Arkansas announces new entrepreneurial training program for economic developers
Known as the 75Strong program, one area of focus is selecting 30 to 50 economic developers to pursue and receive a certification from the International Economic Development Council.
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has announced the development of 75Strong, a new statewide program designed to train economic developers and community leaders on entrepreneurship and small business development and to provide direct technical support for small businesses throughout Arkansas.
As a statewide program, 75Strong will connect all regions in Arkansas – especially rural and underserved areas – with entrepreneurial ecosystem support. The program will connect rural communities and businesses in these areas with resources and support, in addition to providing direct support to businesses within and related to Arkansas’ target industries.
“At AEDC, supporting the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs is one of our major areas of focus, and the 75Strong program will play an important role in helping these businesses succeed in Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, AEDC’s Executive Director. “This new program will provide the tools, resources, and training to help community leaders across the state grow their small business and entrepreneurial ecosystems – which will lead to more jobs and investment in the years to come.”
The mission of the three-year program is to empower Arkansas communities through entrepreneurship by equipping and deploying community leaders throughout the state as Entrepreneurial Developers, providing business-building support to local businesses, and organizing a statewide network of entrepreneurial support resources.
Key outcomes for the program include selecting 30 to 50 economic developers to pursue and receive the Entrepreneurial Development Professional (EDP) certification from the International Economic Development Council, selecting 20 communities to conduct Community Assessments through the Venture Ecosystem-Building Canvas, create and launch Entrepreneurial Development Strategic Plans for 10 or more communities, and launch Entrepreneurial Development Steering Teams for five or more communities.
The program will be managed by Startup Junkie and Conductor, in partnership with AEDC’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Division.
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