01: Connecting Local Systems
Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
Better connecting the support already there
Christele Parham, an entrepreneur and executive director of MBT Collective, understood the years-long challenge: Macon-Bibb entrepreneurs needed help, and while much of that help already existed, finding the right resource or next step was difficult. An early ecosystem assessment identified more than 150 organizations serving entrepreneurs, but information about their services was fragmented and difficult to navigate.
Christele’s relationship with PIN had already grown through several engagements, from helping host a PIN event and joining the PIN Regional Leaders Program to working with PIN Interns on her organization’s accelerator. That history helped set the stage for the Macon-Bibb Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project, or MBEEP.
The initiative brings together the MBEEP Alliance, a digital platform designed to help entrepreneurs find the right resources, and a regional convening where partners can learn from one another. The first Alliance convening brought together approximately 20 ecosystem partners, while broader outreach reached more than 50 entrepreneurs and business owners.
For Christele, PIN’s staying power matters:
“They have been intentional about cultivating a relationship rather than coming and leaving.”—Christele Parham
PIN has since connected Christele with ecosystem builders in Mississippi and Louisiana, with related conversations extending into Alabama and Tennessee.
Source: PIN 2026 Impact Report, pages 10–11.
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