How Underrepresented Founders Actually Find Support
Why Discovery Must Be Human-First
Ask a founder how they found their most valuable resource, and you’re unlikely to hear:
“It popped up in my email newsletter.”
“It was on page 7 of a Google search.”
Instead, you’ll hear:
“A founder friend told me about it.”
“I saw someone in my network post about it.”
“A mentor shared it with me.”
For founders navigating ecosystems that weren’t built with them in mind, discovery is personal.
The “Neighborhood Effect” in Business Development
At MINWO, we’ve seen a pattern in how underrepresented founders locate and trust support. It happens through:
Neighborhoods: Communities where resources are vetted, shared, and contextualized
Peer Recommendations: Referrals from people who understand your lived experience and business challenges
Cultural Alignment: Messaging and programs that feel built for them, not just available to them
When founders are choosing where to spend their limited time and energy, trust beats convenience every time.
Why This Matters for ESOs
If your resources aren’t being discovered, it’s not necessarily a marketing problem, it’s a relevance problem.
Founders on the margin are asking themselves:
“Does this ESO understand my reality?”
“Have they helped someone like me before?”
“Will my time here move me closer to my goals?”
That’s why human-first discovery is more than a nice-to-have, it’s the difference between being a trusted hub and being invisible.
How We’re Building This into Rialto
Our Culturally Informed Recommendation Engine on Rialto was designed with these realities in mind. It learns from:
Business stage
Current pain points
Neighborhood and peer network patterns
Feedback from real users on what worked and what didn’t
The result? Founders see resources in your ecosystem that are timely, relevant, and culturally aligned, not just popular.
💰 Funding Opportunities for ESOs
Kauffman Foundation Project Grants: Funding for organizations advancing inclusive prosperity through entrepreneur support, ecosystem building, and research. Open now for project-based proposals. Feel free to reach out if you’re interested in partnering on a proposal.
If these don’t apply directly, share them forward. Discovery only matters if the right people see the opportunity in time.
Next Step
If you want founders to find and trust your resources, start by making discovery human-first.
Read more about how we’re doing this on Rialto in Culturally Informed Recommendations, or reach out to see how we can help you personalize support at scale.
Until Next Time,
Enhance your Innovation Ecosystem with tools from MINWO:
On a personal note..
You may have noticed a break in newsletter articles over the last month. I got married on August 30th and just got back to writing. I appreciate those who reached out during my hiatus!