Transform Your Town into a Tourist Destination

Details

Ada is an example of utilizing technology to transform their community and create new employment opportunities.   In working with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), they were introduced to the Build to Scale grant, a program that supports organizations that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems to support entrepreneurs as they build and scale technology-driven businesses, they found creative and resourceful ways to address the roadblocks that arose.  One of the results of their successful grant application and local collaboration with peer community organizations is the Pontotoc Technology Center, a workforce and entrepreneurship development and training center.

Rural communities, such as Ada, face real challenges in pursuing funding opportunities that can amplify and transform their tech-based economic development efforts.  Pursing outside expertise can prove to be essential sources of support for rural communities in navigating the funding process.  Finding solutions to these challenges is a multi-pronged effort between funding agencies, local economic development leaders, and the community organizations seeking their resources. Rural economic development leaders can take steps to identify and navigate these barriers proactively. And over time, as federal agencies are better informed on those challenges, they can help minimize the impacts of these barriers on rural areas’ ability to access funding and achieve their full digital economy potential.