Why Founder Forward Takes a Place-Based Approach to Programming
Recently, we shared the Founder Forward Way: A Strategic Growth Plan. A key component of our strategic plan is our commitment to a place-based approach. This stems from recognizing that wealth, investments, and networks are geographically concentrated, creating access gaps in non-dominant entrepreneurial ecosystems. This consolidation of economic and market power reduces competitiveness and innovation in our economy. Intentionally investing economic and social capital into tier two markets will support diverse founders who are ready to unlock broad market, social, cultural, and economic opportunities for their communities.
As an organization, our goal is to support the fostering of thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems. We recognize we can't be everywhere at once, so instead of scattering resources widely, we focus on going deep in strategic locations to build lasting partnerships.
At Founder Forward, we've chosen to focus our efforts on Atlantic cities (The Bronx, Newark, Philadelphia), South Central cities (Louisville, Houston, Tulsa), and Tribal Nations. Taking a multi-city replication approach – going deep in a few carefully chosen locations rather than spreading thin across many – allows us to build meaningful relationships with local stakeholders. By understanding each ecosystem's unique needs, we can then create targeted programming that addresses specific regional challenges while facilitating connections across our network.
Each region we work in brings unique industry strengths that complement the others:
The Atlantic cities feature strengths in healthcare, biotech, and advanced manufacturing
South Central cities excel in aerospace, energy, and logistics
Tribal Nations bring expertise in federal contracting, tourism, and energy
This networked approach is particularly powerful for diverse founders in non-dominant entrepreneurial markets. By connecting founders across regions with complementary industry strengths, we help create new opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and business growth. A founder working in advanced manufacturing in Philadelphia might find synergies with an aerospace entrepreneur in Tulsa, or a healthcare innovator in Newark might discover opportunities to expand their impact through healthcare partnerships in Louisville.
These cross-regional connections can lead to "knowledge spillovers" – the informal sharing of ideas, best practices, and opportunities that naturally occur when entrepreneurs connect. By intentionally fostering these connections across our focus regions, we're helping build stronger, more resilient entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Our place-based strategy isn't just about supporting individual cities – it's about creating a network effect that supports the development of entrepreneurs as community leaders and job creators. When founders succeed in one region, their knowledge and experience can benefit entrepreneurs across our entire network. This multiplier effect is key to our vision of redistributing economic and social power to foster competitive regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.
We believe that by going deep rather than wide, and by thoughtfully connecting complementary regions, we can create lasting impact that extends far beyond any single location. That's the power of recognizing that a community is a place and its people.
