Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference April 19-20 in McCook

April 10, 2015

Lincoln, Neb. — The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference will be held April 19-20 in McCook.

The CEC conference is an opportunity for community members to learn about various tools and resources available to assist them in helping entrepreneurs grow and prosper in their communities.  Local, state and regional presenters will share how they found success in building their entrepreneurship ecosystem.   

Dell Gines, Federal Reserve Board of Kansas City-Omaha Branch, will challenge participants to rethink economic development as fostering a dynamic environment where economic opportunities can be discovered, expanded and maximized to create balanced and sustainable economic growth, jobs, a positive sense of ‘place’ and improved quality of life.

Unique to the CEC Conference is the venue locations. Conference sessions are embedded in shops and venues throughout downtown McCook.  As participants move from session to session they will be able to experience McCook’s entrepreneurial community first-hand.

During the conference, participants can select from 35 different sessions to match their community interests in the areas of:

• Youth Entrepreneurship
• Creating e-Communities
• Attraction and Retention
• Entrepreneurship Financing Options
• Healthy Food Access
• Resources to Assist Entrepreneurs
• Foundational Support

For the full agenda, session information and to register, visit http://go.unl.edu/necec2017. Registration is $80 for the full conference until April 15, thereafter, registration is $100.

The University of Nebraska’s Rural Futures Institute are providing a limited number of registration scholarships for individuals living in rural communities. For more scholarship information, contact Connie Hancock at chancock1@unl.edu.

The CEC conference is hosted by the McCook community and Nebraska Extension.  Conference sponsors include the University of Nebraska Rural Futures Institute, McCook Community Foundation Fund, Mid-Plains Community College, McCook Chamber of Commerce, McCook Community Hospital Health Foundation, McCook National Bank and McCook Economic Development Corporation.

Nebraska Extension Conference Contacts:  Ben Dutton, 308.345.3390, ben.dutton@unl.edu; Charlotte Narjes, 402.472.1724; cnarjes1@unl.edu; Marilyn Schlake 402.472.4138, mschlake1@unl.edu; and Connie Hancock, 308.254-4455; chancock1@unl.edu.