The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship funded Yellow Wood Associates to work with mini-grantees of the National Association of Development Organizations. Melissa has been working with a NADO mini-grantee, the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission, and more specifically Black Belt Treasures in Alabama. Black Belt Treasures is a nonprofit organization developed to showcase and promote the arts of the Black Belt region. The organization’s mission is to help stimulate the economy in Alabama’s Black Belt region through the promotion of regional art and fine crafts, provide regional artisans a means to promote and sell their products to a larger market and provide arts education to area residents. As part of the work with Black Belt Treasures, Melissa coached them through a value chain exploration using the wealth creation approach. This has involved thinking through potential partners for their value chain, as well as potential interventions for the upcoming years.
Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development
