Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a fragile post-war economy: The role of entrepreneurial support organizations

• We adopt a rapid response inquiry to bridge theory with on-the-ground realities of Syria's entrepreneurial landscape post-conflict. • We integrate three perspectives—system design, community-building, and institutional scaffolding—to guide Startup Syria's interventions. • We develop a layered model linking quick-win initiatives with longer-term institutional shifts in a fragile post-war entrepreneurial ecosystem.