When we talk about Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, let’s think about inviting the folks from the Babson Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Project (BEEP) to the table. Here is a link to BEEP http://entrepreneurial-revolution.com/2011/05/what-is-this-project/

The University of Alaska is making good progress as a critical piece of Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem; Babson would be a valuable “been-there-done-that” (Allan J.’s words) partner for UA.

Also, as we think about building our (under construction) entrepreneurial ecosystem, let’s talk about differentiating lifestyle entrepreneurs and aspiring gazelles; research show that both are important but the latter cohort will create more wealth and more jobs for Alaska. Each segment has different needs.

As a general response to a question like that, I’d like to see consultants and community model constructive creativity and become ruthless to mindless cliché. Become entrepreneurial. I think there’s a lot of self-serving, significantly vacuous talk and advice promulgated in the development consulting arena and at places like the Chamber of Commerce, policy-making bodies, and committees: stuff that’s not edgy (as in “entrepreneurial edge”) at all. “Stodgy” is a word comes to mind, to me, along with “cliché.”

From what I’ve seen, I think the Shuttleworth Foundation exemplifies combining an entrepreneurial edge to their entrepreneurial ecosystem development work. They’re responsive, fast, and creative. They have a long-term horizon. They’re not blinkered by classic world view paradigms. Partly as a consequence, many of the people they’re working with also are profoundly entrepreneurial.

To your question, I’m thinking invite support of entrepreneurial projects that are about more than merely the next somebody getting rich (e.g., making sophisticated parts for bombing foreigners or building the next pizza parlour) and do so in a way itself that exemplifies positive aspects of entrepreneurial spirit. Think about projects like Shuttleworth’s support of Ubuntu which has spawned it’s own huge entrepreneurial ecology. Or consider Shuttleworth’s support of “Open Source Ecology,” which also already is spawning it’s own ecosystem of ancillary entrepreneurial businesses.

In addition, I think quality of interaction plays an important role in a community’s vitality (deLange called it sureness: identity-categoricity).

A lot of us are experiencing novel technology-mediated community. I’m interested in the factors that induce communities to thrive or languish. Maybe you could unpack insights to a question like that, Wanetta, in another essay. ?!