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Webinar: Ecosystem Building in Action: Defining Your Community’s Role in Local Economic Transformation

January 21, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)

Description


This 1-hour virtual workshop, hosted in partnership with the Michigan Economic Developers Association (MEDA), equips economic development leaders with a clear, practical framework for ecosystem building—and, critically, how it fits into their day-to-day economic development work.

Many communities are told to “build an entrepreneurial ecosystem,” yet struggle with unclear definitions, fragmented initiatives, and uncertainty about roles, ownership, and measurable outcomes. This session removes that ambiguity by guiding participants through an AI-assisted, step-by-step workflow to define why ecosystem building matters in their community, who it serves, and how it supports real economic results.

Participants will work through a structured process grounded in The Ecosystem Builder’s Playbook by Dr. Dell Gines and leave with a clear, one-page Ecosystem Purpose Map they can immediately use with boards, partners, funders, and community stakeholders.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:
✅ Clearly understand the role of ecosystem building within modern economic development practice
✅ Define the specific problem ecosystem building is meant to solve in their community
✅ Identify the primary entrepreneurs and stakeholders their ecosystem should serve
✅ Clarify their organization’s role as an ecosystem builder (and what it is not)
✅ Leave with a custom Ecosystem Purpose Map — a practical, one-page tool for alignment, communication, and decision-making
✅ Gain a clear next step for moving from ecosystem strategy to execution, with optional pathways to deepen implementation through the AI Performance School for EDOs at SimpleEDO.ai

Speaker

Katie Milton Jordan, AI Strategist and Founder, SimpleEDO.ai 

Webinar Series

The webinar is the final in a 4-part series.

Previous Webinars in Series
All are available to MEDA members and webinar subscribers in the Info Hub.

AI for EDOs: 3 Proven Ways to Save Time, Stretch Staff, and Sharpen Strategy
AI Foundations 101: From White Belt to Black Belt
Build Your AI Policy in 60 Minutes - A Hands-on Session for EDO Leaders

Cancellation Policy for Complimentary Attendees

  • While this session is free to members and webinar subscribers, we appreciate your cancelling as soon as you know that you cannot attend, but at least 24 hours in advance. Send your cancellation to Cassandra at cjorae@medaweb.org or cancel via your Info Hub account.

Cancellation Policy for Paid Attendees

  • Cancellations must be received in writing to cjorae@medaweb.org on or before January 14th to receive a full refund.
  • Cancellations between January 15th and 19th will be refunded less 50%.
  • There will be no refunds on January 20th or after.
  • Those who do not cancel and do not attend will be charged the full price of registration.
  • MEDA is not responsible for technical difficulties due to your equipment, internet connection, email firewall, etc.

Time

Please log in 5 minutes before the webinar to assure to a timely start.

Pricing

Workshop Fees:

MEDA Members and Subscribers: Free

Future Members: $35

Future Members, Join MEDA today to attend this workshop for free and access recordings from previous webinars in the series.

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Contact Information

Michigan Economic Developers Association
Name: Cassandra Jorae
Phone: 517-241-0011
Email: cjorae@medaweb.org
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