Summary
Welcome to another great episode of the Startup Junkie Podcast! On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine are joined by Canem Arkan and Shawn Morris from Endeavor, the leading global community of, by, and for high-impact entrepreneurs. Endeavor is on a mission to build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and underserved markets around the world by inspiring high-growth founders to dream bigger. Endeavor creates a multiplier effect by providing entrepreneurs with the platform to scale faster and pay it forward, resulting in a compounding of their individual impact. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Canem, and Shawn talk about the importance of exposing yourself to a variety of markets and how a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem can exist anywhere with the right key people and support groups.
Show Notes
(0:47) Introducing Canem and Shawn
(1:23) Endeavor’s Origin Story
(3:46) Endeavor’s Expansion into New Markets
(10:36) What’s Next for Endeavor
(23:13) The Importance of Storytelling for Northwest Arkansas
(28:24) Celebrating Wins and Normalizing Failure
(34:24) Gaining Exposure to Different Markets
(41:14) Current Challenges in the State
(47:06) Advice to Younger Self
(50:51) Closing Question
Links
Quotes
“We work with scaling founders with the goal of job creation and revenue generation and what that does for economic transformation…Because what we found was people with good ideas need certain help and people who have fifty or one hundred team members need a different kind of help. So how do we plug and support all the organizations that exist and do that for scaling founders who need a different kind of help?” – Canam Arkan, (1:23)
“We still have a lot more to do. So part of what we’re trying to focus on is are there areas of specialty we can really hone in on because we’re industry agnostic, but it’s hard to be everything to everyone, which is what we try to do.” – Canam Arkan, (11:00)
“It feels more and more people are seeing that there’s things happening here in NWA. And so whether it’s investors from out of town or just founders in the region checking this place out, it feels more like people want to come in. And so how do we bring those people in and show them around and what’s happening here and hold their feet to the fire of you’ve been here, you’ve seen it, now start doing stuff here.” – Shawn Morris, (12:35)
“I think [celebrating wins] is helpful when it comes to selling to both, like bringing in and then retaining your employees, communicating to them like maybe we haven’t raised a ton of money or we have a down round, but there’s traction here. Your decision to jump ship from corporate to go work in a startup was smart because we’re moving in the right direction. And I think we have to reiterate that and derisk it to people as often as possible.” – Shawn Morris, (30:59)
Ecosystem Building with Endeavor
Welcome to another great episode of the Startup Junkie Podcast! On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine are joined by Canem Arkan and Shawn Morris from Endeavor, the leading global community of, by, and for high-impact entrepreneurs. Endeavor is on a mission to build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and underserved markets around the world by inspiring high-growth founders to dream bigger. Endeavor creates a multiplier effect by providing entrepreneurs with the platform to scale faster and pay it forward, resulting in a compounding of their individual impact. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Canem, and Shawn talk about the importance of exposing yourself to a variety of markets and how a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem can exist anywhere with the right key people and support groups.
The Methodology behind Endeavor
Endeavor is a global nonprofit with the core belief that high-impact entrepreneurs can transform economies. It has a presence in forty-two markets around the world with over fourteen hundred companies involved. This success if partly attributed to its commitment to its founding principles:
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Entrepreneur First: Entrepreneurs are at the center of everything Endeavor does and Endeavor ensures it always has their back.
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Network of Trust: Endeavor is a community built on mutual respect and it always safeguards founders’ interests.
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Go Big: Endeavor sees crazy as a compliment, risk as opportunity, and impact as unlimited.
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One Endeavor: Endeavor is borderless, unified by its belief in the power of entrepreneurship and tech-enabled innovation.
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Pay It Forward: Endeavor multiplies its impact by empowering the next generation of founders.
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Always Agile: Endeavor is dynamic and flexible, adapting to changing market dynamics and fresh data points.
Endeavor’s operating model starts with selecting entrepreneurs across the globe by identifying founders with the greatest growth potential. Then Endeavor supports those founders with its expansive global network, peer-to-peer community, and highly-curated services. Furthermore, Endeavor elevates its participants as aspirational role models and provides avenues for them to mentor and inspire others to reimagine what’s possible. Lastly, Endeavor invests in its entrepreneurs through its fund, Endeavor Catalyst and advances the conversation around global entrepreneurship and innovation through the use of original content.
“We work with scaling founders with the goal of job creation and revenue generation and what that does for economic transformation…Because what we found was people with good ideas need certain help and people who have fifty or one hundred team members need a different kind of help. So how do we plug and support all the organizations that exist and do that for scaling founders who need a different kind of help?” – Canam Arkan, (1:23)
Northwest Arkansas’s Growing Ecosystem
Although Northwest Arkansas is manifesting as a nurturing ground for innovation across various sectors and is dedicating itself to economic diversity, the region must continue to attract and nourish independent ventures and cultural amenities to retain its growing talent pool. Similarly, Endeavor’s expansion into new markets is in efforts to establish symbiotic relationships between startups and larger enterprises in order to greatly impact the larger economic landscape.
Additionally, Northwest Arkansas’s potential for becoming an industry hub, its mentorship resources, and its fostering environment for business are noteworthy, however there remains a call for improved storytelling that will showcase the region’s strengths and draw broader interest. The focus isn’t only on growth, there has to be a push for sustainable expansion that celebrates wins of all sizes and addresses current market conditions.
“It feels more and more people are seeing that there’s things happening here in NWA. And so whether it’s investors from out of town or just founders in the region checking this place out, it feels more like people want to come in. And so how do we bring those people in and show them around and what’s happening here and hold their feet to the fire of you’ve been here, you’ve seen it, now start doing stuff here.” – Shawn Morris, (12:35)
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