Lessons from InBIA’s 2025 e.Builders Forum: The Future of Ecosystem Building in Atlanta and Beyond
- Ross Berlin
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
On November 3-4, 2025, I had the pleasure of attending the International Business Innovation Association’s (InBIA) 2025 e.Builders Forum in my home city of Atlanta, GA. Designed as a focused gathering for leading representatives of entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs), the Forum brought together some of the country’s brightest minds in ecosystem building and entrepreneurial assistance.
Through Fourth Economy’s panel — “Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Community Renewal” — and numerous others, I left the Forum with a renewed appreciation for the interconnectedness of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. From industry-specific accelerators to faith-based business education programs and beyond, each organization plays a key role in uplifting local entrepreneurship and economic growth. Below are my three key takeaways from the event.
Universities Anchor the Strongest Ecosystems
At the core of the country’s most successful entrepreneurial ecosystems are dynamic, research-focused universities that drive innovation, commercialization, and startup activity. Forum attendees heard directly from Ángel Cabrera, President of Georgia Tech, who shared the university’s expanding efforts to turn ideas into companies through increased investment in specialized R&D space, cross-department collaboration, and new staff focused on commercialization.
Georgia Tech’s multi-pronged strategy benefits not only the university, but Atlanta as a whole, as graduates and their businesses spread innovation throughout the metro area.
Federal Funding Shifts Impact all Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Ongoing shifts to federal funding availability and priorities hit entrepreneurial ecosystems hard. Because major research universities depend heavily on federal funds to drive innovative research in medicine, technology, and more, today’s political environment has notably stymied the ability of these institutions to conduct research and plan future projects. These challenges have immense ripple effects through the broader ecosystem — impacting the incubators, accelerators, and other ESOs that rely on universities as the bedrock of idea generation and business creation. These effects are only just beginning to be identified.
Atlanta’s Future is in Good Hands
I was lucky to moderate a panel with multiple industry leaders, including two of intown Atlanta’s leading place-based economic developers, both dedicated to preserving and redefining specific corridors as inclusive hubs for business.
Chantell Glenn of the Annie E. Casey Foundation helps to manage Pittsburgh Yards, a mixed-use development on the historically Black southside of the Atlanta Beltline that provides affordable space for entrepreneurs and business owners to operate and scale.
LeJuano Varnell of Sweet Auburn Works is leading the preservation of historic properties and businesses along Auburn Avenue in Downtown Atlanta, the historic corridor that was home to Martin Luther King Jr.
Their work, and that of many others, is ensuring Atlanta’s growth reflects its vibrant history, culture, and commitment to equitable economic opportunity.
Curious about the strengths and gaps in your own entrepreneurial ecosystem? Eager to learn more about promising practices in ecosystem building from comparable geographies to your own? We’d love to chat — reach us at [email protected].