May 14–16, 2018 | Canaan Valley Resort, Davis, West Virginia
The inaugural RuralRISE Summit brought together community leaders, economic development practitioners, and rural ecosystem builders at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis, West Virginia.
The summit combined short practitioner-led talks with facilitated small-group discussions across six thematic sessions, organized around the central question: How do we empower the leaders, doers, and innovators in rural communities? The closing sessions examined how federal resources and philanthropic capital can be better aligned with the realities of rural ecosystem development.
Participants collectively identified 90 resources and generated nearly 1,400 distinct ideas, which were compiled into a post-event insights report, The Rise of Rural Entrepreneurship, produced by CO.STARTERS.
Speakers and panelists included representatives from the Kauffman Foundation, USDA Rural Development, AARP Foundation, Main Street America, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Federal Reserve, and the Brookings Institution, among others.
