On November 3rd and 4th, nearly 100 entrepreneur-support and ecosystem-building professionals from across the U.S. and Canada gathered in the heart of Atlanta’s innovation scene to participate in the 2025 e.Builders Forum. This gathering offered a rare opportunity to connect, collaborate and advance the practice of healthy entrepreneurship ecosystem development.
A vibrant setting for ecosystem-builders
Held at the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology’s Tech Square, attendees experienced the innovation district in real-time as they moved between sessions, getting a firsthand look at a dynamic entrepreneur support environment. The programming spanned multiple venues across the campus and included shared workspace, breakout rooms, and startup-community hubs, giving participants a lived sense of what a thriving ecosystem can feel like in practice.
Session highlights
The agenda was packed with expert speakers, actionable content, and immersive workshops designed to equip ESOs and ecosystem builders. Below is a high-level recap of key tracks and sessions:
- Universities as Catalysts for Ecosystem Growth – Multiple sessions explored how higher-education institutions can anchor innovation, create pathways for entrepreneurs and build regional momentum.
- Strategies That Strengthen Communities – Several discussions and workshops focused on inclusive, equitable ecosystem-building and how ESOs can design programs that serve under-resourced entrepreneurs and create broader regional impact.
- Real-Time Ecosystem Strategy Building – These hands-on sessions gave attendees space to work collaboratively to sketch or refine ecosystem-support roadmaps, readiness assessments, asset-maps and stakeholder strategies.
- Innovation & Corporate Engagement – Some sessions explored how to activate corporate partners, join innovation networks, and leverage university-industry interface opportunities (particularly reflective of the Tech Square setting).
- Access & Inclusion – There were also breakouts focused on how to build inclusive ecosystems: designing access for historically under-capitalized communities, leveraging capital and building networks that enable equitable participation.
- Emerging Trends & Tools for ESOs – From mapping dashboards, data tools, metrics frameworks to techno-platforms for ecosystem management, attendees were introduced to new tools they can bring back to their home regions.
Attendees left with both inspiration and concrete next steps: asset-mapping templates, stakeholder readiness exercises, new peer contacts, and a deeper understanding of how a major university-embedded ecosystem operates in real time.
Thank You to Hosts & Sponsors
A sincere thank you to the local hosts who made the Forum possible – the venues managed by:
- Tech Square ATL Clubhouse (managed by Collaborative Real Estate Group)
- The University Financing Foundation (TUFF)
- Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)
- Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI²) at Georgia Tech
InBIA also extends their gratitude to our sponsors whose support helps deliver this high-impact gathering:
- Economic Impact Catalyst
- EcoMap
- Entrepreneur Ready
- Fourth Economy
- The University Financing Foundation
- WayBuilders
