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What is it? The Ada Jobs Foundation was busy at the 2023 Rural Innovation Network Summit. This event was organized by the Center on Rural Innovation, which organizes the network. The Summit was held in Traverse City Michigan, a Rural Innovation Network community and home to the 20 Fathoms incubator, co-work space, and technology hub.
What happened? The event featured a mix of informational sessions, fireside chats, collaborative workshops, and networking opportunities. Jim Eldridge was present for a fireside chat around “Navigating the Phases of Tech Talent Development” and discussed Ada’s growing workforce development efforts and opportunities for new tech jobs and skilling in our community. AJF staff also present at the event include Sunnie Baker, Ashia Todd, and Jake Cantrell, and these staff are all working to carry out support for innovation and entrepreneurship through the EDA Funded Build to Scale award.
Why it’s important: This event helps us support our local businesses by gathering many the leading communities and people working to support innovation and entrepreneurship in rural communities. There are many communities similar in size and feel to Ada who are all working to support entrepreneurs and people working in technology as a form of economic development. This event is how we build relationships with these communities and with the staff at the Center on Rural Innovation, and this network is how we are able to deliver better programs, mentors, access to capital and many other opportunities to our startups, small businesses, and local technology workers.
This is the biggest collection of people leading this work, and we are proud and appreciative of the opportunity to continue meeting and working with everyone in the Rural Innovation Network.
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