The 2022 Rural Rise Summit is a wrap and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
The three-day conference focused on economic development in rural areas with 125 people attending from around the country. This includes featured speaker Dell Gines of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City who spoke on the ins and outs of fostering and growing rural entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Gines says most rural communities cannot always count on the financial backing of multi-million dollar donors that larger metropolitan areas can. As such, he says it often falls on the community to support itself.
The summit is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Representative Andy Stoll says Emporia was an ideal location for the summit as it is a community that “punches above its weight” when it comes to supporting entrepreneurship.
Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods says Emporia’s track record speaks for itself when it comes to entrepreneurial success. That being said, he believes the summit will only help Emporia take its efforts and resources to the next level.
Presentations included information about micropolitan area economies, building rural ecosystems, advocacy efforts, telecommunications programs, equity and diversity.
