Rural broadband connectivity is developing rapidly. With changing climate and weather patterns, how can communities ensure the durability and longevity of this important infrastructure?
Climate resilience is one crucial way.
In this session, learn from the successes coming out of the Maine Main Street communities. Topics will include the Maine Development Foundation and Maine Downtown Center, including why downtown revitalization efforts fail, where these programs are getting funding, how they are collecting data and where it’s being used, as well as general lessons that translate to anyone working in rural areas on economic development goals.
With the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) facing the imminent end of its funding this month due to Congress not securing further allocations, rural community members across the United States are at risk of losing their lifeline to connectivity. States anxiously await updates from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the status of their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) programs, and the absence of ACP funding only exacerbates the challenges faced by underserved rural populations.
Why should these issues matter to rural ecosystem building, and ecosystem builders in general? What should ecosystem builders do to get engaged in the BEAD and Digital Equity efforts happening in their states, and why? The Infrastructure and Jobs Act has created a generational opportunity to provide access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable internet. This session will share lessons from the State of Maine, and help connect digital inclusion more explicitly to ecosystem building and entrepreneurship.
The Dallas Entrepreneur of Color Credit Enhancement Fund is at work shaping the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs. Join us as we share the process behind the launch and management of this fund, which promotes equitable access to funding by offering tailored lending, products, and programs that address the unique necessities of entrepreneurs of color within the Dallas community.