Limited understanding of entrepreneurial culture
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Transcript Limited understanding of entrepreneurial culture
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.
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)
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