My original questions in 2004 –
Is rural Kentucky entrepreneurial-friendly?
Is there a culture that values and helps entrepreneurs
emerge and prosper?
What I Learned from My Research?
Lack of community support for “new ideas” or entrepreneurship;
Lack of regional identity; focus on local counties;
Lack of grass-roots entrepreneurial leaders and coaches;
Limited understanding of resources for entrepreneurs;
Limited networking among natural coaches;
Lack of training for local leaders to become advocates and
coaches;
Limited understanding of entrepreneurial culture ;
Hidden entrepreneurial culture exists.
People care about their community
People want to learn more about entrepreneurship
What can we do to strengthen the
foundation for an entrepreneurial culture
in rural Kentucky?
Response: Start with the local leaders
(bankers, barbers, bartenders . . . elected
leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers,
homemakers, retailers, retired people).
Build a Leadership Program
Recruitment: grass roots leaders in region.
Competitive process.
Benefits: All expenses paid. Stature and
skills, knowledge and network enhanced.
Travel and growth.
Set high expectations:
Must want to improve community and build
entrepreneurial culture WITH others.
Must attend all seminars and travel experiences – 22
days over a 16 month period.
Must do homework between sessions – interviews,
regional projects
Must donate hours back to region after graduation.
Next Step:
What are the skills, knowledge, and attitudes we want
to nurture among grass-roots leaders in the region to
strengthen the entrepreneurial culture?
Responses came from rural entrepreneurship
experts and from almost
200 people in the region.
Overall goals:
Stimulate the imagination of local leaders and give them
tools to lay the foundation for an entrepreneurial culture.
Give them the venue to create a regional identity, build a
strong support network and insist that they make change.
Make rural Kentucky the most entrepreneurial-friendly
culture in rural America
What do we want to nurture in
entrepreneurial leaders?
What should they learn?
Stimulate imagination—see and
meet entrepreneurs from a
variety of perspectives.
Creativity – Create in groups.
Learn about appreciative inquiry and how to apply it.
The question: What’s working well?
Why?
Gratitude committee.
What the Economic
Development
consultant saw were
problems:
“Windy roads”
“Rolling terrain”
“Sparse population”
Elliott County, KY
“Only strategy:
Connect to other
places”
Another View
“Windy roads are scenic”
“Rolling terrain is interesting”
“We have dramatic gorges, clear
trout streams and nationally-known
folk artists, e.g., Minnie Adkins”
“Located near Natural Bridge State
Park which receives 1 million visitors
a year!”
Local Leaders, Elliott County
Scenic Roadways
Folk Art, Barn Mural
Natural Beauty, Trout Streams
Know thyself and others in the team:
Natural leadership styles:
(Gallup) strengths, limitations, team gaps
Natural Listening Styles
Asking probing questions
The Importance of Emotions For Learning
“You change people by delight.
You change people by pleasure”
- St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century
Mystic and
Philosopher
Create sense of belonging and connection;
Share rooms, meals, rides. Small groups
Hospitality
Problem-solving
Developing shared visions
Appreciation of local culture
– artistic interludes
– poetry, music, dance, farm to table meals.
Entrepreneurial coaching “across the kitchen table”
building a relationship with an entrepreneur by asking
questions
over 5-7 sessions to create a business plan involving
competitive advantage,
marketing research and sales projections, finances,
management team needs, partnerships and other issues.
no advice or judgment.
Making it visceral:
Every participant must coach an entrepreneur
Mini- grants for practical experiences.
Regional teams form to stimulate
entrepreneurship during 6 month period youth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial contests
about waste products, entrepreneurship centers in
local libraries, policy work with government
leaders
Expand awareness of entrepreneurial
support network in region and nation –
conversations with key providers.
Business
Civic life
Government
What local, state and national policies
limit and encourage an entrepreneurial
culture or mind-set?
National or international rural
entrepreneurship mobile tour:
We’re not alone.
How other rural area compete and nurture
entrepreneurship
Importance of global markets
So what? Individual and
group reflections –
especially, about minigrant teams and lessons
learned from the
experience.

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Donated over 9,000 hours to the community and
region;
Made 758 presentations to groups and organizations;
Launched 68 entrepreneurial-friendly community
initiatives;
Coached 486 individuals or teams;
Created 224 new jobs as part of coaching efforts
(valued at approximately, $8,151,360 for a one year
period )
Saved 42 jobs as part of coaching efforts (valued at
approximately, $1,528,380 for a one year period)

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Over 68 entrepreneurial-friendly community
initiatives have been launched including youth
entrepreneurship in schools, entrepreneurial
contests, new networks, incubators in rural
areas, entrepreneurial help centers in rural
libraries.
. . . and a tight network of 115 volunteer grassroots leaders who are committed to
strengthening entrepreneurship in the region.
Ongoing commitment:
Alumni seminars every six months
Volunteer commitment for 2 year minimum