Knowing when to leave: the fine art of hitting the road
June 29th will be my last day at the Edward Lowe Foundation. This marks the end of a three-year succession plan...
Learning to compete: the nonprofit’s answer to living in a world of silos
The number of ESOs is growing exponentially. On the surface this sounds wonderful. But when the space becomes overcrowded, things get messy...
The importance of outside voices in our communities
There’s a new book on the market that presents a practical and comprehensive view of how to build an entrepreneurial infrastructure in our communities...
The unexpected success: How narrowly focusing on specific goals could harm your community
During my trip to Tuscany I looked forward to seeing beautiful gardens and window boxes. But the sight of flowers growing straight out of a brick wall was unexpected...
Why can’t we all just NOT get along?
From my experience, one of the most challenging parts of building an entrepreneurial community is dealing with people who dislike change, block progress, and fear anything new...
Once upon a time: How compelling stories communicate success
Telling compelling stories is an art anyone can learn. And it's the single most powerful way to communicate success and rally the troops...
The importance of community celebrations
There are times when communities need just the good parts — those times when we celebrate the joy of what we are and the hope of what we will become...
Things that go bump in the night
New ideas are often viewed as scary. They challenge the status quo, make people nervous, cause us to dig our heels in, and have the power...
Lattes and manufacturing: Understanding local and external market companies
I have a new favorite place in Grand Rapids — Early Bird Café. They are part of the Grand Rapids local movement and I love supporting local. Down the road about ...
Happiness inside the box: The role quiet time plays in your success
On most days, Munson spends a great deal of time looking out the window. He pays attention to squirrels and chipmunks, and one day I swear he stared at a leaf ...