Meet the PLACE Builders Mentors

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Developed in partnership with EcoMap, PLACE (Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems) Builders as an intensive, three-month fellowship program empowering change-makers to catalyze more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Meet the mentors who teamed up with our fellows!

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Work With Us

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Forward Cities is a dynamic organization with a diverse and highly collaborative team of professionals who are committed to authenticity, trust, equity & inclusion, humility, growth, joy, and building a legacy that removes barriers to entrepreneurship for current and future generations. We currently have opportunities to join our team. Apply today!

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Register for Third Thursdays

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Join us for the Third Thursdays networking event! E3 Durham is hosting Third Thursdays, a series of networking and workshop events aimed at supporting founders and entrepreneurs in Durham to equitably start, grow, and scale their business.

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Planting the seed for PLACE Builders

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Kevin Carter, Director of Business Development for EcoMap Technologies and the Co-Director of the PLACE Builders fellowship program, reflects on its origins as the inaugural cohort comes to a close.

Read the Blog about Planting the seed for PLACE Builders

Reflecting on E3 Durham and the Path Ahead

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Forward Cities Senior Director of Impact and Assessment, Stacey Williams, reflects on the successes and challenges of the E3 Durham Community Navigator Pilot Program and shares the path forward for continued success with the program’s upcoming relaunch.

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Our Mission

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To catalyze wealth building opportunities for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous entrepreneurs by transforming the way local communities see, support, and sustain them.

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Impact Stories

Storytelling is in our DNA. We celebrate the champions and change-makers dedicated to growing and sustaining more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems in their communities and beyond.

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Featured Program

As an action learning network of Black leaders committed to catalyzing economic liberation and wealth for Black communities, Black Wall Street Forward is reimagining and developing vibrant Black Wall Streets across the country. 

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Community Impact

Strengthening a local equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem requires intention, stakeholder alignment, local leadership, timely data, trust-building, authentic community engagement, and an actionable plan that can be invested in and sustained over time. We work with cities to help implement their plans, track their data, amplify emerging stories, and identify public and private resources to sustain this work over time.

read the 2023 annual report

Support the vision

Our work is generously supported by local and national foundations as well as corporations and individuals who share our commitment to fostering more equitable entrepreneurial communities across the country. If you are interested in supporting us directly please click here.  If you’d like to talk further about how you or your organization can best support Forward Cities’ mission please contact us.  Thank you!

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