We often see entrepreneurship as strongly linked to a certain individual, and societal characteristics. These might include the types of learning experiences and career pathway aspirations cultivated in students and graduates; risk tolerance and a willingness to see failure as a learning experience; the role and prominence of the citizen volunteer. Many of these cultural characteristics and contexts manifest differently in different countries, regions, or even cities. This panel will speculate the extent to which some of these differences might enhance (or hinder) an innovation ecosystem and the lessons we can learn to maximize the vitality of our innovation districts.