Delaware Organizations Foster: Entrepreneurship Across Communities Industries [Video]

Starting a business or keeping a small enterprise sustainable can be daunting. But in Delaware, a wide network of expert-run organizations helps innovative ideas go from dream to reality and stay there.

Major players in this network include the state’s largest universities — the University of Delaware and Delaware State University — but the major convener at the center is arguably the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP). This public-private partnership that oversees economic development for the State of Delaware holds monthly meetings with key stakeholders to make sure everyone involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem is communicating and collaborating well.

“We think of ourselves as switchboard operators who make sure folks are connected to resources,” says Noah Olson, DPP’s director of innovation.

In addition to serving as a connector, DPP has some of its own programming to support entrepreneurs. One prime example is Startup302, an annual pitch contest for ventures with underrepresented …