̽̽ (̽̽) Grossman School of Business will host the inaugural Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium June 19–21, 2024 in partnership with the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), a national association of entrepreneurship researchers and teachers. This rural entrepreneurship and innovation conference will kick off a series of annual community-building events that will travel the country, with events scheduled for Iowa in 2025, Colorado in 2026, and Texas in 2027.
The invites university teachers, researchers, and promoters of entrepreneurship, innovation, and small businesses from around the U.S. to explore why the rural and small-town landscape of Vermont and other rural states produce many innovative organizations that thrive because of their rural character. Attendees will share their insights and experiences from across the country and be introduced to how Vermont approaches entrepreneurship and small business through a , panels, research presentations, and networking. There will also be local field trips to the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) from 3:45 – 4:45 and the Generator from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. on June 20, and to Hula Lakeside from 1 – 2:30 p.m. on June 21.
A highlight of the event will be three community workshops, which will cover such topics as developing sustainable social and economic infrastructure, supporting diversity and inclusivity in small business, and promoting entrepreneurial hubs and platforms. Local entrepreneurial experts will share Vermont experiences about the unique challenges for small towns and rural areas, and engage in face-to-face brainstorming with conference attendees.
Organizing the inaugural event is Erik Monsen, Associate Professor, Steven Grossman Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at the Grossman School of Business, who organizes and advises a range of university’s entrepreneurship initiatives across ̽̽, the newest of which are the national Vermont Pitch Challenge for high school students and the Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup for graduating ̽̽ students.
“This event will be a tremendous networking opportunity to build community across the country and explore the different flavors of entrepreneurship in rural spaces around the globe,” said Monsen. "Participants will leave with unique insights, personal connections, and renewed enthusiasm to support, research, and teach entrepreneurship in their unique hometown communities.”
One important sponsor of the event is ̽̽’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, who will host their 2nd annual RISE Summit a week later, which brings together Vermont experts on research, innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship with local community members to spur change for a better tomorrow. These two complementary events are part of a growing effort by ̽̽ to fulfill their land grant mission, of economic, social, and environmental development across the state.
This event is made possible through financial support of a wide range of sponsors, including national foundations including Kauffman Foundation, local organizations including New England Federal Credit Union, the Vermont Economic Development Authority, Myti, and Local Maverick, and a range of university partners from across the U.S. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
"Advancing rural entrepreneurship is key to a thriving and sustainable rural economy," said Simeon Chapin, head of social impact at New England Federal Credit Union. "Our support of this symposium will help generate insights for the future while building community and creating new solutions for Vermonters right now."
To register for or sponsor the USASBE Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium, visit or email Professor Erik Monsen erik.monsen@uvm.edu. Monsen is available for media interviews.
Photography by Sharon Harper