Entrepreneur

&

Investor

Reimagining Entrepreneurship for the AI Era


MISSION

I believe the next great wave of innovation shouldn’t just come from boardrooms or billionaires. It can come from everyday people with bold ideas—and the courage to build them. My mission is to make sure they can. With the right tools, capital, and the power of AI, we can unlock the ingenuity that exists in classrooms, kitchens, garages, and communities everywhere. It’s time to reimagine what’s possible—and who gets to build it.

Read: Builders Field Guide

CONTACT

info@buildersandbackers.com
(571) 521-4699
@LinkedIn


SPECIALITIES

  • I’ve been a founder six times over. I know firsthand what it takes to go from zero to one—and how messy, nonlinear, and human that journey really is. My work is about helping more people start that journey with better tools, smarter capital, and the freedom to test, learn, and build.

  • Venture capital isn’t broken. It’s just built for a narrow slice of companies. I’m designing new capital models—from micro-funds to revenue-based investments—that back real traction, not pitch decks. My goal: fund more builders, earlier and better.

  • AI changes everything—especially who gets to build and access to the expertise they need to be successful. I’m using AI to make world class entrepreneurial support more scalable and radically more effective. It’s about removing the gatekeepers and putting real power in more hands.

  • I pioneered the modern startup ecosystem movement—creating some of the first models that cities around the world still use today. But the world has changed. Now I’m focused on what’s next: systems that go beyond activity and actually produce builders, businesses, and breakthrough results.

Expertise should expand access, not entrench power. That’s the kind worth building.
— Donna Harris

SPEAKING EVENTS

6/2/25

Test Before You Invest: The Fast Track to Validating Your Startup Idea

Global Entrepreneurship Congress

Indianapolis, IN

Speaking Inquiries

Navigating the Road to Series A: Perspectives from Investors

6/3/25

Global Entrepreneurship Congress

Indianapolis, IN

Fireside Chat: Ecosystem Building in the Post AI World

6/4/25

Global Entrepreneurship Congress

Indianapolis, IN

7/9/2025

From Startup to Scaleup: Entrepreneurship Led Economic Development

OEDC Development Forum

Barranquilla, Colombia

New Ideas and Bold Ventures Shaping the Future of Business

11/4/2025

Main Street Summit

Columbia, MO