The primary audience for this resource is the higher education community, defined broadly and including colleges and universities across all categories and nation-wide, 2-years, community colleges, small liberal arts colleges, regional comprehensives, research universities, public and private, etc. Individuals in any role and from any part of the institution can potentially benefit from the resources—it is a premise of the toolkit that everybody can be involved in ecosystem building—this is not something that is limited to a specific department such as an entrepreneurship center or a tech transfer office. In fact, ecosystem building for higher education institutions can benefit from understanding how the internal ecosystem works.
Some potential roles in higher education institutions that we hope can benefit from the toolkit:
- Directors and staff of economic development departments
- Engagement and outreach professionals
- Community liaisons
- Workforce development program stakeholders
- Entrepreneurship education faculty, administration, staff and students
- Tech transfer and commercialization staff
- Intern and mentor program stakeholders
- Higher ed institution leadership
- Strategic communications professionals
The toolkit will also provide resources and experiences for ecosystem stakeholders and participants who are not directly connected to a higher education institution (for instance, in an employment, governance, or enrolled student role), but who are participating in, and/or supporting entrepreneurial ecosystem building in contexts where higher education has an existing or potential role to play.
Examples of these stakeholders:
- Ecosystem leaders and policy directors
- Institutional stakeholders who are intentional about ecosystem development.
- Funders
- Policy makers at all levels (local, regional, state, national)
- Economic Development Organizations
- Venture Development Organizations
- Chambers of Commerce
- People responsible for partnership development
- National stakeholders and membership and service organizations (NACCE, UEDA, APLU, InBIA, USASBE, and other partners)
- Policy other leaders including elected officials in ecosystems
- Entrepreneurial Service Organization (ESO’s)
- Incubators
- Accelerators
- Businesses across multiple sectors
