Community Stories

By positioning itself as a shared space for the whole community, The Space on Main has created a pathway for anyone to start something new.

With the help of CO.STARTERS programs and local partnerships, Startup Sioux Falls is changing South Dakota's entrepreneurial landscape for the better.

Artists are rarely the center of economic development strategy. Eureka Springs is proving why that's a mistake.

How an entrepreneur-first mentality is bringing renewal to a small city in south Georgia

Many in Nashville do not make enough to meet the growing cost of living. Corner to Corner turned to CO.STARTERS to bring grassroots entrepreneurship to the surrounding neighborhood.

In a search for economic stability, the rural southwest region of New Mexico is looking to grassroots entrepreneurship as a solution.

Cities looking to Chattanooga as a model should begin with the overlooked foundation of its success.

The pandemic destabilized the coworking industry. This Sioux Falls coworking space maintained relevance by expanding their reach and diversifying their offerings.

As an increasing number of youth leave West Virginia for opportunities elsewhere, WV Hive’s relationships with local stakeholders provide investment to ensure local talent stays.

As the City of Greenville, South Carolina experiences unprecedented growth, Village Launch ensures its more vulnerable populations aren't left behind. The city of Greenville is changing.

For many entrepreneurship hubs and economic development organizations, it can be surprisingly challenging to connect with the people they’re trying to help.

Seven years ago, leaders of an arts organization in Birmingham, Alabama saw a serious opportunity to impact their local economy—but it meant reinventing themselves.

Read on to learn how Wheeling Heritage leveraged entrepreneurship to create more than 2,000 new jobs and reduce their building vacancy rate by half.

COVID-19 has wrecked many small businesses. Here are some that our partners were able to save.

Stories from organizations in Colorado and Florida that are reinventing economic development, creating jobs, building businesses, and making a difference—all while winning awards along the way.

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) is helping the region rethink its approach to economic development by empowering, training, and supporting local entrepreneurs.

How Pasco EDC's SMARTstart used the CO.STARTERS Refocus business recovery workshop to reach unsupported entrepreneurs in their community and connect them to vital support.

How Forward Cities worked with CO.STARTERS to help community builders at The Corner in New Kensington, PA provide more equitable entrepreneurship opportunities for local residents.

Here's what we're learning from our community of entrepreneurs about how to survive the COVID-19 crisis.

From providing a tech hub to those without access to technology, to workshops designed to engage female entrepreneurs, to offering our very own CO.STARTERS Core program to the city, The Commons on Champa truly embodies the CO.STARTERS mission.

Sabrina Nagel and the entrepreneurship team team at Auckland University of Technology are proving the value of CO.STARTERS for everyone—especially college students. Check out the work they’re doing.

It can be extremely difficult for Veterans to find the support they need upon re-entering civilian life. Our friends at Action Zone are doing the incredible work of supplying the proper support and tools to this often overlooked demographic.

“CO.STARTERS Generator was the only option left standing, given my needs for accessibility. The modular nature of Generator was especially appealing, and the bright, colorful layout of the binder was a bonus too.”

“CO.STARTERS has been great for us to meet our community where it is.” -Sarah Beth Ayers, Business Incubation Program Coordinator at Innovate Springfield

"This past decade, a renaissance of creativity, adventure, and local pride has taken hold of Wheeling."

"CO.STARTERS has given us a platform for entrepreneurs to connect with one another, building community pride and resources for sustained growth."

"In addition to coming alongside entrepreneurs through programming, Launch NOLA provides affordable coworking space where graduates can continue to connect."

Many small businesses believe that bank loans aren’t a viable financing option for them. However, there is a lesser known but well established option that is much more accessible — the microloan.

"Working across a large range of professional entities, Aspin Group has become a network for entrepreneurs in the greater small business community."

“After year one of CO.STARTERS implementation, we’ll have held three cohorts of 7–16 people each, all of whom are still pursuing their ideas,”