What happens when entrepreneur support gets local but forgets scale?

In this week’s episode, Eric Parker talks with Moonshot CEO Scott Hathcock about why traditional incubator models break in small markets, how networked systems make local support survivable, and what “Five Seats” reveals about scaling founder support without losing community context.

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In this Ideas Worth Championing talk, recorded live at the Startup Champions Network Fall Summit, Lexie Irvine, Ecosystem Builder at theClubhou.se, uses three Taylor Swift songs to explain the core work of ecosystem builders.

Through “Opalite,” “Change,” and “Shake It Off,” Lexie explores:

• why ecosystem building is about reflecting the light of others

• how real change happens in systems piece by piece

• why protecting your peace is essential to long-term impact

• how imposter syndrome shows up early in your career

• and how emerging voices strengthen entrepreneurship communities

This talk is for anyone who supports founders, works in entrepreneurship or economic development, or is exploring ecosystem building as a career. It blends music, mindset, and lived experience into a practical framework for understanding the work.

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During our recent tour of Denver and Boulder, we had the privilege of sitting down with Wendy Lea—one of America’s foremost leaders in building innovation communities. As Co-Founder & Chair of Energize Colorado, Co-Founder & Partner of TechHubNow!, a Board Member at Elevate Quantum, and a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), she is a driving force for collaboration and impact.

In this conversation, we explore the similarities and differences between small business support and high-growth startup acceleration, the role of investment communities, the EDA Tech Hubs initiative, and the critical importance of fostering meaningful small-group interactions.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or ecosystem builder, this episode is packed with insights and real-world examples you won’t want to miss.