19 candidates running for 5 open seats on the Leadership Council —
ESHIP Commons members are eligible to vote July 7th to 22nd

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.

What is the ESHIP Leadership Council?

The Leadership Council is the Alliance’s strategic advisory body, guiding field-wide priorities and helping shape the Alliance’s direction. It meets quarterly and includes both elected and appointed members representing entrepreneurial ecosystem builders and national resource providers (NRPs). The Council is intentionally diverse in lived and professional experience.

While the Alliance is currently fiscally sponsored by Community Initiatives (a California-based 501(c)(3)), broader leadership is shared with the Core Team, which functions as a working board. If the Alliance forms its own nonprofit in the future, the Core Team would likely serve as its formal board.

The Council does not manage day-to-day operations or serve a fiduciary role. Instead, it offers strategic guidance, amplifies community voice, and ensures alignment with the mission to advance entrepreneurial ecosystem building as is laid out in our charter.

Council members serve two-year terms and work together to:

Advise and guide the priorities of the Alliance and the field
Foster collaboration, trust, and shared infrastructure across our growing national network

Who is eligible to vote?

Anyone who was a registered subscriber of the ESHIP Commons — our online community platform — as of July 5, 2025, will be eligible to vote in the 2025 Council Election. All ESHIP Commons subscribers should have received an email with voting instructions on July 7th, which includes a customized link to our online voting platform.

Each voter will be able to select up to five candidates — two National Resource Provider Representatives (NRPs) and three Ecosystem Building practitioners — by logging into the voting platform using their personalized — between July 7th and July 22nd at 11:59pm ET. (Didn’t get an email with voting instructions, check your SPAM filter first, then send us a message.)

Where can I learn more about the election process?

All candidates and information about the Leadership Council Election can be found at Election Central on the ESHIP Commons. Log into Election Center and watch the short 1 minute intro video, learn about the work of the Council and meet and engage with the candidates — and vote by Tuesday, July 22nd at 11:59pm EDT.

Visit Election Central

Slate of Candidates: National Resource Provider Representatives

For the 2025 Leadership Council election, we have FOUR candidates for TWO open Council seats for National Resource Provider (NRP) representatives.

What is a National Resource Provider (NRP) representative?

A National Resource Provider (NRP) representative is someone who works within an organization that supports entrepreneurial ecosystem builders across multiple U.S. states, typically through programs, training, services, research, or funding. These organizations play a critical role in advancing the field, and their representatives bring a national perspective to the ESHIP Alliance Leadership Council.

Slate of Candidates: Ecosystem Building Practitioners

For the 2025 Leadership Council election, we have FIFTEEN candidates for THREE open Council seats for ecosystem building practitioners.

Who are ecosystem building practitioners?

An entrepreneurial ecosystem builder is someone who works to create the conditions that help entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. They connect people, align resources, build trust, and foster collaboration across their communities—often in roles like nonprofit leaders, program managers, economic developers, funders, educators, founders, or government staff.

Because ecosystem building is an emerging profession, not everyone uses that title—but what ecosystem builders share is a systems-level, community-led approach to change. They work across organizations and sectors to ensure entrepreneurs have the support they need to thrive. Ecosystem builders may do this work as part of their paid role or as dedicated volunteers.