Douglas County Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support Summit 

As the Douglas County economy recovers from the shutdown shock of the last few months, the continued economic growth of the community will not only depend upon supporting established businesses but also by attracting new businesses and creating homegrown businesses as well.

The Kauffman Foundation asserts that new job creation in the United States is generated by businesses younger than five years old. However, the disturbing news is that entrepreneurship has been on the decline for the past several years.

Thus, as part of the economic development triad, it is imperative that our community foster an environment that not only encourages startup activity but also provides entrepreneurs with the necessary support to grow and thrive.

Do our entrepreneurs have access to the necessary knowledge; resources (monetary and human) and connections that will help them start-up and grow their businesses? Are we equitable in how we foster business development as a community?

The Douglas County Extension Office is inviting you -  key actors in our community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem - to engage in a Summit  to begin answering these questions and explore opportunities to more closely network together and  fill in the gaps (if any) in our ecosystem to strenghthen entrepreneurship development in Douglas County.