Beyond Silos: How Cities Build the Relationships Small Businesses Actually Need

Be sure to sign-up for news, updates and the webinar series and more! This month on Live with Living Cities, we're replaying the first in our Rewiring Capital for Strong Local Economies webinar series. In this webinar our facilitator and guests explore the role cities play in shaping the relationships that help small businesses move from survival to long-term growth. While many local governments invest in programs intended to support entrepreneurs, uneven participation, low capital readiness, and fragmented efforts across departments remain common challenges. This conversation looks at why that happens and what cities can do differently. Centering examples from across the country, the discussion highlights how strong coordination within city government, combined with intentional partnerships with community-based organizations, can create a more connected and effective small business ecosystem. Rather than focusing only on funding or individual programs, this episode examines the relational groundwork that makes those efforts work: trust, shared understanding, access to information, and collaboration across systems. Listeners will gain insight into how cities can serve as ecosystem builders and connectors, and how stronger internal and external relationships can open new pathways for entrepreneurs to become investment-ready and fully participate in local economies. This episode features  Andrea Blackman, Chief Impact Officer for the City of Nashville;  Alycia Levels Moore, Main Street America consultant and Owner and Founder of ASL Creative Firm and POLARIS;  Sheila Nelms, Senior Associate for Local Impact and Innovation at Living Cities; and  Nia Webster, Assistant Director in the City of Kansas City’s Neighborhood Services Department. You can view the webinar's slide deck  here.