Ecosystem Builder Salary for a Year

Entrepreneurs can save the world, but not if we refuse to fund the people who support them. So we're funding an ecosystem builder's work for a year

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If you missed it, here's the Twitter thread & Medium post that started it all

Underfunding Ecosystem Builders is a Big Problem

Ecosystem Builders give their time, energy, connections, and sanity for the sake of supporting the community, mentoring entrepreneurs, and running programs that strengthen local ecosystems.

But it's rare for them to make a living doing so - and that's a big problem. If we don't support Ecosystem Builders, dreams of Entrepreneur-Led Economic Development are as good as dead.

At EcoMap, ecosystem builders matter a lot to us - so we're putting our money where our mouth is.

‍When the question is "How do we fix the lack of funding for ____ ?",
the answer is simple: Fund Them.

Announcing the Ecosystem Builder Salary for a Year

EcoMap Tech will provide a $60k salary to an ecosystem builder for one year, to support the work they are doing in their community

No Strings Attached

You are not working for us. You do not have to write a report on your activities. You do not have to check off boxes on a grant application. We are funding you because you do meaningful work, and we don't want to distract from that. We'll pay you & give you access to whatever resources we have - you do the work that matters to your community.

Evaluated on Impact

The impact of an ecosystem builder is not measured in # of exits, amount of capital brought into an ecosystem, or other vanity metrics that are the favorites of grants. Their impact is measured in the entrepreneurs they support and the community initiatives that they execute - it's on these metrics that applicants will be judged

Built With Intention

The problem is lack of funding, so we're providing funding. However, just because we're quick to an idea doesn't mean we won't take time to think through the best way to structure it. We're taking time to convene with ecosystem builders to design the best possible program & focus our outreach to ensure it gets in front of the ecosystem builders who need it most

What's Next

Here's the timeline that we have in mind for the program. Right now, we're in the process of talking to Ecosystem Builders to decide on the best structure of the program. If you want to be a part of this, click here.

August & September

We will announce more details, including the application structure & evaluation model - we'll be very transparent about how we will evaluate applicants

October & November

Apps will open in late September and will be open for a month, closing in late October. The recipient(s) will be notified sometime in November.

January 2022

The salary will begin! There will be no lengthy reporting requirements or hoops to jump through - just a monthly salary to fund your work

How it Works

Bringing EcoMap to Your Community

Wondering what it would look like to bring an EcoMap to your community? Here's the process.

Tell Us Your Needs

Meet with us to share a bit more about what you want EcoMap to do for your community. From the features you want to the data we collect, your platform is customized from the start to match the needs of your community or organization

We Design a Platform

Our Platform team will get to work on building out the features of your platform, and our Design team will work alongside you to make a platform that reflects the personality of your community or brand

We Gather the Data

Our Data team will focus on gathering the specific information that will populate your platform. We specialize in Resources & Support Orgs for entrepreneurs, but we can collect info about businesses, nonprofits, & more

You're Good to Go!

Now - sit back and relax! EcoMap is full service, meaning that you do not need to allocate a ton of time to us. We'll do all the work of getting your platform ready, and then when it's time to launch, we'll work together to make sure it's a success

Our Values

1. Free for Users, Affordable for Communities

We designed EcoMaps to be free-to-access for entrepreneurs, and we commit to keeping our platforms affordable to implement for all communities

2. Build more Accessible and Equitable Ecosystems

Our work is about democratizing access to information about local resources so that anyone can find what they need, regardless of their connections or background.

3. Be the Team You Want to See in the World

Entrepreneurs are diverse - they come from all backgrounds, genders, ages, & races - and we believe that our team should reflect that. At EcoMap, we live our own values.