During the May 2026 Economic Development Week and Small Business Week, Economic Growth Strategies and Economic Impact Catalyst came together for a timely conversation on what entrepreneurship-led economic development looks like in practice.
The discussion focused on a key idea: supporting entrepreneurs requires more than launching programs or hosting events. Communities need a clear strategy, aligned partners, trusted referral systems, data infrastructure, and programs designed around the real needs of local businesses.
Tarsha Hearns, MBA, EDP, shared insights from her experience building and leading entrepreneurial ecosystems, including the importance of understanding where gaps exist before creating another program. David Ponraj, CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst, added the operational perspective, emphasizing how strong systems, intake processes, outcome tracking, and reporting infrastructure help communities better serve entrepreneurs and demonstrate impact.
Together, they explored the difference between recruitment and entrepreneurship strategies, why disconnected programs often fail, how trust and coordination shape strong ecosystems, and why data is essential for funding, reporting, and long-term sustainability.
Watch the full webinar to hear the complete conversation and learn how communities can move from scattered efforts to coordinated entrepreneurship-led economic development.
During the May 2026 Economic Development Week and Small Business Week, Economic Growth Strategies and Economic Impact Catalyst came together for a timely conversation on what entrepreneurship-led economic development looks like in practice.
The discussion focused on a key idea: supporting entrepreneurs requires more than launching programs or hosting events. Communities need a clear strategy, aligned partners, trusted referral systems, data infrastructure, and programs designed around the real needs of local businesses.
Tarsha Hearns, MBA, EDP, shared insights from her experience building and leading entrepreneurial ecosystems, including the importance of understanding where gaps exist before creating another program. David Ponraj, CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst, added the operational perspective, emphasizing how strong systems, intake processes, outcome tracking, and reporting infrastructure help communities better serve entrepreneurs and demonstrate impact.
Together, they explored the difference between recruitment and entrepreneurship strategies, why disconnected programs often fail, how trust and coordination shape strong ecosystems, and why data is essential for funding, reporting, and long-term sustainability.
Watch the full webinar to hear the complete conversation and learn how communities can move from scattered efforts to coordinated entrepreneurship-led economic development.
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Complete the free Entrepreneur Center Program Assessment to evaluate your program effectiveness, ecosystem alignment, outcome tracking, and sustainability. At the end, you’ll receive a Program Health Score with insights into potential gaps and opportunities for improvement.