Brad Feld wrote about the Boulder Thesis, why Boulder, Colorado is one of the most entrepreneurial places on the planet. He didn't discuss his own role. Community builders like Brad are in every city all over the world. They act as super connectors. This presentation discusses the role of the community builder in the growth and development of entrepreneurial places. This also introduces my next book which highlights the community builder.

1. The Community Builder’s
Dilemma
Follow along @NicoleGravagna

2. My first book

3. My second
book
This one is about you.

4. Visits this year

5. Not interesting for this book

7. Economic Downturn
aka 2008

8. Decimated
2008-2010

9. Regeneration
2010-2012

10. New trees
2012-2014

11. Rainmaker
this is your part

13. A Startup Event
(pretty darn standard)

14. A Startup Event
(pretty darn standard)

15. Clarissa Steinhöfel
Cofounder of Startup Safary

16. Help me tell it
This is my ask.

17. Brad Denenburg
Philadelphia Region

18. Michael Sitarzewski
Boulder, Denver, Dallas

19. Toma Bedolla
House of Genius

20. Andrew Hyde
Startup Week, Startup Weekend, UpGlobal

21. Enoch Elwell
Co.Starters, The Company Lab

22. Mary Grace Stocker
Now with Field Squared

23. Mike Bradshaw
The Company Lab

24. Nicole Gravagna
Rockies Venture Club, Venture Capital for Dummies

26. Nicole
Gravagna
Available fall 2015
Xxxx Xxxx:
The community builder’s dilemma
Nicole Gravagna, PhD

27. Brad Feld
The Boulder Thesis:
!
•Entrepreneurs as leaders
•A long-term view
•A philosophy of inclusiveness
•Events that engage the entire
entrepreneurial stack

28. Richard Florida
The Creative Class:
!
•There are better cities than
others for your thing.
•The creative-class follows
a new way of living.
•Gay Index

29. Extracting Talent
• Currently doing other
things
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Learn comfort with
ambiguity

30. Visible Opportunity
• A little blight is a
good thing
• People seem to need
reminders

31. Training Angels
• Educated dealflow
must be present first
• Gather angels to
learn from each other
• Simply share what’s
normal

32. Role of the community
builder
• The super-connector
• The know it all
• The natural impact
finder

33. Prescription for local
governments
• Cheer loudly
• Get out of the way
• What Else?????

34. Community growth
1. One or two meetups
2. Competing events
3. Some expensive infrastructure
4. Tipping point - when you can’t
point to all the community
builders anymore

35. Connect with me
ngravagna@gmail.com
@NicoleGravagna
NicoleGravagna.com