Building thriving broadband networks requires more than just infrastructure—workforce development is a vital piece of the puzzle.  If you are engaged or will soon be

Discover the power of partnership in broadband expansion! In this session, Shelley Paasch, broadband partnerships coordinator at Kansas Commerce, will share how collaboration with your

How do you get the attention of the people who are not paying attention to all the awesome stuff you’re doing to help them? How

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.

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.