Forward Cities Inc

TO EQUIP COMMUNITY LEADERS, CATALYZE NARRATIVE CHANGE, AND MEASURE PROGRESS OVER TIME, LEVERAGING FIRST-HAND ECOSYSTEM BUILDING EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE NATION.

E3 SOLUTIONS: FORWARD CITIES LEVERAGES ITS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE CONVENING CROSS-SECTOR AND DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS TO ASSESS THE HEALTH OF A CITY'S EQUITABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM (E3). AND TO PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICES FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. PRIMARY CLIENTS AND PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED:-ESHIP COMMUNITIES- ESHIP COMMUNITIES WAS A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH FOR BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT FOSTER INCLUSION, RELATIONSHIPS, COLLABORATION, AND SOCIAL CAPITAL ACROSS NETWORKS OF ENTREPRENEURS AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED THE CREATION AND EVALUATION OF A REPEATABLE, BOTTOM-UP APPROACH TO BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS. IN 2022, WE SUCCESSFULLY GUIDED THE FOUR PILOT COMMUNITIES IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THEIR ECOSYSTEM PILOT PROJECTS, PRODUCED A FINAL CROSS-CITY CONVENING, AND WORKED WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO TRANSITIONED THE ONGOING WORK TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN EACH COMMUNITY.-E3 DURHAM - IN 2022, FORWARD CITIES WAS SELECTED TO IMPLEMENT AN SBA COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM IN DURHAM, NC. BRANDED E3 DURHAM, THE PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED WITH NECESSARY RESOURCES TO EQUIP ENTREPRENEURS FOR SUCCESS AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS. OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH WAS DESIGNED TO REPAIR COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS DAMAGED BY SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES AND BUILD TRUST. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO POSITION DURHAM COUNTY AS A MODEL FOR HOW A ROBUST AND EQUITABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM SUPPORTS AND CREATES ENGINES FOR REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BASED ON TALENT, EXPERTISE, AND ASSETS ALREADY IN OUR COMMUNITY. -JEANETTE -FORWARD CITIES FACILITATED A DATA-DRIVEN, COMMUNITY-INFORMED PROCESS OF TRUST-BUILDING CONVERSATIONS GEARED TOWARDS MATCHING COMMUNITY NEEDS WITH ECOSYSTEM BUILDING INTERVENTIONS. THE ENGAGEMENT WILL CONCLUDE WITH A CONCISE ACTION PLAN WRITTEN BY FORWARD CITIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY LOCAL LEADERS.-E3 INDY - THROUGH THE INDY E3 ENGAGEMENT, FORWARD CITIES ACTIVATED A RACIAL EQUITY COALITION FRAMEWORK TO HELP INDY ECOSYSTEM LEADERS DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO CATALYZE STAKEHOLDERS TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR SHORT-TERM RECOVERY FOR BLACK AND LATINX OWNED BUSINESSES BALANCED WITH LONG-TERM RESILIENCY. -UNIVERSITY OF OREGON INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP SERVICES - FORWARD CITIES PROVIDED STRATEGIC DOING CONSULTING SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JIM WOODELL & ASSOCIATES. FORWARD CITIES' TEAM MEMBERS ASSISTED IN PREPARING, FACILITATING,AND DEBRIEFING SIX (6) HOURS OF VIRTUAL STRATEGIC DOING WORKSHOPS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON (UO), PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY (PSU), AND OREGON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (OIT) AND SELECTED PARTNERS IN EACH OF THESE INSTITUTIONS' REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS.

E3 NATION: FORWARD CITIES ALSO LEVERAGES ITS OWN LEARNINGS TO TRAIN AND EQUIP ECOSYSTEM BUILDERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO EFFECTIVELY DEVELOP THEIR OWN EQUITABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS. PRIMARY CLIENTS AND PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED:-EWING MARION KAUFFMAN LEARNING GRANT - IN 2022, FORWARD CITIES PROVIDED CONSULTING SERVICES TO THE EMKF EVALUATION DEPARTMENT BY PUTTING IN PLACE A STRONG LEARNING FOUNDATION TO BUILD OFF OF THE SOON TO BE COMPLETED FOUR YEAR ESHIP COMMUNITIES PROJECT. THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDED: 1) GATHERING DATA, STORIES, AND LEARNINGS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR ESHIP COMMUNITIES; 2) IDENTIFYING EVIDENCE-BUILDING NEEDS FOR FORWARD CITIES AND CREATE A PLAN TO ADDRESS MUTUAL LEARNING GOALS, INCLUDING TESTING AND REFINING COMPONENTS OF THE VIBRANCY FRAMEWORK THAT WAS DEVELOPED FROM FORWARD CITY'S ESHIP WORK, AND 3) WORKING WITH STANDPOINT CONSULTING AND KAUFFMAN TO LEARN FROM FORWARD CITIES' EXPERTISE IN CENTERING THE NEEDS OF BIPOC ENTREPRENEURS IN ECOSYSTEM BUILDING TO INFORM KAUFFMAN'S INCLUSIVE PROSPERITY FRAMEWORK AND THE NEXT PHASE OF KAUFFMAN AND FORWARD CITY'S WORK TOGETHER. -BLACK WALL STREET FORWARD - IN 2022, FORWARD CITIES LAUNCHED THE BLACK WALL STREET FORWARD PILOT PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WAS MODELED ON THE PILLARS THAT MADE DURHAM NC'S ORIGINAL BLACK WALL STREET SUCCESSFUL, AND AIMS TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF THIS VIBRANT WORK BY SUPPORTING AND CATALYZING LOCAL LEADERS, BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS, AND CHAMPIONS. THE TRANSFORMATIVE PILOT ENGAGED FIVE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN A COHORT-BASED LEARNING JOURNEY TO EXPLORE THE PAST AND PRESENT OF BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AND TO TAKE COLLABORATIVE ACTION TO BUILD A BETTER COLLECTIVE FUTURE.

E3 VOICES: FORWARD CITIES USES THE EXPERIENCE GAINED IN ALL THE PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP E3 VOICES THAT CREATED THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, AND RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.STARTUP CHAMPIONS NETWORK SPRING 2022 SUMMIT - IN 2022, THE PRIMARY E3 VOICES ENGAGEMENT WAS THE SCN SUMMIT. HELD APRIL 4-6 IN TRIANGLE, NORTH CAROLINA. THE SUMMIT CONVENED OVER 100 ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM BUILDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY MANY WHO WORK FOR ORGANIZATIONS RECENTLY FUNDED BY SBA GRANTS AND WILL BE SUPPORTED BY SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP ECOSYSTEM BUILDER SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS. THE CONFERENCE TOOK BOTH A REGIONAL AND EQUITY BASED APPROACH TO SUMMIT CONTENT, OFFERING INSIGHTS ON EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM BUILDING STRATEGIES THAT PRIORITIZED INCLUSION AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY.