Hello Reader,

I've been hinting at this for a while, so let me just say it: I'm writing a book about entrepreneurial ecosystems - by telling the stories of the builders behind them.

After seven seasons of the podcast and hundreds of interviews with systems thinkers and doers from around the world, I felt the need to produce something tangible, something you can hold in your hands, leaf through, highlight and markup with your own thoughts.

I started drafting this book concept when I still worked full-time. It's seen its fair share of fits and starts. As it turns out, writing anything longer than an essay requires a lot of patience and discipline.

It used to annoy me when someone I followed suddenly revealed that they'd "been writing a book in secret". It's a huge deal and keeping that a secret somehow felt like a little betrayal.

And now I get it.

For the first two years, I myself didn't believe I could see it through. The idea was too undercooked to announce it to the world.

​Isaac Jeffries once told me that saying that you were going to do something triggers the same dopamine response as actually doing it. I didn't want to fall into that trap (thanks, Isaac!)

I first had to find the confidence to see this through and trust that I could do it before I could share it.

So here we are!

Early cover art concepts

I'm working with a woman-owned local design studio, Visualite Creative, to bring this book to life. Here are the four design concepts she came up with. Which one makes you want to grab this book from a shelf?

Field Notes: The humans behind the ecosystems

When people tell me that there isn't a playbook for ecosystem building, I work hard to suppress my eye roll.

It's true that we don't have decades of research, established metrics or recognition in the mainstream yet. Yet, we certainly have some fundamental works that tell us how to do this work (my starter kit for ecosystem builders gives you a good overview).

Thanks to the ESHIP movement, Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway, Chris Heivly, Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt, Peter Block (welcome to this newsletter, Peter!), and a handful of others, we have a solid collection of frameworks and theoretical foundations. These works matter and they've shaped how I think about this field. I build on them in the book, because they provide the context for the stories I'm telling.

The human side of ecosystem building

What I've been missing, however, are the stories of ecosystem builders on the ground. My main reason for launching my podcast, writing countless blog posts and this newsletter has been this:

I crave to hear from ecosystem builders who do this work day in and day out.

Not just the well-resourced organizations or the retrospective accounts, but the people who are navigating it right now, in the middle of serious constraints and ambiguity.

I wanted to talk to people who are in the thick of it. Overworked and underfunded. But they get up and do it anyway.

I wanted to experience - and share with you all - a close-up of the lived experience of ecosystem builders in places like Lincoln, NE, and Fargo, ND. I was hungry for camaraderie with others who deeply understand the importance of building the connective tissue and social capital in their communities, even if no one else understood why.

I wanted to capture the challenges and frustration of driving systems change. I wanted to document the joy and excitement of watching an entrepreneur in your community evolve from back-of-the-napkin idea to raising a $43 million series B round for their social enterprise that improves lives for thousands of families and caregivers of children with autism.

These are the kinds of stories that I wanted to find a permanent home for.

Tactical meets personal

This book is a collection of stories from ecosystem builders who show up every day to make their communities a better place to live, work, and build in. I've infused each story with lessons, tools, and reflections from my decade doing this work across rural and urban America. My hope is that it helps us make sense of the human side of ecosystem building, and that it finally gives the unsung heroes of our communities the recognition they deserve.

If this is a book you'd want to read, hit reply and tell me why. I'm collecting those notes, and they keep me going.

While I finish pulling the rest of this together, here's something worth your time before the end of the month:

Curated Resource: WellTold's Nonprofit Storytelling Conference (virtual)

On April 30, 2026, the good people at WellTold in Frago, ND, are hosting a nonprofit storytelling conference to deliver practical frameworks and tools that you can put to work right away.

If you work at the intersection of storytelling and social impact, this one is worth your time.

I'll be hosting the virtual version of the event and I invite you to join us! Annie and her team have offered a discount for Impact Curator readers: use code FRIENDOFANIKA for 10% off:

Bookish

My reading has been hyperlocal these last two weeks:

• ​How to slay a lion, Jen Carpenter. Lovers of small-town rom-coms with a frazzled, lovable librarian as main character - I have something for you! The author Jen Carpenter based this story on life in Buena Vista, one of my favorite spots in the Shenandoah Valley! As a self-published author and co-owner of an independent bookshop, she has been the most helpful supporter on my publishing journey.
• ​Paper Girl, Beth Macy. This one sits at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. It's a nonfiction account of growing up in small town Urbana, Ohio, and takes a direct stare at the town's decline through economic, political and - inevitably - social upheaval.

Read more books, friends!

Shen-Anika-ns: Lessons from visiting 54 indie bookshops in 12 months

After visiting 54 independent bookshops across four countries in twelve months, I have thoughts about the importance of indie bookshops for communities. If you're curious to find out what I observed, I wrote a 3-part series about #40BookshopsUnder40:

1. ​What 54 Bookshops taught me about running a great bookshop​
2. ​Favorites, surprises and unexpected ideas (includes 100% subjective lists of my favorite shops)​
3. ​What a year of indie bookshops taught me about books, reading and myself​

If you're local, join us tonight!

New York Times bestselling author Evan Friss and I are hosting The Secret Life of Bookshops at Staunton Books & Tea. I'll be sharing stories from my bookshop adventures and you get a chance to buy Evan's book and geek out with us about independent bookshops!

In the next issue, I'll share exactly how you can be part of bringing this book into the world. It involves a Kickstarter, early-bird pricing, and a community of people who believe these stories deserve to be told. More in issue #123!

I'll be back in two weeks!

In camaraderie,

Anika

P.S. Missed my last newsletter? Check out the previous issues of Impact Curator.