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Entrepreneurial Communities Update
May 2015 
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In this update, I'm sharing a paper that details all of the exciting work I had the chance to learn from and impact during my two-week walkabout Down Under. 
Australia Speaking Tour 
Don Down Under - What I learned on walkabout!
John Grace, Yasmin Chalmers and Don Macke
It was my honor to have been invited on this speaking tour (April 16 - May 2) of Victoria, Australia, hosted by Dr. Yasmin Chalmers, Director of the Centre for the Study of Rural Australia and sponsored by Marcus Oldham College, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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I was privileged to share some of the insights the Center has gained working in rural communities across the U.S. and to learn from the entrepreneurial efforts taking place in rural Australia. During this tour or "walkabout," I presented to and collaborated with community leaders, university students, the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and many other groups throughout Victoria, Australia.

 

My journey began in Geelong with a workshop titled Entrepreneurship for a More Resilient Economy. I moved on to Shepparton and ended up in Bairnsdale for workshops on Developing an Entrepreneurial Community. In between these events, I had the opportunity to participate in an evening Q&A panel on Fostering Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities and Regional Economies with several business and social entrepreneurs. I also had several meetings with the folks at G21 Agribusiness Forum.

 

There were many highlights for me, including meeting in-person with cyber friends and colleagues as well as meeting new folks doing remarkable work. I've captured examples of this work and my insights gained during this trip in this new thought paper. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my trip Down Under.

 

 

Other Center News    

Our e2 University online library continues to grow. Complete packages can now be purchased from our new online store for $37 each. These resources provide practical and hands-on tools supplementing our book, Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities: A Pathway to Prosperity, which is now also available in our store. Ten e2 Resource Packages have already rolled out:

 

We will be releasing two more e2 resource packages: 

  • June 2015 - Outreach, Intake, Screening & Referrals
  • July 2015 - Tracking, Portfolios, Metrics & Stories

We can also provide you and your community customized assistance through consulting arrangement--contact Don Macke at don@e2mail.org.  

  

Economic Gardening Outcomes

Chris Gibbons and Economic Gardening have prepared an outcomes report on EG projects across the country. This is worth the read and illustrates how Economic Gardening is contributing to entrepreneurial development in a number of American landscapes. Check out the report here

 

Partnerships in Australia

My host for my trip of the last two weeks in Victoria, Australia was the Centre for the Study of Rural Australia with Marcus Oldham College located in Geelong. We will be continuing our collaboration with this Centre and their work with communities in Victoria. We also have a preliminary understanding to partner with our old friend Peter Kenyon with Bank of IDEAS and the new Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship based out of the Beehive Project. Stay tuned for more details on these exciting and emerging collaborations in Australia.

 

North Carolina Rural Center

We are pleased to report that the Center has established a new partnership with the North Carolina Rural Center in support of a new rural community entrepreneurship project. The Rural Center is receiving funding from USDA Rural Development through their RCDI Program. This funding will enable a collaboration between our Center and the NC Rural Center to boost small business capacity in rural North Carolina. For more information, check out the Rural Center's latest newsletters for details.

Field News

Economic Gardening. There is an article by T.J. Becker in the IEDC Economic Development Journal focusing on the "impact of economic gardening." Read it here.


Rooting Opportunity - Doing Economic Development Differently will be held June 1-2, 2015 in Washington D.C. To register, go to www.rootingopportunity.org. Scholarships are available, but you need to act quickly before the resources are fully committed!

The newest Regional Opportunity Scorecard from the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) highlights the region's philanthropic assets, development and growth using research and benchmarks proposed by the Center as part of our work with this great partner. 

Rural Collaborative Summit - Building Creative Rural Economies will be held May 22, 2015 in Cannington, Ontario. To learn more, go to www.seracommunityventures.ca/events.
For more information about anything you've read in this newsletter, please contact 
Don Macke, don@e2mail.org.
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship's mission is to help community leaders build a prosperous future by supporting and empowering business, social and civic entrepreneurs. With our roots and hearts in rural America, we help communities of all sizes and interests by bringing empowering research together with effective community engagement to advance community-driven strategies for prosperity. Our Solution Area teams empower community leaders to find their own answers to the economic development challenges and opportunities they face.