Rural communities are a focus for us here at Verdunity. In this episode, AJ interviews Julianna Dodson, Deputy Executive Director, and Radically Rural Director for the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship. Prior to her work with Hannah Grimes, she was primarily in the financial services industry (which according to her is a lot more vibrant and dynamic than one might imagine!) but has also taught English overseas, and runs her own small business on the side. 

Together they chat about how to transform these places for the better. You might be surprised to hear that rural communities face some of the same issues that bigger cities do – housing shortages, inability to find affordable child care – but they also face issues like the hollowing out of medical support systems that historically have been a part of the rural fabric. Julianna highlights how rural communities have attempted to recover from one financial crisis after the next and how they do that differently than cities.

Press Coverage:

Radically Rural 2023 Summit

https://www.radicallyrural.org/2023-summit/

Radically Rural PitchFork Challenge

https://www.radicallyrural.org/pitchfork-challenge/

The News Project – ‘Radically Rural’

https://gnat-tv.org/the-news-project-radically-rural/

Tight knit: Connection is critical for progress in rural entrepreneurial ecosystems

https://www.kauffman.org/currents/connection-is-critical-rural-entrepreneurial-ecosystems/

Radically Rural: Turning the Silver Tsunami into Gold

https://dailyyonder.com/radically-rural-turning-the-silver-tsunami-into-gold/2020/01/06/

In Little Keene, NH, Boosting Rural Economies and Entrepreneurship

https://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2019/08/22/in-little-keene-nh-boosting-rural-economies-and-entrepreneurship/?sh=455daadd7e98

Resources:

Federal Resources for Rural America

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/community-strategies-group/rural-in-the-american-rescue-plan/

The Rural Business Show, Episode 42: Radically Rural

https://www.ruralbusiness.com/episode-42-radically-rural/

E&P Reports Vodcast, Episode 101: Focusing on Small-Town America

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-jmbbi-fde3064?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

2022 Radically Rural Summit Recap

https://www.radicallyrural.org/2022-summit/

Mentioned in This Episode:

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

https://bookshop.org/p/books/educated-a-memoir-tara-westover/15280731?ean=9780399590528

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