Economic Development

Blurring Lines

Welcome back to Wisconsin! Ben McDougal was visiting UW Stevens Point to deliver You Don’t Need This Keynote at the 2024 Think Like an Entrepreneur event. As part of a wonderful whirlwind, he visited a local coworking and makerspace to record this special “In The Wild” episode.

Kevin Neuman leads the way as Assistant Dean within the Sentry School of Business and Economics at UW Stevens Point, while Christopher Klesmith is the Neighborhood Planner at the City of Stevens Point. Special thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Martin for coordinating such a unique collision between ecosystem allies!

Together, we discuss how placemaking connects with higher education and how entrepreneurial ecosystems can integrate students. We also celebrate agility within the future of work, ask what is school for, discuss collaboration between educational institutions, and close by solving the power paradox. EP54 is a timeless reminder for those who are blurring the lines between the classroom and community, which paints a reality that activates innovative ways for leaders to interface with the world.

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By Ben McDougal, ago

Funnel Canyoneering

Kaylee Williams is a sales savant and an empathetic venture capitalist dedicated to accelerating fellow founders. As the Investment Director at InnoVenture Iowa, she manages a $30M public fund focused on investing in early stage companies throughout Iowa, with applications for this year’s $100K InnoVenture Challenge now open!

Together, we chat about hiking in the Appalachians, raising capital, and filling the sales funnel to keep entrepreneurs building in the wild. As Kaylee reminds us with her closing canyoneering story, we are all capable of so much more, so push yourself into positions where the only way out, is through.

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By Ben McDougal, ago

Playforce Principles

Introducing a modern equation:

C + I + R + V = future of work

The “future of work” is something many people throughout an entrepreneurial ecosystem think about, talk about, and work on together.

When everyone is trying to figure out the future of work, how have we arrived at this simple solution to such a complex, important, and constant debate?

It began with 20+ years of collaborating through connection. This experiential wisdom is wonderful, but thinking/writing/talking about education through the lens of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation has embedded perpetual learnings from students, educators, employers, and community builders. Along the way, “Playforce” was coined to describe a workforce that thirsts for significance through work that feels like play. In fact, an optional multiplier in this C.I.R.V. equation is actually having fun through an intrinsic sense of play. The depth of each variable (curiosity, initiative, real skills, and vocational knowledge) is also key to equalizing this complex equation.

This long-term focus has provided clarity, but this C.I.R.V. equation was refined through an ambitious collection of professional podcast interviews. In just three months, we orchestrated, recorded, and produced 55 fascinating episodes of You Don’t Need This Podcast. You read that right my friends. 55 thoughtful episodes of YDNTP were created in only 3 months, with a new episode now queued up to be released every week into 2024! During this prolific sprint, leaders boldly shared timeless insight linked to all parts within the educational system and related influences from throughout an entrepreneurial ecosystem. These were not quick chats. These were rich conversations with each special guest totally plugged in, sitting directly across me in a downtown recording studio! Navigating this many peculiar interactions sealed in the required comprehension that connects through pertinent perspectives.

Forecasting the future is hard, but action guided by the modern principles expressed in this new C.I.R.V. equation helps us activate exponential value as we continue building the future of work.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Growing the Garden

Hit the trail and plant some seeds with Diana Wright! As the Startup Community Builder for Greater Des Moines Partnership, Diana is a leader who uses the art of connection to evolve the Des Moines startup community, while also weaving webs throughout Iowa and beyond.

Together, we explore building within complex entrepreneurial ecosystems, how to plug into a startup community, the importance of learning from failure, communities of practice, Startup Iowa’s Hot List, and ways ecosystem allies can push through a J Curve by adding diverse energy into the mix.

BONUS: Listen closely to snag a free NFT airdrop or the YDNTB audiobook as well!

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By Ben McDougal, ago