What turns a series of events into a community that people return to, contribute to, and help grow?

Startup Genome’s research links strong local relationships, particularly among founders, with higher startup sales, faster team growth, and greater ecosystem value. These findings make a compelling case for ecosystem builders to invest intentionally in community building as a foundation for economic growth.

This interactive roundtable brings together ecosystem builders and investors to explore the economic value of community and the strategies that sustain it. We’ll discuss how to move beyond transactional networking to build lasting relationships, engage founders, corporates, and academic institutions, and maintain momentum across physical and digital spaces.

Participants will exchange practical approaches to using data-driven insights to strengthen engagement, guide investment, and deliver measurable impact. We’ll also explore how to build scalable systems that support growing communities while preserving the human connections that make them valuable.