To help grantees, educators, policymakers and colleague foundation leaders understand ways to create a strong start in math for early learners, the Heising‐Simons Foundation asked Education First to profile noteworthy early math efforts already underway and identify implications for change in other communities. We looked for those that place an explicit emphasis on high quality mathematics instruction for all children, including their youngest learners, and for evidence (even if tentative) that educators’ efforts to improve early mathematics were contributing to improved student learning. The three communities we selected showcase different leverage points for leading change in early mathematics: a county office of education, a single school district and a collaboration or network of multiple organizations.