SMV10: Chris Heivly’s entrepreneurial journey from Mapquest to ecosystem builder.

Written By Jeff (J.D.) Davids

In this episode, you will learn:

  1. How MapQuest became a Unicorn in 1999.

  2. Channeling your inner 10 year old: The 5 Principles of Building a Fort.

  3. The one mistake that all 1st time founders make.

  4. Why community & collaboration are essential for innovation.

  5. Systems theory for building startups & innovation.

  6. Why not all mentorship & advice is created equal.

Episode Summary:
Did you ever build a fort when you were a kid? Chris Heivly has been building successful startups & communities with that same mindset for decades and he shares his story in this episode and his latest book called “Build the Fort”.

Long before Waze existed or Google Maps, there was MapQuest, which started in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with maps on CD-Roms and went on to become a unicorn in 1999. Chris Heivly was the co-founder of MapQuest, and that was just the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

Chris has been building and investing in startups and the communities around them for decades. From the Startup Factory in North Carolina, to TechStars where he served as Senior Vice President of Ecosystem Development, he has spent the last 12 years building ecosystems around the country.

Chris has the experience of a 63 year old, the energy of a 40 year old, and the humor of a 12 year old, which is exactly the mix needed to help a large number of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Chris’s book “Build the Fort” outlines five basic elements that are common to fort-building, startups and innovation ecosystems:

1) Socialize your idea without fear or inhibition
2) Identify & marshal the people you trust
3) Gather the minimal resources closest to you
4) Act on the smallest & simplest forms of the idea
5) Take action building your fort

He produces and hosts a podcast called your Startup Community with Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway, and he recently released his second book entitled Build the Fort a Startup Community Builder, and it's a global field guide for how to get involved, how to create impact and fund and accelerate your entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Chris is a best-selling author, contributing writer for Inc.com and a public speaker. He's spoken to over 400 audiences about startups, corporate innovation and the startup community ecosystem development.

Chris is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree in Geography and holds a Masters degree in Geographic Information Systems from University of South Carolina.

I know you will enjoy this episode as Chris shares his wit and wisdom with us on the SmartMoney Ventures Podcast!

 
Jeff (J.D.) Davids
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