TUESDAY, July 8th
Opening Reception | Tuesday, July 8th, 4:00pm to 8:30pm
Join us at the 2025 USASBE Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium’s Opening Reception!
ISU Student Innovation Center and Brewing Lab tours | 4:00pm to 6:30pm
Receive a Welcome from the 2025 Symposium’s Co-chairs Linda Niehm and Judi Eyles followed by tours of 2 of Iowa State University’s facilities that support entrepreneurial education.
Alumni Entrepreneur Showcase | 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Continue learning about entrepreneurship at Iowa State with the Alumni Entrepreneur Showcase which will include a Dinner and a Market showcasing Iowa State alumni and their entrepreneurial endeavors. We’ll hear their stories and have an opportunity to sample their products and engage with them.
Featured Caterers: Macubana, Clayton Farms Salads, Schonert’s Corporate Catering, C’est la Crepe
Featured Retailers: b.e.good, Linda Tong Planners, Friest Designs, Dakota Custom, Perfect Plantista
WEDNESDAY, July 9th
Keynote Speaker | 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Dr. Jeffrey Stamp |Chief Storyteller | Bold Thinking
Dr. Jeffrey Stamp is a Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of Applied Economics in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Stamp teaches courses in creativity, concept design, sales, strategic leadership, and entrepreneurial thinking skills to students from 14 majors across campus.
Dr. Stamp’s love of creativity evolved over years of being a professional creative. He was the creator and director of the team that innovated Baked! Lays ® Potato Crisps, part of PepsiCo’s snack division, Frito-Lay. Dr. Stamp has won a coveted Edison Award silver medal for the Food and Beverage Category and was awarded the “George Land World-Class Innovator Award” from the Innovation Network and Fast Company magazine.
Dr. Stamp has won numerous teaching awards, including the University of Minnesota 2024 Entrepreneurship Faculty of the Year and the University of Minnesota Pioneering and Innovation Award in Academic Advancement. Dr. Stamp has lectured at over 200 corporations and 100 universities worldwide.
A learning session with Dr. Stamp is like a thrill ride for your brain, with exciting twists and turns that lead you, unexpectedly, to “a-ha!” moments you can use for a lifetime.
Symposium Session 1 | 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Research in Rural Entrepreneurship Track
Moderator: Linda Niehm, Symposium Co-Chair
How Sense of Place and Openness to Change Influence Community Entrepreneurship Intentions—Erik Monsen
Market Heterogeneity and Governance: Institutional Pressures Driving Franchise Performance Across Metropolitan and Rural Contexts—Charles Nicholas
Exploring the Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Environmental Sustainability Practices on Century Farm Performance: The Moderating Role of Generational Involvement—Stephen Mukembo
U.S. Agritourism Operator Perspectives on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Implications of a National Exploratory Survey for Rural Business Support Organizations—Jason Entsminger
Rural Entrepreneurship Panel: How I Did It | 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Building in a Small Town podcast/The 214 Main Project documentary/The Back Yard shop/Gym-N-Eat Crickets—Shelby Smith
Clayton Farms Salads—Clayton Mooney
Farm Story Meats—Ray Schmidt
Thelma’s—Dereck Lewis
Symposium Session 2 | 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Innovative Programming in Rural Areas Track
Moderator: Erik Monsen, Track Co-chair
Building the Ecosystem for Rural Entrepreneurship: A New MBA Concentration in Rural Management—Lou Marino
Bridging the Gap in Rural Communities: A Proposed Study on How Internships Can Revitalize Talent Pipelines for Small Rural Retail Businesses—Steven McKinney
Enhancing Community Vitality and Small Business Growth in Iowa: Utilizing Entrepreneurial Internships to Empower Students and Business Owners—Jessica Hurst
THURSDAY, July 10th
Symposium Session 3 | 8:45am to 10:15am
Research in Rural Entrepreneurship Track
Moderator: Lou Marino, Track Co-Chair
AI Utilization Strategies for Rural Entrepreneurs: Focusing on the Relationship Between Digital Literacy and Prompt Engineering—Ken Tsai
Mobile Technologies and Women’s Entrepreneurship on Online Platforms in Bangladesh: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Implications—Kamrunnahar Kamrunnahar
Digital Resilience in Rural Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Role of AI-Driven Strategies for Small Businesses—Ken Tsai & Linda Niehm
Smart Solutions in Small Towns: Leveraging AI to Address Business and Community Challenges through a Community Capitals (CC) Action Framework—Rakesh Salian
Symposium Session 4 |10:45am to 12:15pm
Teaching Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas Track
Moderator: Lane Perry, Track Co-chair
The Available Opportunity Space for Rural Entrepreneurship Education—Lucy McGowan
Cultivating Rural Student Success in the Multi-Billion-Dollar Music Industry Through Creative, Experiential, and Innovative Teaching Methodologies—David Cyzak
Addressing Institutional Voids in Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: The Role of Service-Learning and University-Based Consulting for Microenterprises—Lane Perry
Revitalizing Main Street: A Community-University Partnership Approach—Emily M.S. Worrall & Linda Niehm
Rural Entrepreneurship Panel: Supporting Start-ups in Iowa | 12:15pm to 1:15pm
Moderator: Judi Eyles, Symposium Co-chair
Iowa Economic Development Authority—Amy Kuhlers
Iowa Cultivation Corridor — Billi Hunt
ISU Economic Development & Industry Relations—David Spalding
Renew Rural Iowa–Adam Koppes
Better Together: A Practical Framework for Rural Economic Developers to Build Founder-First Ecosystems presented by Startup Colorado | 1:15pm to 2:45pm
Tim Martinez, Director of Program Development & Innovation
Vanessa McCrann, Community Engagement Director
Mark Madic, Ecosystem Development & Partnerships Director
FRIDAY, July 11th
Symposium Session 5 | 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Research in Rural Entrepreneurship Track
Moderator: Michael Conger, Track Co-chair
The Minnesota Business Succession and Transition (BST) Study — Michael Darger
Are all Rural Business Exits Bad? Comparisons between Minority Communities — Kris Irwin
What Questions Should We Ask? Exploring Rural Coworking in North America — Erik Monsen
Social Aid Support and Rural Entrepreneurship — Ileana Maldonado & Paul Sanchez
Teaching in Agritourism Management with a Focus on Rural Entrepreneurship — Tetyana Kalna-Dubinyuk
Symposium Session 6 | 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Entrepreneurship in Rural Industries: Retail, Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Tourism Track
Moderator: Judi Eyles, Track Co-chair
Potential Factors Influencing the Actions and Effectiveness of Family Farm Entrepreneurship—Clay Dibrell & Aaron Johnson
Scaling Mobile Fruit and Vegetable Processing Innovations—Lisa Bates & Courtney Long
Native Prairie Bison: The Business of Restoring Iowa’s Native Ecosystems—Jathan Chicoine
Lasting Impressions with Illinois’ First Boutique Campground—Stephanie Bias
Choose Iowa presentation | 12:30pm to 1:00pm
Beth Romer — Choose Iowa Program Director
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