ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 provides research findings based on data from an eight-county regional case study in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) examining the relationship between entrepreneurs and their communities. A robust 3-year study explored behaviors, self-reflection, and community embeddedness through current entrepreneurs and local leaders. The study highlights progress being made in utilization of education, community networks, technology initiatives and related funding, and support agencies for mentoring, connectivity to research and capital investors, and synergy created by entrepreneurs themselves. The findings also highlight gaps and dysfunctional areas that create opportunity for refinement, increased partnering, marketing of resources, and continued creation of new support organizations and programs. An important facet is understanding how to make entrepreneurial communities a better place for entrepreneurship by providing driving forces and eliminating restraining forces. This chapter presents partial findings from a mixed-method study.
