Mari Hicks found the secret to building thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in a rural Spanish town in the heart of the Ribera del Duero region, where she attended the DEEP Ecosystems Conference focused on nature-based solutions for entrepreneurial ecosystem building. 

We’re excited to share the results of the 2025 Leadership Council election and introduce you to some folks stepping in (and out) of leadership roles across the Alliance.

In a rapidly evolving world of entrepreneurship, few voices ring as clearly or compassionately as Anika Horns’. A tireless advocate for the often unseen and essential work of local ecosystem builders, she blends lived experience, global insights, and a deep commitment to community-driven growth.

The ESHIP Alliance is electing new members to its Leadership Council—the network’s guiding body that helps set shared priorities, shape collective strategy, and develop field-wide standards. We’ve invited active participants from across the network to nominate themselves to serve. We’re thrilled to introduce the candidates vying for Council seats this year and to announce voting will be open between July 7th and July 22nd, 2025. All subscribers to the ESHIP Commons (as of July 5, 2025) are invited to vote.

From the beginning, the ESHIP Alliance has been shaped and strengthened by the collective leadership of literally thousands of people who have given their time, wisdom, and energy to advancing entrepreneurial ecosystem building in the United States.

Our belief in shared leadership isn’t just a guiding principle—it’s a practical strategy for driving long-term systems change, building trust, and centering the voices of those closest to the work.

Making entrepreneurship in America accessible to all—no matter who you are or where you’re from—has been at the heart of our collective work from the very beginning. Eight years later, that mission still drives us as we step into an exciting new chapter under a new name: The ESHIP Alliance.

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress returns to the U.S. for the first time since 2009, bringing the entrepreneurship world to Indiana on June 2-5, 2025.

As the 2025 conference season gets underway, here’s a guide to 20+ entrepreneurial ecosystem-oriented conferences—from a guy who has been to (most of) them.

A new digital community platform, an ecosystem building census, and more – four new collaborative projects launching this Spring

Launching our new blog with an update from EBLN's Executive Director on our collective efforts to advance the entrepreneurial ecosystem building field