The Kauffman Foundation is a great organization for those of us that are interested in supporting entrepreneurship. The foundation is involved in many aspects of supporting entrepreneurship including academic research and outreach efforts.
The foundation recently released a report on the important role of entrepreneur development organizations and their activities. The report focuses on the experiences of Kansas City and St. Louis, but generalizes the finding such that they are applicable to areas around the United States. The report, and the increasing prominence of the Kauffman Foundation, highlight how entrepreneurial ecosystems are becoming recognized as an important way to stimulate innovation and economic growth. The report also outlines how entrepreneurship feeds into new venture development, and, in turn, economic development.
See more at: http://www.kauffman.org/what-we-do/research/2017/entrepreneurial-ecosystem-momentum-and-maturity