Inclusive Ecosystems
Inclusive Ecosystems is a collection of 22 articles that were originally published in the online EXPRESS magazine. Ecosystem builders can use these international insights to reflect on their own practice and also create actions for change that are tailored to their personal and organisational contexts.Thank you to the authors for taking the time to share their inspiring stories from Australia, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Malta, Nepal, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the USA.
EXPRESS is the online magazine published three times a year by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network. Since its launch in 2018, it has established itself as a dynamic and inclusive global platform, featuring contributions from authors in 67 countries.Entrepreneurial Mindset Network is an inclusive, international community of practice where anyone can learn to use entrepreneurial behaviours and make their unique contribution to the world.Paul Coyle is the Founder and Executive Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network and the editor of the Express magazine. He is an expert in the entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and organisational change.
RI:SE Mindset Development Framework
RI:SE stands for Reflect & Initiate : Scale & Excel. Use this Mindset Development Framework to support your personal and organisational development.
Reflect & Initiate:Read the Inclusive Ecosystems articles and their executive summary. Use these real-life lessons to Reflect on your personal goals and to Initiate actions to strengthen your own entrepreneurial behaviours.
Scale and Excel:The Network's premium development services enable leaders to Scale entrepreneurial ways of working, building from individuals to teams, and creating a culture in which everyone can Excel.
Executive Summary
An analysis of all the Inclusive Ecosystems articles reveals the range of topics, shared challenges, practical solutions, and actionable reflections:
Global Scope & Diversity: This collection of articles provides professional ecosystem builders with a global overview of inclusive entrepreneurial development, spanning initiatives for female founders, youth, refugees, older adults, rural communities, and interdisciplinary healthcare and creative sectors.Systemic Institutional Disconnects: A recurring challenge highlighted across the texts is the severe disconnect between available institutional support and underrepresented innovators, who frequently face systemic funding hurdles, rigid legal frameworks, and exclusionary professional networks.Educational & Societal Barriers: Emerging founders are often constrained by traditional textbook-based education that reinforces perfectionism, alongside persistent societal biases surrounding age, gender, and forced migration.Resource Scarcity & Founder Burnout: Ecosystem developers must also navigate the severe resource scarcity driving necessity-based entrepreneurship, as well as a pervasive hustle culture that leads to founder burnout and mental health strains.Holistic Support Ecosystems: To address these systemic gaps, authors stress that standalone training is insufficient, advocating instead for comprehensive environments that integrate digital literacy, long-term mentorship, peer networks, and flexible capital.Experiential & Frugal Frameworks: Practical solutions recommended by practitioners include embedding experiential learning, pitch challenges, and non-orthodox frameworks—such as effectuation, frugal innovation, and circular creative economics—to foster adaptability and creative problem-solving.Human-Centred Leadership: Authors further emphasize empathetic leadership and participatory observation, urging ecosystem builders to design interventions that honor local livelihoods and meet entrepreneurs directly where they operate.Cross-Sector Collaboration: Multi-sector partnerships—linking universities, regional development hubs, government policy, and private industry—are shown to be essential vehicles for scaling enterprise education across all academic and vocational disciplines.Reflective Practice & Curation: For ecosystem builders reflecting on their own practice, these articles invite a critical audit of existing programs to dismantle hidden barriers, shift from transactional advising to active community curation, and prioritise founder well-being alongside commercial output.Context-Tailored Action: Ultimately, builders are empowered to take context-tailored action by co-creating inclusive growth pathways, relaxing rigid access criteria, and ensuring historically overlooked innovators gain genuine agency and resources within their regional economies.(Summary generated by Gemini Notebook)
Inclusive Ecosystems Articles
Click on any image to read the article on screen or to download a PDF.
List of references and authors
Copyright notice. You may quote, paraphrase or refer to information in these articles on condition that you credit the author and publisher by using the following references.Ambepitiya, K. (2025). Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and sustainable futures in Sri Lanka. Express 8(3). https://express-volume-8.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Kalpana Ambepitiya (General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka) PDF linkAmey, N. (2022). Empowering young people to be leaders of societal change. Express 5(3). https://express-volume-5.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Nicole Amey (Kepnock State High School, Australia) PDF linkAntunès, I. (2024). The application of circular thinking in the creative economy and for economic growth. Entrepreneurial Mindset Network: Express 7(1). https://express-volume-7.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Isabelle Antunès (Country Representative, Senegal) PDF linkBhandari, R. (2022). International partnerships and sustainability in Nepal. Express 5(3). https://express-volume-5.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Ravi Bhandari (Gandaki University, Nepal) PDF linkBirck, A. (2018). Health innovation. Express 1(1). https://express-volume-1.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Anette Birck (Copenhagen Health Innovation, Denmark) PDF linkChichevaliev, S. (2022). Social entrepreneurship - developing an ecosystem. Express 5(1). https://express-volume-5.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Stefan Chichevaliev (Social Entrepreneurship Observatory, North Macedonia) PDF linkCoyle, P. (2024). How the entrepreneurial mindset empowers silver entrepreneurs. Express 7(2). https://express-volume-7.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Paul Coyle (Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, France) PDF linkDiker, H. (2019). Sparking creativity in young entrepreneurs. Express 3(3). https://express-volume-3.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Hande Diker (British Council, Türkiye) PDF linkGuha, A. (2023). Empowering entrepreneurs with refugee backgrounds to set up or grow a business in Manchester. Express 6(2). https://express-volume-6.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Amitava Guha (Caritas Diocese of Salford, England) [PDF link]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDXeT-c69hVmOI62XVogWzFk72W5DpIl/view?usp=sharing@blank)Hattab, H. (2024). Enhancing entrepreneurship and innovation in Egypt. Entrepreneurial Mindset Network: Express 7(3). https://express-volume-7.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Hala Hattab (Effat University, Egypt) PDF linkMarsan, G.A. (2023). Innovation and the transition to inclusive digital economies in South East Asia. Express 6(1). https://express-volume-6.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Giulia Ajmone Marsan (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, Indonesia) PDF linkMugione, F. (2023). Breaking the glass ceiling - women entrepreneurs make it happen. Express 6(1). https://express-volume-6.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Fiorina Mugione (GDSI Limited, Switzerland) PDF linkPremazzi, V. (2019). Global Mindset. Express 2(3). https://express-volume-2.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Viviana Premazzi (Global Mindset Development, Malta) PDF linkPrice, A. (2026). * The Scottish Entrepreneurial Educators Network - scaling the entrepreneurial mindset.* Express 9(2). https://express-volume-9.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Alison Price (Enterprise Evolution, Ireland) PDF linkPrimrose, E. (2023). * Accidental vs. intentional entrepreneurship – cultivating an ecosystem.* Express 6(3). https://express-volume-6.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Edna Primrose (Differenza, USA) PDF linkShahid, S. (2020). Celebrating women founders in Pakistan. Express 3(3). https://express-volume-3.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Sharoon Shahid (Connected Women Pakistan, Pakistan) PDF linkSlippers, B. (2018). Future Africa. Entrepreneurial Mindset Network: Express 1(2). https://express-volume-1.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Bernard Slippers (University of Pretoria, South Africa) PDF linkStockey, R. (2025). Cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets - insights from a business coach. Express 8(1). https://express-volume-8.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Rachel Stockey (King’s College London, England) PDF linkTessier-Dargent, C. (2022). The value of necessity entrepreneurship. Express 5(3). https://express-volume-5.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Christel Tessier-Dargent (Université Grenoble Alpes, France) PDF linkVayda, K. (2021). Refugee entrepreneurship. Express 4(2). https://express-volume-4.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Kristina Vayda (FAIRE, France) PDF linkYoung, S.J. (2021). Meeting entrepreneurs where they are. Express 4(2). https://express-volume-4.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Stacey J Young (Deller and Young, Canada) PDF linkZoro, N. (2026). Building Bridges, Not Just Businesses: Reflections on Inclusive Innovation in West Africa. Entrepreneurial Mindset Network: Express 9(2). https://express-volume-9.entrepreneurial-mindset.network
Nadine Zoro (DigiFemmes, Côte d’Ivoire) PDF link
This website is published by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network © 2026 all rights reserved.
All the content on this website is written by humans.
Only the Executive Summary was generated using Gemini Notebook.