Ben Winchester is a rural sociologist whose research into the rural “brain gain” has illuminated the trend of 30- to 49-year-olds migrating to rural America. A purveyor of good news that small towns are not dying, Ben is on a mission to elevate a positive narrative on rural America through the use of applied research and data. This episode spans the history behind the negative rural narrative, how small towns can be more welcoming to newcomers and the positive work happening in the rural development industry.