As a serial entrepreneur, I recognized early on that building any business takes a village. But to nurture and forge an entrepreneurial ecosystem that benefits stakeholders and community? That takes unrelenting passion, continuous commitment and investment, and an unyielding vision of what can be.  

In many of my ventures – whether it’s DeveloperTown where we support and help companies build products, the Startup Competitors Podcast that drives education and access, or FullStack PEO where we fill the gap for start-ups to be able to better offer benefits – I’ve always been driven by building solutions that meet the real-life challenges I’ve experienced when building companies. 

Startup ecosystems are important catalysts in our global economy.  Over the past several decades, the wealth of cities and even nations has been driven by the innovation fostered in concentrated geographies that attract the brightest minds and fearless capital.  At first glance, we recognize that innovation creates jobs and opportunity. But innovation has a deeper impact: continued investment in collaborative community resources improves education, healthcare, and government.

Take the Midwest. Here, we’ve seen increased focus over the past decade, especially in contrast to the coastal cities that tend to command the highest profile support. Like Solidea, DeveloperTown spotted these opportunities early. Together, we’re committed to providing equitable access to resources and talent. In this way, we’re creating an environment between the coasts where success and innovation thrive. 

I’m proud of the ecosystems that Solidea and DeveloperTown have partnered to build. Our collaboration gives me confidence that where there’s fresh thought, there’s a community of talented, like-minded people who will nurture growth the right way.