What it takes to build an innovation ecosystem, according to top mid-Atlantic organizers

Back in May of 2020, when ecosystems were feeling the most disconnected they’d ever been, Technical.ly launched a new RealLIST — one that specifically spotlighted the people who help bring others together. 

RealLIST Connectors are opportunity creators. Maybe they host regular networking mixers or coding meetups, or perhaps they run an accelerator. Or maybe they’re just one of those people you should get to know in your ecosystem, because they’ll always know who you need to know, and they’ll connect you. 

This year is our sixth RealLIST Connectors, featuring ecosystem stars from Greater Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC and Pittsburgh.

Many are leaders, not only in the community but in the companies they work for or have founded. 

We’re taking a closer look at this year’s 80 Connectors, using RealLIST data collected by our newsroom. We found some common threads and trends — scroll on and see.

Know someone who’d be great for this list? You can submit nominations for our various RealLIST features all year round.

Hometowner or newcomer

One thing is clear: You don’t have to have deep roots in an ecosystem to be a valuable contributor to it. 

Among the surveyed 2025 RealLIST Connectors, 13 have been in the area for just about a year, give or take, from six to 18 months (but who’s counting?). 

A majority of Connectors — 42 of them — have lived in the ecosystem for nine years or less. Thirty-five have been in the area for more than a decade, including folks who grew up there and, in some cases, “boomeranged” back within the last decade.

Leadership jobs dominate

You don’t have to be a CEO or an executive director to be a good Connector, but a large number of this year’s picks work in leadership positions. 

Two thirds of the 2025 RealLIST Connectors have a title that includes CEO, founder or founding, director or manager. 

Of the remaining 34%, job titles run the gamut from investment analyst to small business consultant to a personal favorite, chief data evangelist.

Connectors share concerns across ecosystems

It’s easy to see that the top concern for ecosystem builders throughout the mid-Atlantic is capital. 

Early-stage investments are of particular concern, but there are other issues in the regions, including sector silos, when different sectors in a region don’t mingle and collaborate to share resources and knowledge, and training and development.

While these challenges are real, there is more to it, said Bo Motlagh, cofounder and managing partner of United Effects Ventures in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

“It’s tempting to blame ‘early-stage investors,’ but the problem is more complex,”  Motagh said. “Our [Philadelphia] ecosystem is struggling with fragmentation, misaligned community incentives, and a growing intolerance for investment risk. This creates a false perception of scarcity — that there are few ‘big ideas’ or ‘good startups, especially in more complex B2B and B2C technology and SaaS opportunities.”

A higher-than-average education level

Our RealLIST data found that about 93% of 2025 RealLIST Connectors have a post-secondary degree — and about half have completed a graduate degree.

The number of connectors without a college degree is less than 7%, showing that no degree is needed to make a big impact.

Word of inspiration

Finally, we asked our connectors for a favorite quote. The responses ranged from words attributed to Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein and Mister Rogers to more than a few self-attributed inspirational quotes. 

The most common word out of all of the quotes our connectors submitted? 

“Kind.”