OXFORD, Miss. – The Rural Entrepreneurship Forum takes place July 19 at 9:30 a.m. at the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo, where experts will discuss economic development opportunities in Mississippi.
Sponsored by the University of Mississippi’s McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, the event is part of the Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) initiative.
“Our second annual Rural Entrepreneurship Forum is focused on bringing business owners, economic development professionals, universities and community members together to learn from each other and develop avenues to improve our state,” said J.R. Love, CEED project manager. “This CEED initiative has been working over the past two years to build actionable partners in helping foster entrepreneurship and economic development throughout Mississippi.”
Speakers at the forum include Albert Nylander, director of the McLean Institute and UM sociology professor; William Nicholas, UM director of economic development; John Brandon, manager of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Entrepreneur Center; Cobie Crews with UM’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Mike Clayborne with the CREATE Foundation of Lee County; and Judd Wilson, vice president of the Tupelo Chamber of Commerce’s Community Development Foundation.
Wilson said the CDF is looking forward to hosting the Rural Entrepreneurship Forum this year, which complements its mission of entrepreneurship.
“The mission of the Renasant Center for IDEAs, our business incubator at the Community Development Foundation, is to provide the physical and social infrastructure to assist in the formation and development of successful small business, which will diversify our area’s economy, create regional job opportunities, and foster economic growth and vitality,” he said.
The CEED initiative works with UM students and faculty to build partnerships with Mississippi communities. These partnerships aim to increase entrepreneurship and promote economic development in rural Mississippi. Since the CEED initiative started in 2014, students, faculty and community partners have created connections to more than 26 counties in Mississippi.
The registration deadline for the forum is Tuesday, July 12. To register or get more information, visit this link. For questions about the forum, contact J.R. Love at jrlove@olemiss.edu or 662-915-8832.