Forward Cities
Forward Cities was a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 2014, Durham, NC) that helped U.S. cities build equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous entrepreneurs through the E3 framework, funded primarily by foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Forward Cities does
Forward Cities was a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, that equipped U.S. cities and regions to build more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, with a programmatic focus on Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Indigenous entrepreneurs. Its core engine was the E3 (Engage, Equip, Elevate) framework, delivered through place-based programs including E3 Durham (360+ enrolled entrepreneurs, 5,200+ Learn-to-Earn credits earned, 125+ service packages redeemed from 22 local providers), the Pittsburgh E3 Network (8 partner organizations), E3 Indy (15 ESOs, JPMorgan Chase-backed), the Kauffman Foundation-funded ESHIP Communities cohort (Baltimore, Kansas City, Long Beach, Rio Grande), Black Wall Street Forward (five North Carolina communities, Truist- and MetLife-funded), and InnovateNC. The organization layered proprietary assessment and measurement tools — E3 Scorecard, Neighborhood Inclusion Compass, Economic Inclusion Indicators, and the Strategic Doing methodology — on top of community convening and Local Navigator-driven service delivery, integrated with partner platforms including EcoMap Technologies' Discover Tool, SourceLink, and an IBM-piloted technical-assistance matching platform.
The business model was grant-funded philanthropy, not commercial revenue. Forward Cities received programmatic and capacity-building grants from a concentrated set of national and regional funders — Kauffman Foundation, Truist Foundation ($400K, 2022), MetLife Foundation ($250K ACE Innovation Fund, 2023), JPMorgan Chase Foundation (E3 Indy, 2022), U.S. Small Business Administration Navigator Pilot, Hillman Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Target Foundation, Huntington Bank, plus Durham County and local government support. Its go-to-market relied on direct partnership and cohort onboarding with cities and ESOs, foundation-funded program expansion, and a content/learning engine (Moving Cities Forward newsletter, Forging Forward podcast, Promising Practices webinars, E3 Nation Tour) rather than priced offerings. The organization merged with CEOs for Cities in 2018, grew to 20+ staff and a 15+ city footprint, but on February 20, 2026, the Board of Directors formally concluded operations, citing unanticipated funding delays and unrealized funding prospects.
Forward Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forward Cities
- Legal name
- Forward Cities
- Website
- https://forwardcities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Forward Cities was a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 2014, Durham, NC) that helped U.S. cities build equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous entrepreneurs through the E3 framework, funded primarily by foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forward Cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development
- akta.pro primary industry
- State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)
Keywords
Where Forward Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forward Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants and Charitable Contributions: Primary funding source for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, sourced from national and regional foundations and corporate giving programs (e.g., Kauffman Foundation, Truist Foundation, MetLife Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Target Foundation, Hillman Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation). Includes restricted programmatic grants (e.g., MetLife $250K ACE Innovation Fund) and capacity-building grants.
- Government and Public Sector Funding: Funding from local government entities (e.g., Durham County) and economic development authorities (e.g., Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh) to support place-based ecosystem work.
- Corporate Sponsorships and Programmatic Support: Sponsorship and in-kind support from corporate partners (e.g., IBM's BIPOC entrepreneur platform support, Huntington Bank) tied to specific programs and cities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Grant-funded nonprofit; no public pricing for programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Forward Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forward Cities is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates place-based ecosystem-building programs and learning networks designed to grow inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in U.S. cities and regions. It delivers flagship initiatives such as E3 Durham, ESHIP Communities, Black Wall Street Forward, PLACE Builders, and Community Entrepreneurship Accelerators, supported by proprietary frameworks (E3 Scorecard, Neighborhood Inclusion Compass, Economic Inclusion Indicators) and a Learn-to-Earn marketplace. Its work is funded primarily through grants from national and regional foundations and delivered in partnership with cities, ESOs, and on-the-ground implementation partners.
Product overview
Forward Cities is a national nonprofit (founded 2014; closing February 20, 2026) that operates a portfolio of ecosystem-building programs and learning networks rather than a single unified software product. Its core engine is the E3 (Equity for Every Entrepreneur) model, which it implements through place-based community accelerators (Community Entrepreneurship Accelerators deployed in Franklin County/Columbus OH, Indianapolis IN, Pittsburgh PA, and New Kensington PA) and the E3 Durham program (a hub-and-spoke model for Durham entrepreneurs including the Learn-to-Earn (L2E) marketplace, Third Thursday events, the E3 Durham Connects platform, and the Durham E3 Alliance). At the national level, it ran the Kauffman Foundation-funded ESHIP Communities program across four pilot cities — ESHIP Baltimore (Black Butterfly Network and Exchange), ESHIP Kansas City, ESHIP Long Beach, and ESHIP Rio Grande — and its proprietary E3 Scorecard assessment tool. Adjacent offerings include the Black Wall Street Forward initiative (piloted across five North Carolina communities), the PLACE Builders fellowship, the Triangle ESO Network, the Promising Practices Webinar Series, and the Forging Forward podcast. The portfolio is supported by research tools (the Neighborhood Inclusion Compass and Economic Inclusion Indicators) and an IBM-piloted platform for connecting BIPOC entrepreneurs with technical assistance providers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Black Wall Street Forward: Action-based learning network launched in 2022 and piloted in five North Carolina communities — Durham, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem — to develop new narratives about the roles that Black leaders and allies can play in revitalizing and strengthening ecosystems designed to support Black entrepreneurs.
- ESHIP Communities
- E3 Durham
- E3 Indy
- Pittsburgh E3 Network
- E3 Nation
- PLACE Builders
- Forging Forward
- InnovateNC
Products and services
- E3 Durham A community-centered program in Durham, NC that reduces the cost of doing business for entrepreneurs. Local Navigators provide free guidance to enrolled entrepreneurs and the program includes a Learn-to-Earn (L2E) marketplace, Third Thursday events, Peer-Led Sessions, the E3 Durham Connects platform, and the Durham E3 Alliance. Served 360+ active entrepreneurs.
- Triangle ESO Network A multi-city entrepreneurial support network in North Carolina's Triangle region that extends the E3 (Equity for Every Entrepreneur) approach across Raleigh-Durham.
- ESHIP Communities A Kauffman Foundation-funded, community-driven initiative for building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, with pilots in ESHIP Baltimore (Black Butterfly Network), ESHIP Kansas City, ESHIP Long Beach, and ESHIP Rio Grande (food and agriculture focus).
- E3 Scorecard Forward Cities' proprietary self-assessment tool that helps communities gauge the strength and equity of their inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem against benchmarks, utilizing four key metrics: People, Programs, Networks, and Narratives.
- Black Wall Street Forward An action-based learning network that develops new narratives about the role Black leaders and allies can play in revitalizing and strengthening ecosystems designed to support Black entrepreneurs, piloted in five North Carolina communities (Durham, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem).
- PLACE Builders Fellowship A fellowship program (the Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems) providing intensive training, peer support, and community pilots to selected fellows working to catalyze more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems; tribute to Pava LaPere, co-founder of EcoMap Technologies.
- Community Entrepreneurship Accelerators (CEA) A place-based ecosystem building initiative using human-centered design and the Neighborhood Inclusion Compass to identify neighborhoods and design Minimum Viable Solutions (MVS); deployed in Franklin County/Columbus OH, Indianapolis IN, Pittsburgh PA, and New Kensington PA.
- E3 Indy An Indianapolis-based E3 engagement, in partnership with JPMorgan Chase Foundation, focused on bolstering capital access for entrepreneurs of color through collaboration among 15+ local ESOs and partners including Kheprw Institute, Next Street, Common Futures, and Catalyze.
- Pittsburgh E3 Network A collective of mission-aligned local entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) tasked with creating a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pittsburgh, supported by Hillman Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation.
- Forging Forward Podcast Forward Cities' official podcast amplifying the work of entrepreneurial ecosystem building, featuring conversations with local directors and ecosystem builders, plus coverage of the Minimal Viable Solution (MVS) pilot program and ESHIP Communities bonus episodes.
- Promising Practices Webinar Series An educational webinar series exploring challenges and opportunities for ecosystem builders, economic development practitioners, community foundations, and ESOs, with a focus on Equity for Every Entrepreneur (E3).
- Impact & Assessment Forward Cities' research and assessment function, including the Neighborhood Inclusion Compass and Economic Inclusion Indicators, which map and measure the inclusiveness of local entrepreneurial economies.
- E3 Orange County/Orlando A Forward Cities community partner engagement in the Orange County/Orlando, FL region as part of the broader E3 network.
Quantifiable outcome
- 360+ active enrolled entrepreneurs in the E3 Durham program
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Forward Cities
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forward Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Forward Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- IBMcorePartnered on the BIPOC entrepreneurs platform initiative.
- NC IDEAflagshipNorth Carolina partner on the InnovateNC program and Summit.
- EcoMap TechnologiescoreProvides Centralized Resources tooling for ecosystem mapping.
- SourceLinkcoreResource partner supporting Pittsburgh ecosystem work.
- Main Street AmericacorePartner on the PLACE Builders program.
- LISCcoreNational community development partner on inclusive entrepreneurship work.
- Kheprw InstituteflagshipIndianapolis-based Entrepreneur Hub partner for E3 Indy.
- Next StreetcoreIndianapolis implementation partner supporting E3 Indy.
- Common FuturescoreIndianapolis implementation partner supporting E3 Indy.
- Catalyze (Catapult)coreIndianapolis implementation partner; also referenced as Catapult Great Pittsburgh.
- CO.STARTERScoreProgram partner in New Kensington and other communities.
- Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA)corePublic-sector partner in the Pittsburgh E3 Network.
- Riverside Center for Innovation (RCI)corePittsburgh E3 Network member.
- Omicelo CarescorePittsburgh E3 Network member.
- Circles of Greater PittsburghcorePittsburgh E3 Network member.
- University of Pittsburgh Innovation InstitutecorePittsburgh E3 Network academic and innovation partner.
- Bible Center ChurchminorPittsburgh E3 Network member.
- Community ForgecorePittsburgh E3 Network member.
- The Minority Networking Exchange / CKV SuitescorePittsburgh E3 Network member.
- Rev1 VenturescoreColumbus, Ohio ecosystem partner.
- Aventi EnterprisescoreColumbus, Ohio ecosystem partner.
- Small Business Concierge ColumbuscoreColumbus, Ohio ecosystem partner.
- Provident1898coreHosts Forward Cities' headquarters inside the historic N.C. Mutual Life Insurance tower in downtown Durham.
- 1 Million CupscoreKauffman-affiliated program co-hosted by Forward Cities for local entrepreneur programming.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Forward Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kauffman Foundation: Backbone funder of Forward Cities' ESHIP Communities cohort and E3 Nation Tour, and an active operator of complementary inclusive-entrepreneurship programs (FastTrac, 1 Million Cups); operates as a much larger incumbent in the same domain.
- Echoing Green: Global social-entrepreneurship fellowship and leadership organization serving underinvested founders; comparable as a broader-incumbent operator of equity-focused entrepreneur support, though with a fellowship rather than ecosystem model.
- Main Street America: National place-based economic development nonprofit with a comparable footprint of city/coalition members; partnered with Forward Cities on the PLACE Builders program and operates in the same downtown and neighborhood revitalization space.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Large national community development financial institution with inclusive entrepreneurship programming (LISC Small Business) that overlaps with Forward Cities' ESO-coordination and equitable-capital-access work; listed as a Forward Cities partner on inclusive entrepreneurship.
Direct peers
- Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC): Nonprofit focused on urban economic inclusion and inner-city business growth; overlaps with Forward Cities' underinvested-entrepreneur mission and place-based ecosystem approach.
- Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Community development financial institution investing in underserved entrepreneurs and small businesses; comparable as a mission-aligned CDFI focused on inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem outcomes.
- Common Future: Field-building nonprofit advancing inclusive economic development through a network of local leaders and place-based initiatives; served as an E3 Indy implementation partner for Forward Cities and operates a structurally similar national network of underinvested founder support.
- Next Street: Advisory firm focused on small business and underinvested founders; served as a Forward Cities implementation partner for the E3 Indy engagement and competes in the same 'inclusive entrepreneur support' consulting space.
- SourceLink: Nonprofit ecosystem-building platform used by ESOs to coordinate entrepreneur navigation and referrals; was adopted as the shared digital platform for Forward Cities' Pittsburgh E3 Network and serves a directly overlapping customer base of community-based entrepreneur support organizations.
- EcoMap Technologies: Provider of the Centralized Resources / Discover Tool platform that powered Forward Cities' Durham ecosystem directory and embed-code infrastructure; serves the same ESO and city-customer base with ecosystem-mapping software.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Forward Cities social profiles
Digital presenceForward Cities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Forward Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forward Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Forward Cities subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Forward Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forward Cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forward Cities
What does Forward Cities do?
Forward Cities is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates place-based ecosystem-building programs and learning networks designed to grow inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in U.S. cities and regions. It delivers flagship initiatives such as E3 Durham, ESHIP Communities, Black Wall Street Forward, PLACE Builders, and Community Entrepreneurship Accelerators, supported by proprietary frameworks (E3 Scorecard, Neighborhood Inclusion Compass, Economic Inclusion Indicators) and a Learn-to-Earn marketplace. Its work is funded primarily through grants from national and regional foundations and delivered in partnership with cities, ESOs, and on-the-ground implementation partners.
Is Forward Cities a public or private company?
Forward Cities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Forward Cities founded?
Forward Cities was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Forward Cities based?
Forward Cities is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forward Cities make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are government and Public Sector Funding and corporate Sponsorships and Programmatic Support.
Who are Forward Cities's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kauffman Foundation, Echoing Green, Main Street America and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Direct peers are Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI), Common Future, Next Street, SourceLink and EcoMap Technologies.
Does Forward Cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forward Cities.
What industry is Forward Cities in?
Forward Cities's product category is Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIABAM, State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development.