Question:

You talk a lot about empowering entrepreneurs. What do you mean by that?

Mo: Part of our work as community leaders in supporting entrepreneurs is giving them legitimacy. If you are the Mayor or a city council member for example, you have community credibility and a brand- we want to transfer that support to our entrepreneurs. Empowering them might be a simple as allowing popups so entrepreneurs can ‘try out’ a business idea in a parking lot. It may include participating in pitch events, or providing a direct financial incentive to an entrepreneur to open a coworking space. I think that letting them put a squid on the roof of a downtown building is seriously mandatory.

Photo credit: Justin Torner Photography