New Resident Attraction
Development Opportunities For Rural America
People attraction, development, and retention is an essential element in growing more prosperous rural communities. It is also one of e2’s top 10 likely entrepreneurial development opportunities. When we attract new residents, support resident development, and create communities that are magnetic in retaining human talent, we create a whole set of community economic development and entrepreneurship related development opportunities.

For decades the migration pattern in America has been from rural to urban areas. Currently, there is a countertrend with some of America’s city residents moving to rural communities. New resident attraction is a development opportunity but also a necessity for many rural communities. This month’s feature paper, New Resident Attraction, is a guide providing strategies for communities wanting to embrace the current urban-to-rural migration trend.

This paper is part of our Strategy Guide Series curated around our top 10 Likely Entrepreneurial Development Opportunities list. It joins our guides, Retiree-Led Development, released in July and last month's Tourism-Led Development guide. We plan to share more strategy guides via this newsletter in the new year, so keep an eye out for those. For those of you wanting access to the guides now, visit our website's resource library!

Our newest podcast episode explores the migration trends and possibilities for entrepreneurship that new residents bring.
Other e2 News
New rural entrepreneur-focused initiative. Like other states in the Rocky Mountain West, there are two Oregons – major metros like Portland where most of the state’s population lives and vast rural areas. The Ford Family Foundation is a long and trusted development partner in rural Oregon. After more than a year of preparation, the Foundation is launching an entrepreneur-focused development initiative and rural community ecosystem building effort. e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and NetWork Kansas have been advisers in the visioning and development of this Initiative. Over time, we will share the development of this initiative, lessons learned, and how it is impacting rural communities in the beaver state. More info.
Bob Stoll from Ord, Nebraska, kicks off E3 initiative last month.
New entrepreneurial ecosystem building initiative. The Nebraska Community Foundation launched a new, 3-year, statewide initiative called Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems or E3 in six Nebraska towns with supporting partners, NetWork Kansas and e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, among others. Organizers say the initiative is different from past efforts aimed at growing entrepreneurism because it is locally-driven, community-centric, and framed with an abundance mindset – a philosophy known worldwide as asset-based community development. More info.
Field News
Pandemic spurs young families to leave big cities for the heartland. Will they stay? As a complement to the feature story on new resident attraction in this e2 newsletter, this Los Angeles Times article shares the stories and issues facing young couples pondering a move to rural, Midwest America.

Racism and the Economy, Focus on Financial Services. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is hosting this virtual event on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT. This is the tenth installment in their virtual event series, which examines the impact of structural racism on our economy and advances ideas to improve economic outcomes for all Americans.

Turning Points: Doing Rural Development Differently. The Aspen Institute has released this paper on “doing rural development differently” and focusing on local assets to help everyone prosper. This will also be included as a chapter in the upcoming release of Investing in Rural Prosperity from the Federal Reserve.

The Joy of Owning a Business in Retirement. Why are more than half of small businesses owned by people 55 and older? This article explains some reasons and offers tips for those thinking about becoming an “encore entrepreneur.”

Women's Entrepreneurship Day. The Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) is hosting a virtual summit #WEDO2021 on Nov. 19th. More info.