Future Here Now: How It All Got So Hard
đź”— Read the full article on Substack
Yesterday, we looked at why our current “ecosystems” — entrepreneurship, innovation, even downtowns and neighborhood centers — aren’t working, especially for the very people we most need to be participating.
Today, I want to surface a few realities about the context these ecosystems operate in. Some of these truths look discouraging, even scary. But if we don’t face what’s actually happening, we’ll never build systems that work.
đź’¸ Venture Capital Has Stopped Working
For years, startup ecosystems have revolved around venture capital. Panels tell us how to pitch, how to “look investable,” how to chase a unicorn.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the VC model was faltering even before COVID — and the pandemic only accelerated the cracks.
👉 The model is biased, inflated, and designed for rare outliers (“unicorns”).
👉 Most businesses are not unicorns. They’re real, grounded, and essential.
So why are we still bending the knee to a system that doesn’t actually serve the majority?
🏙️ Empty Storefronts Everywhere
San Francisco gets the headlines, but the story is universal: empty downtown storefronts, waiting for “normal” to return. Spoiler: it’s not coming back.
Commercial districts across the country are stuck in limbo. Occupants who relied on old patterns are caught in the undertow of change. The glut of space demands a new approach, not nostalgia.
✊ The Power — and Untapped Potential — of Black-Owned Businesses
Black entrepreneurs have long driven innovation. Often, their very experience of being pushed to the margins gave them the vision to see opportunities others overlooked.
But here’s the challenge: too many remain at the non-employer stage — powerful solo operators, but without the support needed to scale into employer firms.
This isn’t just an equity issue. It’s a massive lost opportunity for job creation, wealth generation, and the innovations our future desperately needs.
⚡ The Takeaway
The old playbooks — venture capital, downtown retail as we knew it, exclusionary growth — aren’t working. Facing that reality is tough, but it’s the only way we can design ecosystems that actually meet this moment.
The future won’t be built on unicorns or nostalgia. It will be built by widening the circle, seeing clearly, and unlocking potential we’ve ignored for too long.
📚 Next Steps — Be Part of the Shift
Buy my books to dive deeper into how we adapt, innovate, and thrive.
✉️ Subscribe to Future Here Now on Substack for ongoing insights: Future Here Now
🎤 Bring me in for a workshop or keynote — let’s reimagine how your organization navigates this new reality.
#FutureThinking #InnovationEcosystem #InclusiveGrowth #BeyondVC #AdaptiveLeadership
