Entrepreneurial Communities

See Change wasn’t your typical conference. Over a few days in Burlington, conversations built on one another as art and music flowed between sessions and small track cohorts dug deep into big questions. Experts guided, ideas collided, and connections formed in unexpected places. The event may be over, but the energy and insights continue to ripple outward. Read on to see what we found. Learn more about See Change and the other topic tracks here.

Hustle & Resilience: Growing Innovative Businesses from the Ground Up

In partnership with the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA), these sessions will focus on reimagining how rural regions can build stronger, more connected entrepreneurial ecosystems. Together, we’ll explore what businesses are the “right-fit” for community needs in places like the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, highlight the traits and values of founders best suited to rural communities, and identify innovative or non-traditional ways of funding and supporting entrepreneurs and startups that align with local culture, assets, and opportunities. Our goal is to move from isolated efforts toward collective action—generating collaborative, community-driven economic activity that helps entrepreneurs and their communities thrive.

Objectives

Our goals will be to:

• Build purposeful, lasting relationships and a collaborative mindset that extend beyond the event.
• Empower participants to co-create a shared framework for stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Elevate new voices and perspectives not often included in traditional entrepreneurial gatherings.
• Promote regional collaboration, reduce duplication of efforts, and maximize impact for communities and entrepreneurs.

Topic Guides & Experience Guides

Each track was supported by a curated group of topic guides—individuals with deep, hands-on experience and a unique connection to the subject at hand. Alongside them, experience guides shift your perspective, leading you through meaningful moments rooted in nature, movement, creativity, or conversation. Working closely with the track facilitator, both topic guides and experience guides help shape the direction of the conversations and ensure the labs stay grounded in real-world insight and a deep collaborative spirit.

WTF Session

Some topics really make you stop and say "what the f&%$ is that?" So, we made a whole series around it! A topic guide demystified an intriguing topic in a fast-moving, Cliffs Notes–esque format.

Topic Focus

We gathered to reimagine how rural communities can strengthen entrepreneurship and community impact through broader and deeper coordination and collaboration between individuals, organizations, towns, and regions. Recognizing that no single small community can provide every resource, career path, or opportunity needed for local businesses to thrive, these sessions explored how rural regions across the country (like the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont) can build collective strength instead of competing in isolated silos.

Our focus was on defining what “right-sized” businesses look like in rural areas—ventures that align with local culture, values, and assets while being positioned for immediate success without requiring major infrastructure investments. Together, entrepreneurs, funders, resource providers, and cultural leaders examined both the types of founders drawn to rural regions and the business models most likely to succeed in this context.

Participants also co-developed a resource that maps the characteristics and values of successful rural founders and businesses, as well as innovative or non-traditional ways of funding and supporting entrepreneurs and startups that align with local culture, assets, and opportunities to best position businesses for success.

Who was this track for?

This track was designed for a diverse group of stakeholders who play key roles in fostering and celebrating rural entrepreneurship. Whether you're building a business, investing in local ventures, shaping policy, or providing resources, these sessions offered valuable insights and new relationships. We created space for those who don’t regularly participate in the “typical” entrepreneurial gatherings, to highlight new voices and perspectives. We also focused on remote workers, new residents, and emerging entrepreneurs to an area, and the support systems that foster meaningful integration between wider support networks and local communities by connecting diverse perspectives and encouraging mutual exchange.

• Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders — From big tech ventures to the small business owners on “Main Street,” particularly those with experience in facing the unique challenges of building businesses & business-focused communities in environments with obstacles related to limited infrastructure and resources.
• Investors & Financial Institutions — Individuals and organizations interested in discovering new and untraditional markets and understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of funding businesses outside of urban centers.
• Economic Development Professionals & Policymakers — Those focused on creating and sustaining supportive environments for entrepreneurship to thrive through policy, infrastructure, and funding initiatives.
• Community Leaders & Ecosystem Builders — Place-based local leaders, educators, students, and organizations working to foster collaboration and long-term economic resilience in their communities.
• Emerging Entrepreneurs & Early Stage Supporters — The curious & the passionate. Those in the “becoming” stage of leadership, young people, and those in areas without deep support networks. New or temporary residents looking to get involved in a new community.
• Support Organizations & Resource Providers — Incubators, accelerators, universities, and nonprofit organizations that offer tools, education, and resources for entrepreneurs.

Still have questions? Check out the FAQs to learn about hotels, parking, meals, and other logistics.