Many professionals in the early childhood field are inspired by community-driven initiatives that hold great promise for transforming outcomes for the youngest children and their families. However, most collective impact efforts are mobilized in large urban areas, where early childhood professionals and civic leaders take the lead. New Mexico has been experimenting with a community-based approach for Early Childhood Investment Zones in targeted rural, frontier, and tribal communities. This kind of authentic engagement of both formal and informal grassroots leaders for early childhood systems change carries important lessons learned for other states and communities.