World Media Economics and Management Conference 2016

The current study utilizes an exploratory case study approach to examine entrepreneurial ecosystems located in the North Carolina’s Triangle and Triad regions, which boast emerging innovation, growth, research, community, and startup incubation. Innovation districts such as the Triangle and the Triad are geographic areas where cutting edge cooperative working spaces, accelerators and incubator clusters connect start-ups, economic development, and community growth with a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The study specifically selected four organizations that self-identify as either a cooperative working space, an accelerators, an incubator or a combination of those services; American Underground, HQ Raleigh, HQ Greensboro, and the Citrix-Red Hat Accelerator. This study explored these cooperative working spaces, accelerators and incubators within an established entrepreneurial ecosystem from a Resource Based-View of strategic management. The findings suggest that organizations that operate within entrepreneurial ecosystems not only offer unique resources and strategic advantages to the startup ventures in their organizations but also contribute to and receive additional unique set of resources and strategic advantages as members of their respective burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystems.