Work, Research & Books

The work, on the ground and on paper.

Books, research, and practical guides spanning AI and economic development, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and shared prosperity.

Books

The work on the shelf.

The Ecosystem Builder's Playbook

The Ecosystem Builder's Playbook

A practical guide explaining how communities can accelerate entrepreneurship-led growth within a short timeframe. Frameworks, downloadable tools, and real-world examples for civic leaders, nonprofit professionals, and economic developers.

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Ecosystems Emerge

Ecosystems Emerge

A first-of-its-kind book answering the questions economic developers are asking about entrepreneurship ecosystem building: what it is, how it fits into the field, and how to get started.

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Research & Guides

Research, guides, and field-building work.

A working library of reports, practitioner guides, and research on entrepreneurial ecosystems, small businesses of color, rural development, youth entrepreneurship, and shared prosperity.

Growing Against the Bias cover
2024 | Southern Capital Project / Kauffman Foundation

Growing Against the Bias: Black Women Entrepreneurs

Examines the experiences of Black women entrepreneurs in Kansas City and Little Rock, surfacing barriers around capital, mentorship, and systemic bias while offering recommendations for policymakers and support organizations.

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Relationship Formation and Maintenance Strategies dissertation cover
2020 | Doctoral Dissertation

Relationship Formation and Maintenance Strategies in Network Kansas E-Communities

Explores how entrepreneurship ecosystem relationships form and evolve across three Network Kansas E-Communities, with findings on collaboration, awareness-building, and ecosystem design.

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Small Business Owners of Color Recovery Guide cover
2020 | Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City and Atlanta

Small Business Owners of Color Recovery Guide

Offers city leaders and community organizations strategies across capital, education, policy, and community support to help small businesses owned by people of color recover and build long-term resilience.

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Building Entrepreneurship Ecosystems in Communities of Color cover
2019 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Building Entrepreneurship Ecosystems in Communities of Color

Co-authored with Rodney Sampson, this guide frames ecosystem building as an economic development strategy for creating high-growth businesses and reducing the racial wealth gap.

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Black Women Business Startups cover
2018 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Black Women Business Startups

Draws on focus groups with Black women entrepreneurs across five cities to examine motivations, financing barriers, business knowledge gaps, and ecosystem-level support needs.

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Funder's Guide cover
2016 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Funder's Guide: Funding Small Business Development Organizations

Helps philanthropists and funding agencies evaluate investments in small business development organizations, including micro lending, consulting, networking, and education.

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The Case for Youth Entrepreneurship Education cover
2015 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

The Case for Youth Entrepreneurship Education

Makes the case for integrating entrepreneurship into education so students develop business creation, innovation, leadership, and critical thinking skills.

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Grow Your Own cover
2014 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Grow Your Own: Entrepreneurship-Based Economic Development

A practical framework for helping local communities shift from solely recruiting outside firms to cultivating homegrown entrepreneurs through connected local ecosystems.

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