COLLABORATION.
CONNECTION.
COMMUNITY.

CO.STARTERS equips grassroots leaders with the best tools and resources needed to support starters of all kinds, fueling vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.

OUR IMPACT

Starters Supported in 2017

0%+

of Alumni are Female Founders

Community Leaders Trained in 2017

Communities Supported in 2017

OUR APPROACH

Community Matchmaking

With each community, we work to find simple, proven solutions to fit their local context and generate sustainable momentum.

Every community—just like each entrepreneur—is unique. What is needed to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem is particular to circumstances and will likely change over time as the ecosystem grows and matures.

Download the Stages Model

Stages of Community Growth

STAGE 1:
Connecting in Chaos

STAGE 2:
Moving to Mainstream

STAGE 3:
Ideas to Action

STAGE 4:
Taking Root

STAGE 5:
Growing Up

STAGE 6:
Retaining Value

Our goal is to ensure every community has a thriving ecosystem of supports tailored to its unique needs, and as a result, helps entrepreneurs succeed.

OUR OFFERINGS

Find the next step for your community.

We want to connect you to the best resources in order to get something started now in your community. In addition to curating tools from some of the most innovative leaders in the nation, we create our own programs and tools to address gaps in entrepreneurial ecosystems and help communities better support their entrepreneurs.

See how we can help

OUR FRAMEWORK

The CO.STARTERS Canvas

Just like an architectural model for a building can help get an idea out of the designer’s head into a form that can be shared and examined, a business model is a way of showing the thinking behind why and how a business will work.

CO.STARTERS uses a version of the “Business Model Canvas” developed by Alexander Osterwalder to help starters develop workable business models. This intuitive visual map helps program participants understand, test, and refine their ideas.

Download the Canvas