“…For example, FRANKE (1999) examined the role of net-brokers who initiate and maintain the virtual connections between organizations, implying that certain individuals function to shape networks (KOGUT and SHAN, 1997). Brokers function as intermediaries between typical entrepreneurs and investors in a social capital network, and their mediation facilitates the birth of new firms that support the growth of entrepreneurial economies (MYINT et al, 2005;POLLOCK et al, 2004;WINCH and COURTNEY, 2007). The concept of brokerage is further updated in the literature to include Social Capital Connections in Regional Entrepreneurial Economies 25 the notion of the 'gatekeeper', which represents actors who influence the network through largely informal ties and serve to introduce new knowledge into the selective parts of the network (BELL and GIULIANI, 2007;MORRISON, 2008;TUSHMAN and KATZ, 1980).…”