Center on Rural Innovation

Center on Rural Innovation Through a comprehensive approach to tech-based economic development, we help these leaders prove what’s possible in rural America.

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) believes in the potential of rural communities, and that rural people should have the same access to opportunities in the tech economy. This involves building a nationwide network of local economic change agents; using mapping, data, and storytelling to highlight rural opportunities and success stories; making direct investments in underserved rural entreprene

urs; and closing the digital divide so all Americans can participate in the 21st-century tech economy.

Last week, the CORI team gathered in Waterville, Maine, for an all-staff retreat, a couple days of big-picture thinking,...
06/02/2026

Last week, the CORI team gathered in Waterville, Maine, for an all-staff retreat, a couple days of big-picture thinking, creative collaboration, and meaningful time together as a team.

These moments matter. When teams work remotely, trust, creativity, and shared purpose don’t happen by accident. They’re built through intentional time together.

Over the course of the retreat, our team came together for thoughtful conversations and creative strategy sessions, and we also made space for connection: fly-tying, mountain biking, paddling, and simply spending time with colleagues beyond the screen.

We left Waterville energized by the brilliance, dedication, and heart of our team — and more committed than ever to advancing a future where rural communities have the tools, resources, and opportunity to thrive.

Special thank you to the Central Maine Growth Council, Dirigo Labs, Main Street Skowhegan, and the Lockwood Hotel for making our time in Maine extra special.

Capital does not move on potential alone. It moves when communities are ready to turn opportunity into action. That is w...
05/28/2026

Capital does not move on potential alone. It moves when communities are ready to turn opportunity into action. That is why Opportunity Zones 2.0 could matter so much for rural America.

With new rural-focused investment funds, tighter eligibility rules, and a requirement that at least one-third of designated zones be rural, OZ 2.0 gives rural communities a stronger chance to compete for capital. But designation is only the starting point.

The communities that benefit most will be the ones building the foundation now: identifying growth-ready businesses, aligning local partners, preparing priority sites, and telling a clear story about why their place is ready for investment.

Rural communities do not lack ambition. They deserve tools that help turn that ambition into long-term economic growth. OZ 2.0 can be one of those tools.

Read the full blog: https://ow.ly/NLGm50Z2SF2

When employees come together around a shared cause, the impact can reach far beyond the workplace.We’re grateful to Bar ...
05/27/2026

When employees come together around a shared cause, the impact can reach far beyond the workplace.

We’re grateful to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and the employees behind their 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 campaign for selecting us as their nonprofit of choice this quarter.

This kind of employee-led giving is a reminder of what’s possible when companies create meaningful ways for their teams to support the causes they care about. That kind of generosity adds up. Workplace giving contributes an estimated $5 billion to U.S. charities each year, helping nonprofits like CORI advance our mission with flexible, community-centered support.

And there may be even more impact waiting to be unlocked: 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers a matching gift program, while 71% of employees say it’s important to work at a company that supports giving and volunteering.

So here’s your nudge: If you’re not sure whether your employer offers matching gifts or workplace giving, ask!

Interested in partnering with us through employee giving, corporate philanthropy, or another shared-impact opportunity? We’d love to connect.

The movement for rural innovation is growing — and so is the team helping power it.As our work continues to expand acros...
05/26/2026

The movement for rural innovation is growing — and so is the team helping power it.

As our work continues to expand across entrepreneurship, workforce development, community support, and storytelling, we’re excited to welcome four new team members who will help deepen our impact in rural communities nationwide:

⭐ Nikki See — Director of Communications and Brand
⭐ Danielle Unique McEwen — Senior Program Manager, Start Up Support
⭐ Sammie Hillstock, M.Ed. — Program Manager, Tech Workforce
⭐ Sarah LaRosh — Senior Manager, Community Success

What excites us most isn’t just growth — it’s what this growth makes possible.

✅ More support for rural founders.
✅ More pathways into tech careers.
✅ More stories that challenge outdated narratives about rural America.
✅ More capacity to help communities turn local vision into long-term opportunity.

Rural America is full of talent, ambition, and innovation. Building the future rural communities deserve takes people committed to unlocking that potential every day — and we’re grateful to have these incredible people joining that work.

Welcome to the team!

Thank you to SSTI for including CORI’s perspective in your coverage of the bipartisan Build to Scale Reauthorization Act...
05/22/2026

Thank you to SSTI for including CORI’s perspective in your coverage of the bipartisan Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026.

This legislation matters for rural America. Build to Scale helps communities outside major metro areas strengthen the networks, capital, mentorship, and support systems entrepreneurs need to grow companies where they are.

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity should be, too.

We’re encouraged to see bipartisan support for this important program and urge federal leaders to move it forward. Thank you to Representative Haley Stevens, Congressman Jim Baird, and all of the co-sponsors for introducing this important legislation.

Please consider contacting your federal elected officials and encouraging them to support the Build to Scale Reauthorization Act.

Read the full article: https://ow.ly/FV3150Z2RG3

Innovation

Rural entrepreneurs are building the future — and now we have better data to see where that momentum is growing.Join us ...
05/21/2026

Rural entrepreneurs are building the future — and now we have better data to see where that momentum is growing.

Join us for a live webinar on the new Rural Entrepreneurship Index, built in partnership with the Capital One Insights Center.

We’ll explore what the data reveals, hear from rural ecosystem builders across the country, and sit down with a rural founder building from Kearney, Nebraska.

Because when rural entrepreneurship becomes visible, it becomes investible.

Register here: https://ow.ly/V9va50Z2IVR

05/20/2026

“There is an incredible moment right now for rural.”

CORI Founder and CEO Matt Dunne recently joined Stanford University's Re-Energize Rural panel to discuss why rural America is poised for a new era of growth.

With expanding broadband access and AI tools that help small teams compete with less capital, rural entrepreneurs have more opportunity than ever to build strong companies, create jobs, and grow local economies.

Rural communities are full of people ready to build strong careers in tech. The question is whether the right systems ar...
05/19/2026

Rural communities are full of people ready to build strong careers in tech. The question is whether the right systems are in place to connect them to opportunity.

In a new blog, Mike Gutman, one of our tech workforce development experts, shares 7 lessons from our work helping rural communities build stronger digital skilling and tech talent ecosystems.

The big takeaway: a training program alone is not enough.

Strong rural tech pathways are built when employers, educators, workforce partners, young people, and local leaders work together around a shared strategy. Building the future of rural work is not just about skills. It is about systems, partnerships, and making sure rural people can thrive where they live.

🔗 Read the full article: ruralinnovation.us/blog/seven-lessons-for-building-rural-tech-talent-ecosystems/

Entrepreneurship has always been one of rural America’s greatest strengths. Across the country, rural founders are creat...
05/15/2026

Entrepreneurship has always been one of rural America’s greatest strengths. Across the country, rural founders are creating jobs, solving real-world problems, building wealth that stays rooted locally, and shaping the future of their communities.

But too often, that momentum is hard to see — and even harder to measure.

Join us for a live webinar exploring our new Rural Entrepreneurship Index, built in partnership with the Capital One Insights Center. This first-of-its-kind tool brings together 11 key measures of entrepreneurial activity to help rural leaders better understand where their communities stand and where opportunity is ready to grow. The Index gives rural communities a clearer way to see their entrepreneurial strengths and turn insight into action.

The conversation will begin with Amanda Weinstein, CORI’s Director of Research, who will walk through the Rural Entrepreneurship Index and share what the data reveals about the real patterns of rural entrepreneurship.

Then, Rhonda Ladig, CORI’s Director of Entrepreneurship, will moderate a practical, energizing panel with rural leaders building entrepreneurial ecosystems on the ground:

➢ Eric Harry, Founding Director, Wachholz Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center at FVCC — Northwest Montana
➢ Rose Reza, Executive Director, UNM-Taos HIVE — Taos, New Mexico
➢ Monica Bilak, Executive Director, Sprocket Paducah — Paducah, Kentucky
➢ Emily Wells, Community & Engagement Manager, Greenlight & Gig East— Wilson, North Carolina

Together, they’ll dig into what it takes to support rural entrepreneurs, strengthen local ecosystems, connect founders to resources, and build the conditions for long-term economic growth.

The webinar will close with a fireside chat hosted by Jay Bockhaus, CORI’s Chief Investment Officer, featuring Dusty Birge, CEO of Fast Forward in Kearney, Nebraska. This conversation will bring the data to life through the story of a rural entrepreneur building, scaling, and creating opportunity from the ground up.

This is an event for rural leaders, economic developers, founders, investors, philanthropies, policymakers, and anyone who believes rural communities should have the tools, capital, and visibility they need to thrive. You won't want to miss it!

Because when rural entrepreneurship becomes visible, it becomes investible.

And when rural entrepreneurs have what they need to grow, rural communities help shape the future of the U.S. economy.

Entrepreneurship has always been one of rural America’s greatest strengths.For generations, small businesses have anchor...
05/14/2026

Entrepreneurship has always been one of rural America’s greatest strengths.

For generations, small businesses have anchored Main Streets, created jobs, kept wealth local, and helped rural communities adapt through change. As Forbes contributor Dawn Thilmany notes, rural entrepreneurs are navigating today’s economic pressures, but they are also building the future of their communities.

We believe rural entrepreneurship is more than small business creation. It is a strategy for resilience, local ownership, wealth-building, and long-term economic growth. And when rural communities have the data, capital, networks, and support they need, entrepreneurs can do what they have always done best: turn local talent and ideas into lasting opportunity.

We’re grateful to Forbes and Dawn Thilmany for highlighting CORI’s Rural Entrepreneurship Index as a new tool to better understand where rural startup ecosystems are growing, where barriers remain, and where investment can unlock new opportunity.

Read the Forbes article here: https://ow.ly/LFCW50YZxLr

Check out the Rural Entrepreneurship Index here: https://ow.ly/u9HX50YZxLm

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2 Quechee Road
Hartland, VT
05048

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+18024364100

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