The last time we checked in with SCN Member Anika Horn, she was assisting the Triangle Summit Host Team and transitioning to a new ecosystem: the Shenandoah Valley. Anika has been a valued member of Startup Champions Network since 2016. Her first Summit was Santa Barbara (she wrote about it here) where she was absolutely thrilled to discover that there were other people who thought like her. 

“I remember listening to Andy Stoll and Amanda West explaining what SCN did and what an ecosystem builder was. The penny dropped, and I was bouncing off the walls throughout the entire Summit because I was so relieved to find that there were other people who felt as passionately about supporting entrepreneurs in their communities as me. For the first time having the language and concept for what we'd been doing ad hoc in Richmond, VA, about was really empowering. I suddenly felt legitimate, and less alone,” says Anika.

Since 2016 Anika has traveled to many of our Summits, participated in our programming, and was even on staff for a bit, helping to create our Summit Handbook and other operational documents. She was also on the planning team for our Triangle Summit in Durham, North Carolina. She’s interviewed countless SCN members for her podcast and blog, and now, she’s a Summit host for the 2024 Spring Ecosystem Builder Summit in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. 

Anika currently lives in Staunton, Virginia, and is the Director of Ecosystem Building for Shenandoah Community Capital Fund (our Summit Host organization).  

“I lead the ecosystem team at SCCF and my job is to build trusting relationships with all the different champions, advocates, and supporters of entrepreneurs throughout the Shenandoah Valley, which is a pretty large region. It stretches 143 miles along I-81,” she explains. 

143 miles means there are many players to collaborate with in order to support entrepreneurship in multiple cities across “The Valley.” To collaborate successfully, Anika and her team convene a regional coalition of ecosystem supporters twice a year for a work session. They identify gaps, share feedback from entrepreneurs, and then prioritize solutions to fill those gaps.

Then and now 

In our last interview with Anika, she had just landed this role and was tasked with digging into the regional work, identifying challenges, and also co-creating the brand of the Shenandoah Valley as a place where entrepreneurs from all backgrounds can thrive and succeed. 

Now that she is just over two years into her role, she and her team have been focused on storytelling and solving the challenges they’ve identified. Currently, the coalition is working on issues like access to capital, marketing, and vacant storefronts.

“Capital is a big issue for rural entrepreneurs in part because the capital landscape is pretty sparse. I think we just don't have the visibility yet. That is a big project SCCF is working on in 2024 and beyond with our Finance Navigator. Figuring out the barriers to access, especially for under-resourced entrepreneurs in the Valley.” Access to Capital will be one of the local challenges addressed during our Knowledge Exchange on day 2 of the Summit.

They’ve also heard from entrepreneurs that marketing is an overwhelming and confusing task. This was an issue the team was able to jump right into, establishing a working group to dive deeper into specific challenges.

“We've been working for six months to gain an understanding of what these actual marketing challenges are. Now we're trying to bridge that gap by having an overview of other marketing service providers on Valley Business Compass, which is a digital map of our ecosystem. We’ve been hosting events to bring the service providers together with their potential clients in a teaching environment where they can share some of their expertise and illustrate how marketers can help small businesses.”

A third issue they’ve identified but are still exploring solutions for is one many small towns face: vacant storefronts.

“The issue is either not willing to invest in restoring these historical buildings, or they are owned by someone who doesn't live in the community. We have a lot of entrepreneurs who share with us that they just can't get into a storefront even though they have a viable business, they have great products, they're from that community and they just can't get in because there's a mismatch between the rent expectations between landlords and those who wanna rent the space.”

Developing and supporting sub-ecosystems in Shenandoah

Taking a regional approach to ecosystem building can be challenging. How do you support entrepreneurs from multiple communities and industries? It’s also smart because where one small town may not have the connections and resources, many small towns can come together to fill gaps for the region. Anika recently published an Op-Ed about SCCF’s sub-ecosystem approach on Impact Entrepreneur. 

“Working in such a big region with so many players, we call it the Shenandoah Valley ecosystem, but once you look a little bit closer, you can slice that pie by demographics, by industry, by function in the ecosystem, and that's exactly what we've been doing.

During the Summit, attendees will meet ecosystem representatives from across the Valley and get a chance to work on challenges together. Supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs, light manufacturing, and the service-based economy are three sub-ecosystems you’ll learn about while in the Shenandoah Valley.

What to expect at #SCNShenandoah

This summit is going to be different from others in many ways. The first of which is leaning into connection time. 

“What I'm probably most excited about is the relationship building that we're being really intentional about. We are fully embracing the idea of the water cooler talk. We want to create a lot of space for people to have those conversations because we know that most attendees come to connect with their peers and learn from those who do this work in other parts of the country.”

The theme of the Summit, “It Takes A Valley,” will lean into collaboration in the region but also focus on re-envisioning innovation in rural America. Attendees will speak to local entrepreneurs and community builders who are really invested in placemaking and innovation that goes beyond technology. 

Do you have your ticket to join us? Be sure to register by April 19 at 11:59 PM to ensure you have a spot at our 10 Year Birthday Party dinner.