Top Trend 2010 #2: Regional Innovation Ecosystems

In 2010, I think the social entrepreneurship field will see a significant increase in conversation and activity around regional innovation ecosystems.

Innovation ecosystems are the set of institutions and individuals that help enable organizations to conceive, create, and grow enterprises for the common good. I see an increasing focus in social entrepreneurship not just on the notion of heroic individuals, but on the ecosystems that enable talents groups to fully harness their innovative potential for social change.

Related to my prediction in the growth of coworking spaces, I think that the heightened desire for offline connection is sewing people together in local and regional networks more deeply than ever. Individuals and groups are investing not just in building a global network of enablers, but also in the local groups with which they share day-to-day community.

Coworking spaces are a part of this movement, and I think that you'll see an explosion of new socially-minded spaces opening in the next year. Conferences and events are driving forces, as well. On one end of the spectrum are a plethora of mixers (just check out Eventbrite's listings to find examples). On the other are marquee conferences actually focused on a particular region, like the forthcoming Social Venture Capital/Social Enterprise Miami conference.

I think that you will see a bit of an uptick in local governments at the municipal and state level getting involved over the next year trying to find ways to increase the attractiveness of their areas for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

But at the end of the day, what is driving this is a love of place. As people have more choice about where they call home, the act of deciding to start an organization in one place over another is an act of will that binds folks closer to their chosen homes.

Some places where I see this happening? San Fran and New York are the obvious ones, but it's interesting to note that in both of those places there is extremely conscientious community cultivation. Boulder, CO, for SURE. The tech entrepreneurship community keeps growing with the Techstars program, and the Unreasonable Institute is sure to draw more socially-minded folks there as well. New Orleans, of course, is exploding with post-Katrina social entrepreneurship activity. And a sleeper? Atlanta, which has the bubble of former Coke folks starting BeDo and organizations like Better World Books among others poised to make it a social hub in the south.

(Photo: Atlanta - a future innovation hub? By nrbelex)