MI Small Business Helper Launches

This past month, the New Economy Initiative (NEI) and Gilbert Family Foundation celebrated the launch of MI Small Business Helper, an easy-to-use platform that helps southeast Michigan entrepreneurs find the right local programs and resources to launch, grow, and succeed.

SourceLink is proud to have worked on this project that includes inspiring small business stories, a network of almost 100 business support organizations, a recommendation engine, and a business library of documents searchable by category; all built on many years of trusted relationships.

MI Small Business Helper also features:

• A business resource navigator
• Step-by-step business guides
• Pre-filtered resource lists, and help me with area
• A central calendar of business events 

We’re thrilled to have collaborated on this project; it’s a big step forward for Michigan’s entrepreneurial community. Read more about the platform here.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Webinar

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, join us for an engaging, interactive webinar on November 18th with Rob Williams, Director and National Network Builder for SourceLink.

This “Ask Us Anything” session invites you to bring your toughest questions to some of the nation’s leading ecosystem builders; these leaders are creating vibrant, resilient communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development.

Our experts include:

• Rebecca Moudry, Fairfax CORE / Fairfax County, VA
• Mark Burdette, West Virginia BusinessLink / West Virginia SBDC
• Roxana Martinelli, MI Small Business Helper / New Economy Initiative
• Alyssa Goslee, Oʻahu Business Connector / City and County of Honolulu

These ecosystem champions will share how they’re using tools, partnerships, and community engagement to spark innovation, support entrepreneurs, and drive lasting economic impact. Whether you’re new to ecosystem building or ready to take your network to the next level, this session will deliver practical insights and real-world examples you can put into action.

Chris Wink: Importance of Storytelling in Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development

During SourceLink’s most recent affiliate Quarterly Conversation, we welcomed Christopher Wink, CEO of Technical.ly. Chris inspired our network to recognize that storytelling isn’t an output of our good work, rather it’s a central tenet of it. Backed by research and compelling examples, he showed how communities can transform over time when equipped with a dedicated storytelling agent. His message reframed how we think about narrative as infrastructure and how we as leaders in the entrepreneurship-led economic development space need to prioritize this.

How Data Becomes an Ecosystem’s Superpower 

Data isn’t just information in Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, it has become infrastructure. Under Denisse Rodríguez Colón’s leadership, Colmena66 has turned shared data into a force for data-driven coordination. By linking dozens of support organizations through the network, Puerto Rico is revealing who its entrepreneurs are, what helps them to succeed, and how to respond faster even when crisis strikes. The result has been a living system where informed insights guide meaningful action and bolster collaboration.

Congratulations to Tershea Rice

Congratulations to Tershea Rice on her new role as Interim Chief Executive Officer at Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL). Tershea has been part of the GBUL for 4 years and was recognized as well in AFRO American Newspapers recently, for her inspiring accomplishments with youth development through the Saturday Leadership Program.

Miranda Schultz Featured in Podcast

Director of Operations at affiliate Porter House KC, Miranda Schultz, was featured on episode 4 of their podcast, Convos in the Yard. Check out this very special episode from our partners in Kansas City, MO.

West Virginia BusinessLink Expands Team

We warmly welcome Dawn Nolan, Network Communicator, and Leah Bowes, Network Navigator for West Virginia BusinessLink. Congrats to Dawn and Leah on their new appointments, and we look forward to watching them advance WV BusinessLink to even greater heights.

ESHIP Commons Job Board

Are you or someone you know looking for a new adventure in the entrepreneurship-led economic development field? ESHIP Commons has an opportunity board that features job openings in the field. Be sure to check it often. Please too share your position opportunities with our SourceLink team via hello@joinsourcelink.com, and we will include ones we believe fit our audience here in our newsletter.

Have News to Share?

Let us know! We love to celebrate our network successes and amplify inspirational applications of ecosystem building and entrepreneurship-led economic development. You can email us at hello@joinsourcelink.com.

Upcoming Events

Visit our Calendar of Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Events to discover more information on these events and other conversations just on the horizon.

• November is National Entrepreneurship Month
• NMSDC Annual Conference, Nov. 2 - 5

• InBIA's 2025 e.Builder's Forum, Nov. 3 - 4

• Startup Champions Network’s 2025 Fall Summit, Nov. 5 - 7

• Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11
• AURP International Conference, Nov. 11 - 15
• NLC Annual City Summit, Nov. 19 - 22
• Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), Nov. 17 - 23

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