Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension

06/13/2026

Calling All Future Founders! 🚀

Join us at the Inaugural CEC Future Founders Market during the 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference!

📍 New Downtown Maryville Pavilion
📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026
🕓 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Young entrepreneurs ages 18 and under are invited to showcase their products, ideas, and creativity in a professional market setting. This exciting event celebrates youth entrepreneurship and helps build the next generation of rural business leaders.

Know a young innovator ready to shine? Encourage them to participate!

📧 For vendor information and to register, contact Autumn Quimby at [email protected]

Visit Maryville, Missouri MU Extension - Business and Communities Missouri After School Network

06/04/2026

YOU are the "Y" in Maryville. Well... not literally. 😊

But you are the reason we gather.

The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference isn't about keynote speakers, breakout sessions, or even the host community. It's about bringing together people who care deeply about the places they call home and who are willing to invest their time, talent, and energy into making those places stronger.

That's why the City of Maryville, Missouri is excited to welcome community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, elected officials, nonprofit professionals, and changemakers from across Missouri and beyond for the 2026 CEC Conference!

📍 Maryville, Missouri
📅 September 15–17, 2026

Join us as we explore how entrepreneurial thinking, community leadership, innovation, agriculture, and local action create MOmentum from Main Street to Farm Gate.

✅ Early Bird Registration available through June 30
✅ Hotel room blocks are now open
✅ Networking, inspiration, and practical ideas you can take home and put to work immediately

Register today! https://bit.ly/CEC26REG ✅

Find the schedule and lodging info: https://bit.ly/CEC26ScheduleSite

Because the most important part of CEC isn't where it's held.
It's who shows up.
And this year, Maryville can't wait to welcome YOU.

MU Extension - Business and Communities

06/01/2026

Did you miss the CEC Exchange Webinar last Friday? Watch the recording to learn about the HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship program and hear firsthand from participants in Poplar Bluff about how this initiative is helping strengthen local businesses and communities. Don’t miss these inspiring insights from entrepreneurs and community leaders!

University of Missouri Extension delivered HOMEGROWN Entrepreneursh...

05/27/2026

Join MU Extension - Business and Communities this Friday, May 29, to hear firsthand from Emily Hale about the impact the Homegrown program is making for local businesses and communities.

Watch Emily’s story, get inspired, and join the conversation about strengthening entrepreneurial communities together - then join us LIVE this Friday for the CEC Exchange Webinar to learn even more.

“Programs like Homegrown remind entrepreneurs that they’re not building alone.”

Discover how communities support entrepreneurs through connections, collaboration, and shared ideas that help businesses grow and thrive.

Register now! https://pears.io/events/mu/4650/

Join us this Friday for the LIVE Webinar - it's FREE!

Poplar Bluff Chamber Grow Our Downtown Poplar Bluff
Delta Regional Authority

05/14/2026

You will not want to miss the FREE Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension CEC Exchange LIVE Webinar as we share an overview of the HOMEGROWN program. Participants from the April session in Poplar Bluff will share their experiences with and feedback on the program.

MU Extension - Business and Communities delivered HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship to Poplar Bluff in April 2026 with a two-day workshop and vendor fair designed to inspire, equip, and connect entrepreneurs at every stage.

Entrepreneurship—creative and traditional alike—is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable local economic growth. By investing in locally owned businesses, communities strengthen their economies from the inside out, supporting innovation, job creation, and long-term vitality.

First launched in 2021, the HOMEGROWN curriculum event in Poplar Bluff was made possible through funding from the Delta Regional Authority.

LIVE🔴Webinar: Friday, May 29, from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

➜ Register Now: https://pears.io/events/mu/7053/

04/28/2026

Tomorrow is here—and so is your opportunity!

Early Bird Registration is now open for the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference 2026

If you care about your community’s future, this is your space.

If you’re ready to think bigger about your local economy—this is your moment.

💡 Join us in Maryville

💲 Save with Early Bird pricing through June 30

Register today: https://bit.ly/CEC26REG

Let’s build momentum—together.

Visit Maryville, Missouri City of Maryville, Missouri MU Extension - Business and Communities

04/21/2026

Your community is more than one idea, one business, or one street— It’s an ecosystem. And it’s time to think bigger.

Join MU Extension - Business and Communities for the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, happening in Visit Maryville, Missouri, from September 15 -17, 2026.

Early Bird Registration opens April 24!

04/11/2026

Thank you to MU Extension in Butler County Extension Engagement Specialist Jennifer Williams for representing entrepreneurship so well in this interview with KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau!

Organizers say the event will help small business owners and others interested in entrepreneurship network and find practical tools for building projects.

04/09/2026

Join MU Extension for a vibrant showcasing of local creative vendors bringing their unique, handmade, and inspired products for you to explore! Saturday, April 18, in Downtown Poplar Bluff, Missouri!

Interested in being a vendor?

Contact Elena: [email protected]

03/19/2026

The best things are 🌱

Ashley Brown and Elena Stephenson of MU Extension - Business and Communities recently sat down with Jakob Pallesen of the Missouri SBDC at SEMO to explore how creative talent can evolve into full-fledged businesses.

The conversation highlighted a powerful truth: creativity is more than an outlet—it’s an opportunity. With the right support, structure, and commitment of both head and heart, creative passion can grow into a sustainable and impactful enterprise.

This is the spirit behind Homegrown Poplar Bluff—where local creatives are empowered to take the next step from idea to business.

📅 April 17–18 | Poplar Bluff, MO
💡 Designed for creatives ready to grow
💸 Free to attend, thanks to the Delta Regional Authority -

PLUS! You'll get to hear key pieces from this interview with Jakob.

👉 Registration is now open—don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something built from the ground up.

https://extension.missouri.edu/events/homegrown-for-the-creative-economy-poplar-bluff

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