Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Business Development

Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center Learning Journey Details

Through the support of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, the Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center facilitated a trip to Western North Carolina to study the arts economy and creative placemaking in the region. This report provides a summary…


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Formalizing Your Business: A WealthWorks Guide for Coordinators and Coaches

This guide is one of two pieces written to assist WealthWorks value chain coordinators or coaches in working with businesses and demand partners that are part of WealthWorks value chains. This guide is designed to walk readers through one of the most…


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WealthWorks Value Chain Business Law Guide: A WealthWorks Guide for Coordinators and Coaches

This guide is one of two pieces written to assist WealthWorks value chain coordinators or coaches in working with businesses and demand partners that are part of WealthWorks value chains. This guide is written to assist WealthWorks coordinators, coaches,…


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Rural Wealth Creation

This textbook investigates the role of wealth in achieving sustainable rural economic development. Published by Routledge and edited by John L. Pender, Bruce A. Weber, Thomas G. Johnson, and J. Matthew Fannin.


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Private Sector Engagement Toolkit

The Private Sector Engagement Toolkit helps users think about how they will connect with the demand side of the markets they are in. The Toolkit is designed to help WealthWorks value chain coordinators as well as individual businesses within a value…


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Building Rural Wealth Through Inclusive Business: a Primer on Private Sector Engagement for Community Impact

The final report from the Red Mantra Group on Building Wealth Through Inclusive Business is now available. Inclusive Business is an approach to economic development in which one or more large corporations are the primary demand partners. For corporations…


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Exploring Common Measures for Food Hubs: Documenting Impact, Sharing Stories, Connecting with Stakeholders

This draft report is a product of a study supported by the Wallace Center and the National Good Food Network. The study explored how a set of common measures might assist food hubs and the food hub community in telling their stories and improving their…


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Branding Study for Appalachian Local Food Economies

This report, produced for the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) in partnership with the MIT “Keeping Wealth Local” Clinic, explores examples of place-based food brands and offers recommendations for CAN and other Central Appalachian organizations interested…


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Guide to Crowdfunding for WealthWorks Value Chains: Understanding Options, Getting Started

This report was produced as part of a project to explore financing options for WealthWorks value chains. It describes crowdfunding and how it works, gives examples of different platforms and successful campaigns, and provides a step by step guide to…


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Vermont’s Environmental Sector: Identifying Green Workforce Training Needs and Opportunities

This report is the product of a study undertaken by the Vermont Environmental Consortium, funded by grants from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Redducs Foundation, to survey Vermont’s Environmental Business Sector.  The survey established…


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