10 Communities Selected to Participate in 2020 Rural Innovation Initiative to Catalyze Digital Economy Job Growth in Small Town America – Center on Rural Innovation (CORI)
Contact: Aidan Calvelli, 802-436-4100, aidan.calvelli@ruralinnovation.us
For Immediate Release
January 10, 2020
10 Communities Selected to Participate in 2020 Rural Innovation Initiative to Catalyze Digital Economy Job Growth in Small Town America
Communities Will Receive EDA-Funded Technical Assistance from Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. to Kickstart Entrepreneurship and Tech-Powered Job Creation
Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. (RISI) today announced that 10 communities from across the country have been chosen in a highly competitive process to participate in the 2020 Rural Innovation Initiative[1], a technical assistance program supporting rural communities working to create digital economy jobs with an innovation hub strategy.
The Rural Innovation Initiative is made possible through a cooperative agreement between RISI and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Initiative was launched in 2018 by the Center on Rural Innovation[2] (CORI) and its sister organization, RISI. In addition to the EDA, the Siegel Family Endowment and Walmart are providing funding for the Initiative. Rural LISC and Venable LLP are strategic partners.
The 2020 Rural Innovation Initiative participants are:
- Ada Jobs Foundation[3], Ada, Oklahoma
- Southern Utah University Business Resource Center[4], Cedar City, Utah
- Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs[5] (SCAPE), Durango, Colorado
- Innovate Marquette Smartzone[6], Marquette, Michigan
- Shaping Our Appalachian Region[7] (SOAR), Pikeville, Kentucky
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville[8], Platteville, Wisconsin
- Shawnee State University[9], Portsmouth, Ohio
- Staunton Creative Community Fund[10], Staunton, Virginia
- Taos HIVE[11], Taos, New Mexico
- Central Maine Growth Council[12], Waterville, Maine
“Momentum is building in small towns across the country for new strategies that leverage local assets and support sustainable economic success,” said Matt Dunne, Executive Director of RISI and Founder of the Center on Rural Innovation. “These communities are taking forward looking approaches that foster entrepreneurship, catalyze startups, and support strong local digital economy ecosystems. We are excited to work in conjunction with EDA and these communities to change the narrative about what’s possible in rural America.”