Pathways to Rural Prosperity with Don Macke

In this edition of Pathways to Rural Prosperity Podcast Don Macke with e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems hosts KC Belitz, Chief Operating Office with the Nebraska Community Foundation and leader for a new E-Community initiative based in Nebraska called E3 for short or Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems.  E3 is off to a very promising start and has a vision of taking entrepreneurship statewide over the coming decade. The Nebraska Community Foundation is a best-in-class rural statewide community building initiative rooted in community philanthropy.

In this podcast episode, Don Macke hosts Tina Metzer and Jessica Glendinning with RuralRISE, an important entrepreneurship initiative focusing on Rural America. Tina and Jessica share their personal development journeys and the “why” and “what” of RuralRISE. Additionally, they explore how folks can participate in the upcoming September 28-30th RuralRISE gathering in Emporia, Kansas along with other networking and learning opportunities.

Whether a brand new start-up or an existing business seeking to grow, mentoring can be a powerful tool within any community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Shelley Paasch and Don Macke explore the “why,” “what,” and “how” of entrepreneur mentoring programs. This episode also explores tried-and-true cost-sharing programs for providing customized technical assistance to entrepreneurs including mentors.

In this episode of Pathways to Rural Prosperity Podcast Shelley Paasch and Don Macke focus on Entrepreneurial Communities and Business Services. Foundational to entrepreneurial ecosystems is their ability to connect area entrepreneurs to relevant resources like capital, technical assistance, and mentoring. In this podcast, Shelley and Don explore the role of area business services as both mentors and go-to components of any community-centered entrepreneurial ecosystem whether rural or urban.

In this episode, Don Macke talks with Andy Stoll, Senior Program Officer for Entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Andy is a champion of community-centered entrepreneurial ecosystem building. Our conversation explores Andy’s life journey, Nebraska roots, ecosystem building in Iowa, and now his work within the Kauffman Foundation.

In this podcast episode, Don Macke’s guest is Elizabeth Hutchison with Carson+Co Global, a key creator of e2’s new Ord, Nebraska, Articulate 360 e-Learning Resource. You will learn about Elizabeth’s personal development journey, Carson+Co Global, and explore the web-based learning resource that captures the entire Ord, Nebraska, transformative entrepreneurial story. Listen for ideas on how your community can use this resource’s courses to grow a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Capital access and financial packaging are core ecosystem resources. One potential source of capital for entrepreneurial ventures is Limited Liability Company (LLC) investors. When paired with community-centered ecosystems, more deal flow and greater development impacts are enabled. In this episode, Shelley Paasch with Kansas Main Street and Don Macke of e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, explore this capital source for rural entrepreneurs with real-life examples from across rural America.

Don Macke hosts David Iaquinta, Nebraska Wesleyan University professor and member of our e2 Ord story capture team. In the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, David touched based with a number of Ord entrepreneurs and community leaders to find out how they were doing. This episode focuses on community resiliency through the lens of David’s interviews and remarkable writings.

In this episode Shelley Paasch and Don Macke focus on Rural Retailing. e2 has curated a list of top likely rural entrepreneurial development opportunities with increasing area spending capture as one of those opportunities. This episode features innovative and successful rural retailing models, stories, and tactics.

In this episode Don Macke hosts Chris Harris from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The episode focuses on the Foundation’s commitment to entrepreneurship investments in the four states adjacent to the Foundation’s home in Kansas City including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.