The YES Network is a development network for entrepreneurship education whose purpose is to promote the building of entrepreneurial ecosystems in Finland by bringing the various entrepreneurship education actors together into one network. Topaasia and the YES Network jointly created the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" game, intended as a tool for conversations about developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem.In this interview, Sanna Lehtonen, Executive Director of YES ry, and Johanna Vainio, Regional Manager of YES Southwest Finland and Head of Training and Competence Affairs at the Southwest Finland Entrepreneurs association, talk about the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the new Topaasia deck.
Why do you think the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" matters as a topic?
Sanna: The competences of the future are highly multidimensional, the kind of competences acquired through networking, doing, and participating in different ways. It is competence acquired in other ways than just sitting in a classroom, and in a sense learning is continuous development and a desire to learn new things.
If we think about an individual at any stage of life, it is important to be able to learn from other people and together with others. Then learning is the kind that helps you develop yourself but also helps you build and develop something new, whether you are an entrepreneur or in paid employment. So professional skills too can expand through ecosystem thinking.
This is what ecosystem thinking aims to address. In my view, the old idea that "It takes a village to raise a child" could be updated to "The whole ecosystem enables learning".
Johanna: For me, the core of working in an entrepreneurial ecosystem is that together we get things done, such as wellbeing, vitality and entrepreneurship. I approach the matter from a macro perspective and think about the broader societal good that this kind of activity and thinking can achieve.
Sanna: Ecosystem thinking also enables a broader view from the perspective of creating value. In entrepreneurship education we often lead with a single spearhead, for example "producing new entrepreneurs", whereas in an entrepreneurial ecosystem, I believe, a broader idea of the meaning of entrepreneurship education and of creating value is realised. It combines the individual, communal and societal perspectives.
For whom is understanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem important?
Sanna: If we think of a municipality setting out to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in which learning happens, it is important at all levels to understand more deeply what it is about and what is being pursued. An ecosystem is not something you can just drop somewhere and it starts growing and developing by itself; there must be sufficient resources and coordination.
Management, decision makers, elected officials, teachers and principals who want to develop and maintain a vibrant municipality must have an understanding of why and how the matter is taken forward and what significance it can have in building vitality.
Johanna: Really, it is good for anyone to understand the topic, and the most important thing is to understand that the topic is worth discussing in the first place.
Sanna: I agree with Johanna. The most important thing is to start the conversation and run the ecosystem together. Through this, a deeper understanding of its meaning and purpose emerges, along with views on the direction in which the activity should be taken.
Topaasia and the YES Network have jointly created the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" deck. What is it intended for?
Johanna: The game is intended for a situation where you want a shared understanding of what an entrepreneurial ecosystem actually means for us. In practice it means opening a dialogue on different topics, such as leading a network and network competence. It is especially suited to the phase where the first stepping stones for working together need to be agreed. It helps people get on the same page despite differing views.
Sanna: Exactly. The challenge is often that we understand things in so many different ways and make assumptions about each other's opinions. In my view, the starting point of all development must be getting ourselves onto the same map and having the conversation about what we mean by these things.
By using this deck, we get onto the same map and find exactly the things we want to influence through working together. I see the deck's significance precisely in generating conversation and, through the building of shared understanding, in understanding one another better. That creates trust, which is a prerequisite for jointly developing anything forward in the first place.
I hope this tool helps take working together to a deeper level, so that things are truly advanced together rather than just individual interests and viewpoints.
How can I try the deck?
Those interested can hear more about the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" deck made by Topaasia and the YES Network by contacting Sanna or Johanna:
sanna@yesverkosto.fijohanna.vainio@yrittajat.fiMore information
"YES is Finland's most significant development network for entrepreneurship education, promoting the realisation of entrepreneurship education by strengthening an entrepreneurial culture, coaching teachers, developing education and building school-business collaboration." - more information at https://yesverkosto.fi/
Start Topaasia's free 14-day trial period
Note: the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" game is not available in the free trial period. You can get access to the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" game by contacting Sanna or Johanna.
Johanna: For me, the core of working in an entrepreneurial ecosystem is that together we get things done, such as wellbeing, vitality and entrepreneurship. I approach the matter from a macro perspective and think about the broader societal good that this kind of activity and thinking can achieve.
Sanna: Ecosystem thinking also enables a broader view from the perspective of creating value. In entrepreneurship education we often lead with a single spearhead, for example "producing new entrepreneurs", whereas in an entrepreneurial ecosystem, I believe, a broader idea of the meaning of entrepreneurship education and of creating value is realised. It combines the individual, communal and societal perspectives.
For whom is understanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem important?
Sanna: If we think of a municipality setting out to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in which learning happens, it is important at all levels to understand more deeply what it is about and what is being pursued. An ecosystem is not something you can just drop somewhere and it starts growing and developing by itself; there must be sufficient resources and coordination.
Management, decision makers, elected officials, teachers and principals who want to develop and maintain a vibrant municipality must have an understanding of why and how the matter is taken forward and what significance it can have in building vitality.
Johanna: Really, it is good for anyone to understand the topic, and the most important thing is to understand that the topic is worth discussing in the first place.
Sanna: I agree with Johanna. The most important thing is to start the conversation and run the ecosystem together. Through this, a deeper understanding of its meaning and purpose emerges, along with views on the direction in which the activity should be taken.
Topaasia and the YES Network have jointly created the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" deck. What is it intended for?
Johanna: The game is intended for a situation where you want a shared understanding of what an entrepreneurial ecosystem actually means for us. In practice it means opening a dialogue on different topics, such as leading a network and network competence. It is especially suited to the phase where the first stepping stones for working together need to be agreed. It helps people get on the same page despite differing views.
Sanna: Exactly. The challenge is often that we understand things in so many different ways and make assumptions about each other's opinions. In my view, the starting point of all development must be getting ourselves onto the same map and having the conversation about what we mean by these things.
By using this deck, we get onto the same map and find exactly the things we want to influence through working together. I see the deck's significance precisely in generating conversation and, through the building of shared understanding, in understanding one another better. That creates trust, which is a prerequisite for jointly developing anything forward in the first place.
I hope this tool helps take working together to a deeper level, so that things are truly advanced together rather than just individual interests and viewpoints.
How can I try the deck?
Those interested can hear more about the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" deck made by Topaasia and the YES Network by contacting Sanna or Johanna:
sanna@yesverkosto.fijohanna.vainio@yrittajat.fiMore information
"YES is Finland's most significant development network for entrepreneurship education, promoting the realisation of entrepreneurship education by strengthening an entrepreneurial culture, coaching teachers, developing education and building school-business collaboration." - more information at https://yesverkosto.fi/
Start Topaasia's free 14-day trial period
Note: the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" game is not available in the free trial period. You can get access to the "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" game by contacting Sanna or Johanna.