Release - Start Fort Wayne (SFW), in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, is launching the development of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strategy for Allen County. With Start Fort Wayne’s mission to help entrepreneurs turn ideas into growth-oriented businesses, the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Survey will collect data on and elevate the importance of entrepreneurship in the county.
“The development of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strategy for the Greater Fort Wayne area is vital to ensure the long-term growth of our regional economy,” says Dan Swartz, Executive Director of Start Fort Wayne, in the statement.
The survey is open for entrepreneurs within Allen County to participate until July 28, 2021. The survey collects demographic data, as well as rating perceived access to entrepreneurial resources. Following the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Survey, SFW will analyze the data and develop 3, 7, and 10 year goals for entrepreneurial support in Allen County.
“The Community Foundation is excited and proud to support the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strategy for Allen County. We are also pleased to announce that this study will be partially funded by the Don Wood Foundation. Entrepreneurialism was important to Don Wood and is one of the strategic focus areas of his Foundation. It is also a key element in our own Vision Plan and we appreciate the opportunity to partner on this initiative. The findings from this survey will be important in determining the areas we can improve for supporting entrepreneurs in our community,” said Brad Little, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, in the statement.
In addition, SFW is developing an Entrepreneurial Asset Map based on Daniel Isenberg’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Diagram, which outlines six overlapping domains that produce a healthy, highly-supportive community for entrepreneurial growth.
By identifying available assets within the county, SFW will assess areas for growth to inform the final Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strategy. The organization intends to release its findings in early September 2021.
Allen County entrepreneurs can participate in the survey online at bit.ly/EESEntrepreneur.
This project is funded in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. This project is also funded by the Don Wood Foundation with the mission to grow and strengthen the manufacturing sector in the Midwest region.
