give you a peek behind the scenes of what’s happening in my day job as an entrepreneurial eco…
Build the Fort: Simplifying Startup Community Building with Chris Heivly
On today’s bonus episode, I’m speaking with Chris Heivly.
Chris has over 40 years of experience working as, for, and with entrepreneurs and I was delighted to talk with him about why he wants to see …
E 6.7 - What We Learned: Stories That Redefine Entrepreneurship In Our Communities
We started this season by asking how we can tell better stories about what is happening in our ecosystems.
As I reflect on the lessons learned throughout the season, the key piece is that storytelling…
E 6.6 - Stories of Tech and Innovation in Rural America with Austin Danforth
Today, we’re headed to Vermont to hear stories about extraordinary rural communities throughout the US.
Austin Danforth is the chief storyteller in charge at the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), not…
E 6.5 - Entrepreneurship Indiana: A State-Wide Storytelling Campaign with Julie Heath, Polina Osherov and Morgan Allen Part 2
In this episode, I’m continuing my conversation about Yearbook Indiana with Polina Osherov of Pattern, Morgan Allen of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and Julie Heath, formerly of IEDC.
…
E 6.4 - Entrepreneurship Indiana: A State-Wide Storytelling Campaign with Julie Heath, Polina Osherov and Morgan Allen Part 1
In today’s episode, I get to introduce you to a storytelling powerhouse trio.
At every stage of the process, from vision to execution to the final product, I have rarely seen such a well-produced, coh…
E 6.3 - Changing the Narrative of Rural Entrepreneurship with Natalie Hodge
I’ve been in awe of today’s guest, Natalie Hodge, since I first learned about her show Hometown Hustle.
As of summer 2023, the show is in its second season telling the stories of entrepreneurs buildin…
E 6.2 - A Global Storyteller: Solutions-Based Journalism with Eva-Maria Verfürth
Welcome to my first interview of season 6.
I sat down with none other than Eva-Maria Verfürth, Publisher and Editor in Chief of Tea After Twelve.
While based in Frankfurt, Germany, Eva’s storytelling s…