Hello Reader,

As part of writing a book proposal, I had to answer the questions of

• why this book was needed, and
• why now.

For someone who has been living and breathing this work for over a decade, that question stopped me in my tracks.

In my head, it was obvious:

All the previous ones were written by men.

Most of them came from thought leaders with plenty of funding, rather than grassroots practitioners who could report from the messy in-between.

But most importantly, I realized, we need it because documenting the work - the hard-won lessons, the failures and disappointments, and the breakthroughs - is what turns these isolated experiences into an emerging, unifying field.

Documenting what we do, how we do it, WHY we do it, and what we're learning from it in real time allows us to learn from one another, recognize similarities (that make us feel less alone and crazy), and become intentional about how we approach the next hurdle.

From the publishing front

On June 27, I received the proof copies of my book in the mail and spent the next 36 hours reading my own work word-for-word one last time.

Ten days later, after holding counsel with my professional proofreader and sending one last round of edits to the layout designer, I submitted the files to the printer.

As we speak, the words of 50+ ecosystem-building practitioners get printed on cream paper, row for row, somewhere in Kentucky, to become the full, complete work of It Takes a Valley.

Meanwhile, I'm busy planning book launch events and hope you will join me to celebrate the book!

Book Launches

I'm excited to share my first official book launch! As part of the opening night of the Startup Champions Network Summit in Richmond, VA, I'm thrilled to host a conversation with some of the OG ecosystem builders featured in my book!

Save the date for Tuesday evening, September 29, in Richmond, VA!

I'm finalizing dates for the virtual launch and other in-person launches in the Valley. Stay tuned!

Until I can share these dates, here's my ✨ dream list ✨ of communities I would like to travel to to talk about the work of ecosystem building, the champions within, and the book (in no particular order):

• Chattanooga, TN
• Raleigh/Durham, NC
• Fargo, ND
• Portland, OR
• Roanoke, VA
• Indiana
• Florida
• West Virginia
• Melbourne, Australia (I'm looking at you, Isaac Jeffries!)
• Puerto Rico
• Any entrepreneurial cities and regions in Europe (since I'll be there next summer)

By putting these dreams into the universe, I hope I'll get one step closer to making them a reality! Maybe some of you can even help me set these connections into motion!

How you can get involved

I need book reviews.

When the book officially launches in mid-September, reviews will ensure that the right people discover it and trust that it is the book they've been looking for.

If you are one of these awesome people who can commit to writing a review in exchange for an early digital reader copy, please click here:

Early reviewers commit to reading the book (digital copy) in four weeks and write a review on Amazon and/or Bookshop.org by early September 2026.

Bookish

Here's what I've read and thoroughly enjoyed this summer:

• ​Madame Picasso, Anne Girard. Paris during the Belle Epoque. We join young Eva as she falls in love with Pablo Picasso and makes it her life's mission to help him succeed. Certainly not a feminist read, but certainly a romantic one.
• ​Die Wut, die bleibt, Mareike Fallwickl (German only). Speaking of feminism. Holy shit. Hands down one of the most powerful, provocative, gut-wrenching books I've read this year. I hope this one gets translated one day because EVERYONE needs to read this!
• ​Mein ganzes Leben, Öl auf Leinwand, ohne Titel, Alena Schroeder (German only). The third in a series of three generations of women coming up in a divided Germany. It's the kind of book that feels like sitting down with an old friend and catching up over coffee. Historic fiction meets contemporary culture.
• ​How to be a rich old lady, Amanda Holden. While in Germany this summer, I talked in depth with some of my closest friends about their retirement and investment strategies. This is the next best thing and very accessible.
• ​Verheiratete Frauen, Cristina Campos (Spanish translated to German). I picked this up on a whim inside an independent bookshop in Potsdam this summer. While it's fictionally scandalous, I enjoyed the layers of friendship and camaraderie between Gabriela, Silvia, and Cósima.
• ​The Postcard, Anne Berest. This book came highly recommended by a bookseller in Richmond, VA, and I can see the appeal of how the story is constructed (novel approach!) and told across three generations of women (you know I LOVE historical fiction!). I might just have read enough stories about concentration camps. BUT this one is based on a true story, which justifies the hype!

Shen-Anika-ns

What makes a GREAT book launch event? I've found most launches I've attended... a little stiff, bland, boring. In planning my own book launches, I want to deliver an experience that attendees will talk about for weeks to come (without blowing my very small budget).

Here's what I want for all of my in-person launch events:

• Great food sourced locally
• An engaging conversation with panelists that is relevant to their ecosystem, and
• A stunning location that represents whatever town I'm in.

My question to you: What makes a book launch unforgettable? Have you been to a really cool book launch, and can you tell me what made it stand out? What should I avoid at all costs? Become part of the ideas team!

I'll be back in your inbox in two weeks with book launch dates!

In camaraderie,

Anika

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