The 2022 RuralRISE Summit marked the organization's return to an in-person convening, with a hybrid format that extended participation to virtual attendees. Held in Emporia, Kansas over three days, the summit drew rural leaders, ecosystem builders, economic developers, and practitioners from across the country. Programming spanned entrepreneurship ecosystem development, rural economic development, Main Street community […]

The 2021 RuralRISE Virtual Leadership Academy & Summit was a two-day convening that drew rural organizational and community leaders from across the country. Programming spanned rural funding, broadband and connectivity, ecosystem building, public policy, board governance, and the role of local media in rural communities. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr delivered the keynote address on Day […]

This half-day virtual event focused specifically on rural broadband connectivity, examining both the persistent challenges rural communities face in accessing stable, affordable service and the practical approaches being developed to address them. Sessions covered the role of cooperatives in rural broadband deployment, state-level partnership models, digital inclusion and digital equity programming, anchor institution connectivity, and […]