To what degree do you believe ready-made platforms like Squarespace, Shopify, and Etsy have contributed to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the United States and abroad? To what degree could you envision using one or more of these platforms if you launched a business of your own?

In 2008, Mary Lynn Schroeder was working in the music business in Chicago. She didn’t find the work fulfilling so decided to move on. She departed for southern Illinois, and on the way stopped at a Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts store. While she didn’t know much about sewing, she bought a sewing machine, primarily in order to hem her jeans and make curtains. She stayed long enough to take several lessons. She arrived in southern Illinois and rented a farmhouse near Carbondale, the home of Southern Illinois University. Schroeder had planned to find a job in Carbondale and settle in. Instead, she unexpectedly fell in love with sewing.