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Hello Reader,

I recently hosted a hot seat session for ecosystem storytellers. The central challenge: "How do we gather all the success stories from entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners to highlight all the awesome stuff happening in our ecosystem?"

It's a challenge that most accelerators, investors, and other entrepreneurial support programs are all too familiar with. We want to amplify these stories but asking others to send us their success stories and media coverage rarely produces results. It's a big ask and there's rarely anything in it for them.

What's more: Even if we succeed in gathering these stories and have a library of them - then what? A database full of success stories is good and well (and an accomplishment in itself), but the question becomes what we then do with these stories. How do we repurpose them meaningfully and ensure they inform our ecosystem narrative?

In today's issue, I have one tool for and one example of content gathering and repurposing, as well as a new podcast episode and - as always - some summer Shen-Anika-ns!

Ecosystem Essentials: Tracking ecosystem stories

In issue #103 of Impact Curator, I outlined the three jobs I see for ecosystem builders when it comes to storytelling:

1. Tell stories
2. Amplify existing stories: How and where do source them, and what do we do with them once we have them?
3. Equip others to tell meaningful stories that add to the greater ecosystem narrative

Only two days later, Dr. Amy Beaird's The Ecosystem Builder's Edge newsletter fluttered into my inbox with a guide on how to cut through the noise. She introduced me to a 15-minute system for tracking ecosystem successes that is SO GOOD that I asked whether I could share it with all of you. For those of us who eagerly scour the internet for our startups' and partners' successes, this is the most useful approach I have seen to-date:

If you're as passionate about ecosystem building as I am and want thought-provoking insights from the field as well as tangible advice and ready-to-implement tools, subscribe to the Ecosystem Builder's Edge:

Bookish

What I've been reading:

• ​The Paper Palace, Miranda Cowley Heller. I bought this used because it sounded good and when my friend Ashley saw it on my shelf a few months ago, her eyes lit up. What sounded like a summer romance at a New England vacation home turned out to be a devastating page turner (thanks for the warning, Ashley!).
• ​The Paris Bookseller, Kerry Maher. From 1917 - 1936 this book tells the fictionalized story of the original Shakespeare & Company in Paris. It follows its owner Sylvia Beach through the 1920s and 1930s as she makes a home for expat writers such as Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce & co. While the writing didn't blow me away (19 years in 300 pages is no small feat), the plot and characters made it worthwhile. Now I need to go to Paris to feature the newer Shakespeare & Company in 40 Bookshops Under 40.

From the show

ECOSYSTEMS FOR CHANGE • S7:E5 E 7.5 - Scaling Regenerative Medicine for Global Impact with Tim Bertram and Jesse Thornburg at the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine 46:28 MORE INFO

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From my desk

I recently returned from Technical.ly's Builders Conference in Philadelphia. As part of their content strategy, all sessions were recorded and are now being summarized and repurposed with the help of AI. You can revisit (and listen to!) our panel discussion on standards in ecosystem storytelling here:

Shen-Anika-ns

I'm officially three weeks from my summer trip to Europe. Here are my five favorite sources of joy and entertainment this summer:

• 1 show: The Residence. A modern-day Sherlock Holmes story about a murder in the White House featuring a very likeable, quick-witted detective. I admit they went a little overboard and could have wrapped this in six episodes instead of eight but I was thoroughly entertained.
• 1 podcast: Growth in Reverse. I geek out on how to grow newsletters (hey, please forward this to anyone who might love it!) and nowhere else have I learned THIS MUCH about what works for other content creators. Chenell's episode on creating insanely valuable content had me drooling and she just wrapped up a 30-day newsletter challenge with bite-sized content that was incredible!
• 1 author: I'm currently reading my third book by Beatriz Williams. Having really enjoyed Husbands & Lovers and The Beach at Summerly last year, I just started The Golden Hour. If I could only read Beatriz Williams all summer, I would do it!
• 1 recipe: This asparagus risotto by Love & Lemons is creamy and super flavorful - and vegan! It came together in under an hour and is a perfect weeknight dinner! I threw in some frozen peas for extra veg and used regular white basmati rice - worked like a charm!
• 1 game: Apparently, I'm late to this party but we've been playing Skip Bo instead of watching tv at night and I plan on packing it for my trip to Germany so I can play with my nephew (and anyone else who is down to Skip Bo!).

I'll be back in your inbox in two weeks with my last newsletter before my summer break!

In camaraderie,

Anika

P.S. If you enjoy reading Impact Curator and want to support it, here are 3 easy ways:

1. Reply and say hi! Let me know what you're working on, dreaming about or ask me any burning questions you have. I'm right here, staring at my inbox and hitting refresh in hopes of hearing from you!
2. Forward this newsletter to someone who could use a virtual high-five, some book recommendations and Ecosystem Essentials in their inbox every 2 weeks. They can get their own right here.
3. Bring me to your organization or ecosystem to speak (either virtual or in-person).