Transform Your Town into a Tourist Destination

Details

The Ada Jobs Foundation’s Conduit Initiative showcases various ways to build and strengthen a tech ecosystem and general entrepreneurism in a community, fostering both immediate and long-term growth. One example is the Customer Discovery Workshop led by Matt Stephens, the Accelerator Manager. This workshop is part of a series designed to help entrepreneurs understand their customer base, which is essential for refining business ideas and effective marketing. “These workshops serve to expose the community to entrepreneurship in a way that is easy to understand and highly valuable. Our goal is to help get people started and encourage them to continue working on their business ideas, knowing that they can come to us whenever they have questions,” Stephens explains.

Tech Meetups, organized by Jake Cantrell, play a vital role in connecting tech professionals. “Tech meetups play a vital role in our local tech community by fostering an environment where people can meet, share ideas, and work on problems together,” says Cantrell. These meetups not only provide networking opportunities but also build a support system where individuals can learn and grow together.

Another key effort is engaging with the future workforce. During the Ada High School Career Exploration Day, Cantrell and Sunnie Dawn Baker spoke to students about entrepreneurship and tech development. Cantrell highlights the significance of this engagement: “By participating in Career Day, we’re able to directly engage with students, showcasing the exciting possibilities in technology and entrepreneurship. This involvement helps lay the groundwork for future innovators and supports our broader mission of stimulating local economic growth through tech education and startup development.”  Find this information and more in Ada's newsletters here.

Additionally, the Youth Coding League, coached by Baker, introduces fifth and sixth graders to coding and computer science, laying the foundation for future tech entrepreneurs. These young students are encouraged to think about technological innovations and how they can impact the world positively.

Through these diverse and interconnected initiatives, the Conduit Initiative demonstrates how communities can foster a thriving tech ecosystem, supporting both current and future entrepreneurs. By leveraging workshops, tech meetups, and educational outreach, they create a cohesive and forward-thinking environment that inspires innovation and sustainable growth - something that can be replicated by other communities.