Challenge

There continues to be substantial public and private investment in building the tech start-up sector; it is essential that the beneficiaries be reflective of the communities in which they operate. Ethnic minority participation in the tech sector continues to be a challenge.

 Opportunity 

“What gets studied, gets done.” Introduce a framework that explores the structure and capabilities within a tech ecosystem’s ability to attract, retain, and scale ethnic enterprises.

Approach

The Katalyst Group introduced the Minority Entrepreneur Connectivity Assessment (MECA), a framework that analyzes reported outcome data, environmental scans, ecosystems structure, and insights from diverse entrepreneurs to equip organizations to expand pathways for improved invitation, engagement, and investment success of minority entrepreneurs.

The MECA Report is the standard for assessing and driving diversity in Ohio’s statewide tech ecosystem. The platform successfully translated learning into practices that enable eco-systems nationally to review their structures and capabilities to ensure that they are positioned to generate greater access and growth of ethnic minority entrepreneurs.