My original questions in 2004 –

Is rural Kentucky entrepreneurial-friendly?

Is there a culture that values and helps entrepreneurs emerge and prosper?

What I Learned from My Research?Lack of community support for “new ideas” or entrepreneurship;Lack of regional identity; focus on local counties;Lack of grass-roots entrepreneurial leaders and coaches;Limited understanding of resources for entrepreneurs;Limited networking among natural coaches;Lack of training for local leaders to become advocates and coaches;Limited understanding of entrepreneurial culture ;Hidden entrepreneurial culture exists.People care about their communityPeople want to learn more about entrepreneurship

What can we do to strengthen the foundation for an entrepreneurial culture in rural Kentucky?

Response: Start with the local leaders (bankers, barbers, bartenders . . . elected leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, homemakers, retailers, retired people).

Build a Leadership Program

Recruitment: grass roots leaders in region. Competitive process.

Benefits: All expenses paid. Stature and skills, knowledge and network enhanced. Travel and growth.  

Set high expectations:

Must want to improve community and build entrepreneurial culture WITH others.

Must attend all seminars and travel experiences – 22 days over a 16 month period.

Must do homework between sessions – interviews, regional projects

Must donate hours back to region after graduation.

Next Step:

What are the skills, knowledge, and attitudes we want to nurture among grass-roots leaders in the region to strengthen the entrepreneurial culture?

Responses came from rural entrepreneurship experts and from almost 200 people in the region.

Overall goals:

Stimulate the imagination of local leaders and give them tools to lay the foundation for an entrepreneurial culture.

Give them the venue to create a regional identity, build a strong support network and insist that they make change.

Make rural Kentucky the most entrepreneurial-friendly culture in rural America

What do we want to nurture in entrepreneurial leaders?

Stimulate imagination—see and meet entrepreneurs from a variety of perspectives.

Creativity – Create in groups.

What should they learn?

Learn about appreciative inquiry and how to apply it.

The question: What’s working well?

Why?

Gratitude committee.

What the Economic Development consultant saw were problems:

“Windy roads”“Rolling terrain”“Sparse population”

“Only strategy: Connect to other places”

Elliott County, KY

“Windy roads are scenic”“Rolling terrain is interesting”“We have dramatic gorges, clear trout streams and nationally-known folk artists, e.g., Minnie Adkins”“Located near Natural Bridge State Park which receives 1 million visitors a year!”

Another View

Local Leaders, Elliott County

Scenic Roadways

Folk Art, Barn Mural

Natural Beauty, Trout Streams

Know thyself and others in the team:

Natural leadership styles: (Gallup) strengths, limitations, team gaps

Natural Listening Styles

Asking probing questions

The Importance of Emotions For LearningThe Importance of Emotions For Learning

“You change people by delight. You change people by pleasure”

- St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century

Mystic and Philosopher

Create sense of belonging and connection; Share rooms, meals, rides. Small groups

Hospitality

Problem-solving

Developing shared visions

Appreciation of local culture

– artistic interludes

– poetry, music, dance, farm to table meals.

Entrepreneurial coaching “across the kitchen table”

building a relationship with an entrepreneur by asking questions

over 5-7 sessions to create a business plan involving competitive advantage,

marketing research and sales projections, finances, management team needs, partnerships and other issues.

no advice or judgment.

Making it visceral:

Every participant must coach an entrepreneur

Mini- grants for practical experiences.

Regional teams form to stimulate entrepreneurship during 6 month period -youth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial contests about waste products, entrepreneurship centers in local libraries, policy work with government leaders

Expand awareness of entrepreneurial support network in region and nation – conversations with key providers.

What local, state and national policies limit and encourage an entrepreneurial culture or mind-set?

National or international rural entrepreneurship mobile tour:

We’re not alone.

How other rural area compete and nurture entrepreneurship

Importance of global markets

So what? Individual and group reflections – especially, about mini-grant teams and lessons learned from the experience.

Donated over 9,000 hours to the community and region;

Made 758 presentations to groups and organizations; Launched 68 entrepreneurial-friendly community

initiatives; Coached 486 individuals or teams; Created 224 new jobs as part of coaching efforts

(valued at approximately, $8,151,360 for a one year period )

Saved 42 jobs as part of coaching efforts (valued at approximately, $1,528,380 for a one year period)

Over 68 entrepreneurial-friendly community initiatives have been launched including youth entrepreneurship in schools, entrepreneurial contests, new networks, incubators in rural areas, entrepreneurial help centers in rural libraries.

. . . and a tight network of 115 volunteer grass-roots leaders who are committed to strengthening entrepreneurship in the region.

Ongoing commitment:

Alumni seminars every six months

Volunteer commitment for 2 year minimum