Founding Executive Director, ESHIP Alliance

Andy Stoll is a serial social entrepreneur and producer who has co-founded seven social change organizations. He currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of the ESHIP Alliance—a national network advancing entrepreneurial ecosystem building as a widely recognized professional practice central to economic development in communities across the U.S.

His expertise lies in participatory, emergent, community-driven, and network-based approaches to social change, blending deep experience in business, social innovation, ecosystem building, impact networks, philanthropy, storytelling, and culture change.

Previously, Andy was a Senior Program Officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he co-led the Foundation’s efforts to advance entrepreneurship-led economic development and ecosystem building as an emerging discipline across economic, community, and workforce development.

Andy’s career has centered on building pioneering programs, communities, courses, and events that help entrepreneurs and creatives turn ideas into reality. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and his portfolio includes collaborations with AOL founder Steve Case, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.

A sought-after speaker on leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship, community, and travel, Andy has spoken at SXSW, multiple TEDx events, hundreds of conferences, and more than 100 universities across the country.

He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Cornell College, co-taught social entrepreneurship courses at the University of Iowa, facilitated Startup Weekend events around the world, and completed a four-year, 40-country solo journey around the globe.

Andy holds a B.A. in Media Production and a B.B.A. in Business Management from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master’s degree in Media Cultures from the City University of Hong Kong. He also moonlights as a photographer, occasional chef, and part-time cooking class instructor.