Rethinking Rural Innovation with Rhonda Ladig of CORI

David Oliver sits down with Rhonda Ladig, Director of Entrepreneurship at the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), to challenge common assumptions about rural innovation. Rhonda shares how CORI's 43 member communities and 101+ tech startups span healthcare, aerospace, biotech, cybersecurity, and outdoor recreation with over 10% of ventures already AI-driven. The conversation digs into how CORI measures real impact beyond "butts in seats," how its new Rural Entrepreneurship Index is helping tell a data-backed story to funders, and why only 1% of venture capital reaches rural communities despite 12% of entrepreneurial activity happening there.

What you'll learn:

• Why "if you've met one rural community, you've met one rural community" and why that matters for how we design support
• The three pillars of CORI's work: community experience, tech workforce development, and entrepreneurship/direct startup support
• How CORI's "train the trainer" model builds lasting capacity instead of dependency
• Moving from outputs to outcomes: lessons from a 6-year longitudinal study in Emporia, Kansas
• What the Rural Entrepreneurship Index measures and why business-creation data tells a different story in rural counties
• The capital gap: 1% of VC vs. 12% of entrepreneurial activity in rural America
• Rhonda's "magic wand" wish for funders, ESOs, and policymakers working in rural communities

Resources & Links:

• Center on Rural Innovation
• Rural Entrepreneurship Index
• Connect with Rhonda Ladig on LinkedIn