Innovation is not a buzzword—it’s the foundation of economic resilience. True innovation-driven economic development (iEED) isn’t about one-off initiatives, short-term gains, or surface-level disruption. It’s about strategically aligning talent, technology, and capital to transform economic assets into sustainable, high-impact ecosystems.
At Start Co., we practice what we preach. We accelerate and broker the right resources—people, ideas, and funding—ensuring they collide in the right way, at the right time. The goal? To build livable, inclusive, and economically thriving communities where business, civic leadership, and innovation intersect for lasting success.
Zero-Based Entrepreneurship: Building from the Ground Up
Most founders and economic practitioners start with assumptions—about markets, models, and even their own capabilities. We challenge that.
Instead of refining what already exists, we take founders, partners, and organizations back to zero, breaking their ideas down to core truths and rebuilding with precision.
No Assumptions. No Shortcuts. Every concept is re-evaluated from scratch.
A Deep Discovery Process. We uncover hidden strengths, weaknesses, and untapped opportunities.
A Structured, Iterative Approach. Lean experimentation, customer validation, and market-driven scaling.
This approach corrects flawed trajectories early, ensuring that when founders and organizations scale, they do so on a foundation built to last.
Civic Entrepreneurship: Smart Strategy Over Premature Execution
Economic transformation isn’t just about business—it’s about civic architecture. Many governments, nonprofits, and social organizations fall into the trap of premature execution, launching initiatives before fully understanding the problem. We prevent wasted effort and resources by guiding them through:
Community Self-Assessments – Identifying real challenges, not just perceived ones.
Civic and System Discovery – Understanding the policies, behaviors, and systemic gaps at play.
Uncovering Missing Ingredients – Addressing what’s truly holding back economic progress.
Designing and Implementing Smart Solutions – Ensuring strategies align with how communities actually function.
In short, we help build cities, organizations, and policies that work—not just ideas that sound good in theory.
The Power of Social Innovation: Leveraging Our Network for Impact
Partner Network: Aligning for True Collaboration
The Start Co. network is not for sale—it’s for alignment. We work with venture capital firms, talent networks, technologists, and economic experts, bringing them into initiatives where there’s real synergy.
This isn’t a pay-to-play system. We connect partners where collaboration creates exponential value.
Train the Trainer: Scaling Knowledge for Greater Impact
We don’t believe in hoarding expertise. We train and equip partners—whether they’re corporations, nonprofits, or civic organizations—to scale innovation within their own networks.
Customized Approaches. Tailored to the needs of each client or community.
Guided Implementation. We help launch and refine, then step back strategically.
Long-Term Support. We stay available, ensuring lasting success.
When partners become practitioners, impact scales far beyond a single project.
Think and Do Tank: Where Strategy Meets Execution
Start Co. is not an engineering firm. We are not an academic research center. But we are architects of solutions.
Our Think and Do Tank operates as a design studio for business and economic innovation, combining rigorous research, human-centered design, and open-source problem-solving to map out potential pathways forward.
We do the hard work of discovery and strategy, then partner with the right experts to bring those strategies to life.
Innovation-Driven Economic Development Is a Contact Sport
Start Co. doesn’t just advise—we build, execute, and iterate alongside our partners.
If you’re looking for another template-driven consulting firm, we’re not it. If you’re looking for a partner who thrives in the trenches, who will help architect, test, and scale real solutions in real economies, then let’s talk.
The future of economic development belongs to those bold enough to rethink how it’s done. Let’s build it—together.
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