Breaking Down Barriers

In this episode, guest host Molly King is joined by Teresa Grandal Cusse, Assistant Executive Director of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation is a public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University and Broward County acting as an economic and education development engine linking the South Florida innovation ecosystem.

The Levan Center supports the Founder’s Journey from birth of an idea through successful exit or global expansion providing programs, events, and wraparound services to entrepreneurs and early-stage startups for the buildout and scaleup of their business.

Find more information about the Levan Center here.

Find more information about EIC here.

In this discussion, we are joined by leaders in the field who are forging powerful diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives to expand economic opportunity and break down barriers for women and minority entrepreneurs. In this segment of the Catalyst Network 2022 Discussion Series, we analyze how uniting entrepreneurial opportunity and economic development practice, with a focus on racial equity and the voice of underserved communities, is central to changing long-term economic outcomes for our communities. 

Panelists Include:

• Eneida Roman, Co-Founder, Amplify LatinX
• Laurie Supinski, Director, Start Garden
• Raquel Robinson, Director of Programming, Lightship Foundation
• David Ponraj, Economic Impact Catalyst, Moderator

About the Speaker Organizations

Amplify LatinX

Amplify Latinx is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit formed in 2018 by The Latina Circle to serve as a non-partisan, collaborative convener advancing Latino civic engagement, economic opportunity, and leadership representation. Learn more at www.amplifylatinx.co. 

Start Garden

Empowering West Michigan's startup ecosystem through financial, intellectual & social capital, while providing a neighborhood for startups to grow. Located at 40 Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Learn more at www.startgarden.com.

Lightship Foundation

As an impact driven organization serving underrepresented entrepreneurs & ecosystems, we leverage corporate partnerships, specialized programming, meaningful mentorship and capital investments to drive growth within the minority innovation economy. Lightship provides remarkable founders the resources and direction their businesses need to scale. Learn more at www.lightship.foundation.

From non-profits to the private sector, Ms. Metzer possesses an array of skills and experiences in project management and ecosystem development. In addition, Ms. Metzer is a self-motivated entrepreneur and works passionately to develop rural opportunities in Appalachia and across the country. Ms. Metzer currently serves as the Vice-President and Co-founder of the National Center for Resource Development, helping mission-driven organizations increase their impact. Ms. Metzer’s primary focus at NCRD is on rural – including identification and development of rural opportunities.

Ms. Metzer has managed a variety of initiatives with a focus in Broadband, Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, Environmental Industry and Creative Ecosystem Development across the United States as well as Global entrepreneurship programs. 

In this episode, Tina Metzer joins host David Ponraj to discuss rural community development, entrepreneurship programs, and best practices on supporting rural communities in a collaborative way. Tina also shares her journey to supporting rural communities and creating a greater impact.

Learn more about the National Center for Resource Development at: www.resourcedev.org/ 

Learn more and register for RuralRISE at: www.ruralrise.org/

This week, host David Ponraj is joined by Monique Kuykendoll Quarterman, Deputy Executive Director, and David Brock, Director of Operations, at KY Innovation. Within the Cabinet for Economic Development, KY Innovation is a statewide initiative representing Kentucky’s approach to building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

KY Innovation successfully targets resources to support startups, traditional small businesses, and innovation-driven entrepreneurs. The team's work reaches across business lifespans to dramatically improve Kentucky’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The goal is to significantly increase the number of new company startups annually.

Monique and David share the organization’s “Secret Sauce'' for breaking down silos in the ecosystem.

• Entrepreneurship-led economic development principles shared in this episode:
• Defining innovation
• Identifying barriers that diverse leaders may face and how to create opportunities for the next generation
• The benefit of public-private partnerships
• The role mentorship has played in Monique’s career and how it impacts the entrepreneurship community in Kentucky
• Programs and incentives KY Innovation offers to meet the needs of the entrepreneurial and innovation community
• The importance of engaging the community in a meaningful way and telling the stories of local entrepreneurs
• How to effectively and efficiently make resources accessible to entrepreneurs and innovators
• Their Secret Sauce to breaking down silos in the Kentucky ecosystem

Learn more:

KY Innovation: kyinnovation.com

Economic Impact Catalyst: economicimpactcatalyst.com

In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers, Host David Ponraj talks to three notable economic development leaders, sharing perspectives from local, state, and federal levels, about empowering microbusinesses that employ fewer than 10 people.  

As a result of the pandemic, critical studies were conducted and analyzed to determine how to effectively revitalize businesses that had been negatively affected. The studies, many focused on relief grant distribution, revealed a glaring omission of microbusinesses, which have historically been overlooked by economic developers and lenders. The fact is that microbusinesses represent 90% of ALL businesses nationwide and create 66% of new jobs, according to the SBA. The findings reported that microbusinesses face sizable barriers to capital access and technical assistance, among other vital business resources. 

Listen in to the discussion featuring Ryan Cobbins, Program Director for Energize Colorado Gap Fund, Suzanne Perreault, Small Business Program Manager for Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Connie Evans, President & CEO for Association for Enterprise Opportunity, as they discuss the challenges microbusinesses face, and have long-faced, until a global pandemic revealed a critical need for economic developers to address and rectify, through innovation in resource allocation and policy change.

Learn more about our guests' work:

Energize Colorado: energizecolorado.com

Association for Enterprise Opportunity: aeoworks.org

Michigan Economic Development Corporation: www.michiganbusiness.org

Learn more about EIC: economicimpactcatalyst.com

This week, host David Ponraj interviews Diane Bevan, Executive Director of the Idaho Women’s Business Center and CEO of the Idaho Hispanic Foundation. An entrepreneur in her own right, Diane has built her career on making connections and building business. The two discuss Diane's vision for empowering women entrepreneurs through education, support and mentorship.

• Learn more about Diane's work at Idaho Women's Business Center: www.idahowomen.org
• Learn more about Economic Impact Catalyst

In this special two-part episode, host David Ponraj is joined by collaborators Philip Berkaw and Samira Cook Gains. Berkaw is Program Director of the Center for City Solutions at National League of Cities, an advocacy organization with more than 2,400 member cities. Samira Cook Gains, is Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship. The two guide us through practical strategies for implementing new policies, programs and practices that increase economic opportunity through small business ownership and entrepreneurship. 

Learn more about NLC at: www.nlc.org

NLC Resources for Entrepreneurship: Roadmap

Learn more about Rising Tide Capital at:  www.risingtidecapital.org

Learn more about EIC: economicimpactcatalyst.com

In this special two-part episode, host David Ponraj is joined by collaborators Philip Berkaw and Samira Cook Gains. Berkaw is Program Director of the Center for City Solutions at National League of Cities, an advocacy organization with more than 2,400 member cities. Samira Cook Gains, is Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship. The two guide us through practical strategies for implementing new policies, programs and practices that increase economic opportunity through small business ownership and entrepreneurship. 

Learn more about NLC at: www.nlc.org

NLC Resources for Entrepreneurship: Roadmap

Learn more about Rising Tide Capital at:  www.risingtidecapital.org

Learn more about EIC: economicimpactcatalyst.com

Access to capital is the biggest barrier to building a thriving small business sector. Innovation is the only way out. This episode features the audio recording from the virtual EIC Catalyst Network Discussion Series held on March 24, 2022. In a panel moderated by podcast host David Ponraj, we hear from trailblazers with noteworthy advancements in small business lending, technical assistance, and philanthropy. The conversation explores opportunities and actionable steps to help solve the capital problem in the development of inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Panelists include: 

• Chanell Scott Contreras, ProsperUS (Detroit, MI)
• Aaron Seybert, Social Investment Practice, Kresge Foundation (National based in Detroit, MI)
• Steve Wanta, JUST (Austin, TX)
• Moderated by David Ponraj, EIC

Learn more about the EIC Catalyst Network Discussion Series

This week, host David Ponraj talks to Nathan Ohle, an internationally recognized expert in economic development and the president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), a non-partisan organization with more than 5,000 members globally. Nathan explains why equity is the core for every local community "regardless of size, shape or geography" to drive economic opportunity in the future. Nathan shares his perspective on investing in wealth creation and discusses how communities can work to align philanthropy, federal resources, and local partners to find the capacity and practical solutions to participate actively in equitable development. He explains why small business must be part of a proactive long-term strategy.

Learn more about Nathan’s work at IEDC: iedconline.org

IEDC Playbook for Equitable Development: Free Download

Learn more about Economic Impact Catalyst