Mid-Year Impact Report · Jan – Jun 2026
Building infrastructure
for entrepreneurs.
Two cities. The same gap. A model proving that when one navigator stays with founders, businesses open, jobs get created, and the methodology travels.
- 12/12Founders still operating
- $682KLocal provider revenue moved
- 281CRM contacts
- 364Providers mapped
- 113Active TA businesses
- 98%Marketing opt-in
- 18Cities represented
- 5Mayors at one table
- 11,000+Hours of 1:1 TA
- 688+3-year ecosystem reach
- 12/12Founders still operating
- $682KLocal provider revenue moved
- 281CRM contacts
- 364Providers mapped
- 113Active TA businesses
- 98%Marketing opt-in
- 18Cities represented
- 5Mayors at one table
- 11,000+Hours of 1:1 TA
- 688+3-year ecosystem reach
Executive Summary
Founders don't need more doors.
They need someone to walk through with them.
A structural gap, not a Birmingham quirk. We see it in Birmingham, we now see the same shape in Montgomery, and we are the only organization currently diagnosing it with data on both sides. Most ecosystems serve small businesses through workshops, referrals, and resource guides. Almost no one stays. Network Navigator stays: sustained Technical Assistance, intentional matching, and ecosystem coordination running at the same time, with real businesses and real friction.
"The future of ecosystem building is not simply connecting people to rooms. It is helping them move once they get there."
The 30-Second Read
Five lines. If you read nothing else.
Problem
62% of founders sit outside the primary provider radius. Birmingham has abundant resources and a structural receivership gap. Same shape now confirmed in Montgomery.
What we built
Network Navigator - a sustained-navigation platform: 281-person CRM, 364-provider map, C.O.R.E. cohort methodology, and a Birmingham-to-Montgomery replication study.
What worked
12 of 12 C.O.R.E. founders still operating six months post-cohort. 113 businesses in active TA. $682K in local provider revenue moved. Five mayors at one table.
What didn't
Outcome instrumentation slipped from Q2 to Q3. Montgomery cohort came in at 5 of 8 planned. Pipeline conversion from SBW not yet measured.
What we need next
$185K for six months of runway to land the organization on independent terms - finite, not indefinite. The infrastructure is built; continuation funds delivery, not setup.
Earned media · 6 months · 0 paid placements
- WBRC Fox 6
- CBS 42
- The Birmingham Times
- Auburn University
- Black Press USA
- Post News Group
- Observer Newspapers
- Windy City Word
- WBRC Fox 6
- CBS 42
- The Birmingham Times
- Auburn University
- Black Press USA
- Post News Group
- Observer Newspapers
- Windy City Word