From staff reports
The Clarion County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) has been selected as one of 30 communities nationwide to participate in Main Street America’s Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Rural Communities pilot program.
The program, supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in partnership with Forward Cities, aims to engage, activate and empower entrepreneurial talent in rural communities, according to a press release from the CCEDC.
Participants will identify barriers preventing entrepreneurs from starting or growing local businesses and develop action items to address them.
There is also an opportunity for communities to receive additional funding as the program expands.
Jarred Heuer, executive director of the CCEDC, had identified downtown revitalization as a key goal within the corporation’s economic development strategy and will soon be launching a regional Main Street initiative throughout the county.
Members from Main Street America will visit each community and provide virtual programming support for selected communities to implement ecosystem building practices for rural communities and entrepreneurs.
Over the next few months, the CCEDC will work to collect feedback from local entrepreneurs and small business owners through an anonymous survey.
The feedback will help inform the growth and expansion of support for local entrepreneurs in Clarion County.
Local entrepreneurs are welcome to fill out the survey by visiting ClarionCountyEDC.com/E3.