Startups Build a Better World Corporate Cross-border Cooperation
Startups Build a Better World: New ventures started with an international dimension are likely to prosper, because they will be sensitive to a wide variety of options. Those who start a business without this kind of multicultural awareness are going to miss out on opportunities. Individual entrepreneurs and their businesses make choices about how they want their companies to behave and the super-ordinate goals they want to achieve…quite as much as ensuring the survival and prosperity of the venture.
These intents apply to the community in which the business operates, but they also concern the wider community and context. There is no way in our inter-connected and inter-dependent world that a business can ignore this inter-cultural and international dimension. The awake enterprise knows this in its deepest fiber and take steps to participate actively in the global economy.
For example, Innovation Bridge Mexico-Austin is a 10-week accelerator program hosted by Tech Ranch in Austin, Texas. It is one of many cross-border collaborations run by Tech Ranch. Each startup is selected from a nation-wide call for their impactful solutions, strong team, and ability to grow in the United States.
“Our goal for the Innovation Bridge is to give entrepreneurs access to the resources they need to be successful,” said Kevin Koym, CEO and founder of Tech Ranch. “These startups offer solutions that benefit both Mexico and the United States. Now more than ever, we need to be working together to solve global issues.”
Sustainable Startups Build a Better World
Tech Ranch was created by Kevin Koym in 2008 to develop and support purpose-driven entrepreneurs. A big part of Kevin’s work is helping startups build a better world through cross-border collaboration in new venture creation. As well as the Mexico Bridge, Tech Ranch has other Global Bridges with Hungary and Italy.
One of the Innovation Bridge Mexico-Austin startups is Green Hug—a 100% sustainable fashion brand that 
makes products with recycled and organic materials. They have a strong commitment to sustainability and plant seven trees for each t-shirt and hoodie sold.
Others include Winko—a snack startup that makes high-protein snacks from vegetables and grasshoppers; Biokaab—a biotechnology company that makes biodegradable enzymes; and another is Collective Academy—an innovative lifelong learning platform for business and tech managers, the next generation of leaders.
Pathfinding Business Incubators
Kevin Koym’s initiative for startups building a better world is pathfinding in the booming field of incubators, accelerators and coworking spaces. They are now being imitated elsewhere in the world. One of the most interesting is the development of virtual incubators. Using the phenomenon of working virtually is familiar to every entrepreneur. Virtual incubators are being established to create an added dimension of benefit for those who work with others—internationally.
A natural consequence is that they are either cross-border or international. I foresee more being created. One 
good example is Faster Capital. The founders “envision a world in which no start-up should be left behind simply because of the lack of access to funding, lack of technical knowledge, mentorship and access to vital connections.”
Startup Grind is a Global Startup Community in 120 countries delivering education, connections, and opportunities to help startups and scale-ups grow. with “chapters” that began in Los Angeles, and spread to Tel Aviv, London, New York, Beijing, and many more—now over 600 communities.
There are 63 international entrepreneur and startup grants. Funding is available for early-stage startups and innovations through mentoring, incubators, accelerators, seed funding, and business development programs designed to help grow and scale new businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates in 200 countries with a mission to make it easier for anyone, anywhere, to start and scale a business. It fosters cross-border collaboration between founders, investors, policymakers, ecosystem builders and others. There is also the Founder Institute, a global network of startup incubators, accelerators, and investors on a mission to activate and empower communities of entrepreneurs worldwide. Startups build a better world.
