Network Development Manager

Job title: Manager / Executive – Entrepreneur Network Development

Location: Chicago, IL

Role Type: Part-time

Function: Community Growth, Partnerships, Member Engagement, Entrepreneur Ecosystem Development

Role Summary

We are looking for a highly networked and entrepreneurial professional to support the growth and visibility of the A ssociation ecosystem in Chicago . This role is responsible for expanding founder engagement, strengthening Charter Member and mentor participation, building strategic partnerships, supporting events and programs, and increasing the overall value delivered to entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, sponsors, and ecosystem partners.

The ideal candidate should understand the startup and business community, be comfortable engaging with founders and senior professionals, and have the ability to convert relationships into active participation, memberships, sponsorships, mentorship opportunities, and high-quality ecosystem programs.

Responsibilities

1. Entrepreneur & Founder Network Development

• Identify and engage founders, startup leaders, small business owners, and growth-stage entrepreneurs across Chicago and surrounding markets.
• Build a pipeline of entrepreneurs who can benefit from association mentorship, networking, education, funding access, and incubation support.
• Encourage founder participation in association programs, events, pitch sessions, workshops, and mentoring initiatives.
• Maintain regular communication with entrepreneurs to understand their business stage, needs, and support requirements.

2. Charter Member & Mentor Engagement

• Support engagement with Charter Members, senior entrepreneurs, investors, CXOs, and business leaders.
• Coordinate mentor-founder introductions based on industry, business stage, and growth needs.
• Help increase active mentor participation in programs, panels, office hours, and founder advisory sessions.
• Build structured follow-up systems to ensure mentor relationships create measurable value.

3. Membership Growth & Retention

• Drive new member acquisition across founders, professionals, investors, students, and ecosystem participants.
• Support renewal and retention of existing members through consistent engagement and value delivery.
• Develop member outreach campaigns, onboarding communication, and engagement calendars.
• Track membership pipeline, conversions, renewals, and participation levels.

4. Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships

• Build relationships with local businesses, universities, accelerators, incubators, chambers of commerce, VC/angel networks, law firms, accounting firms, banks, and corporate innovation teams.
• Identify sponsorship opportunities for association events, programs, and chapter initiatives.
• Develop partnership proposals and sponsorship decks in coordination with the leadership team.
• Support sponsor servicing, visibility commitments, and post-event reporting.

5. Event & Program Support

• Support planning and execution of networking events, founder meetups, speaker sessions, investor panels, workshops, pitch events, and mentoring programs.
• Identify relevant speakers, panelists, moderators, sponsors, and community partners.
• Drive attendance through targeted outreach and relationship-based promotion.
• Capture feedback and recommend improvements to increase event quality and participation.

6. Ecosystem Intelligence

• Track Chicago startup ecosystem activity, including founder groups, investor events, university entrepreneurship programs, startup accelerators, and industry meetups.
• Identify high-potential communities and sectors for association engagement.
• Provide insights on market opportunities, partnership targets, sponsorship prospects, and programming gaps.
• Maintain a database of founders, mentors, investors, partners, sponsors, and community leaders.

7. Reporting & Performance Management

• Submit weekly reports on outreach, meetings, partnerships, memberships, sponsorship opportunities, and event participation.
• Track KPIs such as founder leads, member conversions, mentor engagements, event attendance, sponsor pipeline, and partnership outcomes.
• Maintain CRM or structured tracking sheets for all ecosystem contacts and opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience in community building, business development, partnerships, startup ecosystem development, member relations, sponsorship sales, or entrepreneur programs.
• Strong understanding of entrepreneurship, startups, small business growth, investor networks, and professional communities.
• Existing network in Chicago business, startup, investor, university, or professional circles preferred.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to confidently engage founders, CXOs, investors, sponsors, and senior community leaders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage events, outreach pipelines, and stakeholder relationships.
• Comfortable working with CRM tools, spreadsheets, email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, and event platforms.