The More Diversity, The Better.
In one of the earliest cohorts of our Virtual Business Incubator program (a 6-week virtual training program that takes rural entrepreneurs from the inception of an idea all the way to delivery), we were blown away by one thing:
Diversity.
This word gets used a lot lately, and that’s a good thing. But when we say diversity, we mean TOTAL diversity–ALL elements.
Folks from different countries, different genders, different nationalities, folks with 30+ year careers, folks in high school, folks with kids, retirees, artisans… the sky’s the limit!
When we analyzed our early cohorts, here are some numbers we saw:
- 75%+ were women
- 60%+ were women with kids <12 years
- 35% were youth (ages 12-30)
- 25% were newcomers from other countries.
Our founder, Andrew Button, NEVER saw numbers like these during his time in economic development. The untapped potential of rural communities is insane!
We believe that diversity is the SECRET SAUCE of rural activation. In larger cities, there are enough people around that creatives might cluster together in their respective niches. Musicians would find musicians. Artisans would find artisans. etc. Everyone melts into their niche.
But in tiny communities, it’s more of a cultural mosaic. All kinds of unlikely connections are born that might not happen anywhere else!
Perhaps the best way to show you is with a story.
Imagine This CRAZY Scenario:
In one of our earliest cohorts of the Virtual Business Accelerator, here’s who we had one of our Zoom calls:
- A 17-year-old creating an online magazine to showcase rising musicians, artists, and talent in her local community.
- A 72-year-old opera singer trying to reinvent how he gets gigs.
- A 55-year-old who left the corporate world to enjoy her retirement was building a business sewing upscale clothing for women.
And this was ONE phone call.
It’s not just age; it’s not just race, it’s not just nationality, it’s not just culture, it’s not just background, it’s not just passion, it’s not just expertise– it’s ALL of these things coming together at the same time and in the same place!
Its ideas, expertise, experiences and perspectives all collided to create something unique!
THAT is the true power of rural diversity.
THAT is the true power of rural potential!
Your Community Needs YOUR Unique Diversity! We’d Love To Meet You!
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re an entrepreneur or someone passionate about their community and your business, just like these entrepreneurs were. If you want to help unleash the untapped potential of your community or you have a business idea, here are two ways you can help:
- Share this article with one friend. Do you have a partner in crime? Do you know people who have BIG ideas and want to unleash them? Who comes to mind? Do you have a name in your head? This person would love to hear from you. Think of the ripple effect you could start!
- If you want to plug into our resources, we would LOVE (seriously: LOVE) to meet you. The easiest way for you to do that is to pick a time in our calendar, and we’ll do the rest!