Building Startup Communities and Venture Ecosystems with Chris Heivly
Join us for an inspiring keynote address by Chris Heivly, a renowned entrepreneur, investor, and community builder. Chris is one of the nation’s leading experts on launching startups and building startup communities, and author of “Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide”. He co-founded MapQuest, is an angel investor, ran a corporate venture fund and 2 micro venture funds (directed over $75M), and was formerly SVP Ecosystem Development at Techstars.
With a proven track record of fostering vibrant startup ecosystems, Chris will share his insights on the essential elements for creating a thriving venture community.
The importance of community: How fostering a strong sense of community can drive innovation and collaboration among startups.
Building a supportive ecosystem: The key factors that contribute to a healthy venture ecosystem, including mentorship, funding, and infrastructure.
Overcoming challenges: Strategies for addressing common obstacles faced by startup communities, such as talent retention and access to capital.
The future of startup ecosystems: Emerging trends and opportunities in the world of venture capital and innovation.
About Chris:
Chris Heivly is one of the nation’s leading experts in how to turn startups into multimillion-dollar companies. For over 30 years, Heivly has worked at the highest levels for some of the world’s most recognized brands, including MapQuest, Rand McNally, and Accenture.
He co-founded MapQuest, is a long-time angel investor, ran a corporate venture fund and 2 micro venture funds (total over $75M) and was most recently SVP Innovation with Techstars.
Chris enjoys the challenge of solving business problems and the opportunity to make a difference. Originally educated as a geographer, he can be considered one of the first "map geeks" as he combined cartography and computers to revolutionize government as well as private industry. Chris helped change the way you and I navigate every day.
Chris writes for INC.COM, his blog at heivly.com and a few years ago published his first book about startups called Build The Fort. His current mission is to help accelerate the growth of startup communities’ worldwide working with Techstars and Brad Feld, author of Startup Communities. Chris just released his 2nd book, The Startup Community Builder’s Field Guide for founders, investors and economic development leaders to better accelerate their ecosystem.