Last week, I attended a startup event and met with various entrepreneurs. One of my favorite questions to ask is, “What’s going well, and what are your latest challenges?” During one conversation, an entrepreneur shared that their company had pivoted to a new product direction and was experiencing tremendous success.

Curious, I asked what prompted this shift and what customer discovery and feedback had informed it. As we delved deeper, the entrepreneur revealed that the change stemmed from an introduction made by a local startup community leader—a “community super connector.”

A community super connector is someone who loves people and excels at making thoughtful, value-adding introductions. These individuals are rare and incredibly valuable for nurturing and growing startup ecosystems. They might be venture capitalists, marketing or sales consultants, accountants, or lawyers. Regardless of their industry, they derive value from helping the community and are genuinely passionate about fostering connections.

These connectors are extraordinarily talented at building relationships and are critical for pollinating new opportunities through introductions. Entrepreneurs would benefit greatly from identifying the community super connector in their city or region. A simple way to find them is to ask a friend, “Who’s the most connected person in the startup community?” Because of their natural inclination to engage, super connectors are eager to meet new people.

Every startup community has a super connector, and their role is vital in sparking new relationships that drive innovation and growth.