Building an entrepreneurial community requires the right kind of leadership. Where there is the right kind of community leadership, opportunities for moving from crisis to success dramatically increase. We've put together a collection of resources on leadership we hope you find useful in your work in community economic development. Be sure to also check out our newest podcast episode, Leadership - Foundational to Community Successand access our leadership collection now!
Later this month we will launch the first of a four-part episode series on e2's Development Framework for entrepreneurial ecosystem building. This series features Don and Shelley Paasch, who draws from her NetWork Kansas experiences as a community coach. In the first episode, they will share the keys to community readiness and organizing for action. In the meantime, connect with @shelpaasch on Twitter!
Did you miss February's episode, Economic Crashes and the Case for Entrepreneurship?Don and Shelley shared examples of economic crashes and focused on stories where rural communities that pursued entrepreneur-led development and diversification after a crash experienced quicker recovery and greater prosperity.
Don't miss any episode! Subscribe to the Pathways to Rural Prosperity podcast by visiting this webpage or search for it on your favorite podcast app.
Other e2 News
Rural Network Endorsement of American Rescue Plan
Following another Rural Network stakeholder call with the White House in early February, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems signed a letter of endorsement of the American Rescue Plan. The reasons for support are two-fold: to obtain funding critical for rural constituents and for rural voices to be part of the conversation in near-future legislation.
Field News
Why Not Dedicate 5% of Government Contracts to Entrepreneurs?Victor Hwang with Right to Start proposes this idea for COVID-19 recovery in this Inc.article.
Take this quiz to test your rural knowledge. The Center on Rural Innovation drafted this quick and simple quiz to help shift the narrative about rural America. You might be surprised by your answers!
Wooing Companies to Move: Are Business Incentives Worth the Cost? This research briefassesses the efficacy of business incentive programs. In short, it finds that “higher state spending on incentives packages rarely correlates with increased job quality or higher wages” and that these incentives do not appear to influence location decisions. In addition, these programs tend to ignore small and local businesses (and the resources they need), which are job creation engines.
UPDATED FOR 2021: America's New Business Plan. Start Us Up released a new and expanded version of the plan with recommendations to help policymakers navigate the realities of 2021, particularly around the racial, gender, and geographic disparities that have long existed but have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hybrid Officing Will Shift Where People and Businesses Decide to Locate. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City examined a recent report from PwC on remote work preferences of executives and workers. The majority of both executives and workers is a hybrid work model, which may have an impact on where workers choose to live, particularly in broader metro regions with heavy traffic congestion and higher housing prices. However, the authors note that with workers expected to report into offices at least once a week, it is unlikely that workers would move out of metro regions entirely.
Events
CEDS, Recovery, and Resilience Webinar Series
The Nado Research Foundation is hosting a mini webinar series in March and April. Don Macke will be a panelist for the Rural Resilience and Economic Development Session on March 23 from 2-3 p.m. ET.
