Every Nebraska community has their own culture and strengths to build on. The Entrepreneurial Communities Activation Process (ECAP) helps you turn those attributes into real economic momentum. Through the program’s hands-on guidance and goal-setting, you will gain the tools and confidence to shape your community’s future and create lasting growth—starting with what makes your town unique.
WHAT HAS WORKED?
Community conversations are the heart of ECAP. These conversations use Appreciative Inquiry to help you talk about what you love about you community, what makes it special, and the successes you have already experienced. Appreciative Inquiry reminds you that while there is room to improve, you are already starting from a place of success.
WHAT CAN WORK?
With success as the foundation, your community conversations can turn to imagining your community’s future. Driven by local ideas, this “envisioning” leads to action-based plans that build on existing leadership, economic strengths, and innovative ideas, creating tailor-made solutions to achieving the goals you want for your future.
WHAT’S NEXT?
With goals in place, prosperity starts to feel real and reachable. As you see the process of turning action plans into results, you get to decide what steps to take, who is involved, and what success looks like. This is where communities take ownership, working together to move from vision to action and build the community they want.
Eight Entrepreneurial Community Characteristics
COMMUNITY VISION
Communities with strong vision and clear goals have the tangible, strategic plan that moves them toward success.
LEADERSHIP
Entrepreneurial communities develop their own approach to leadership, building on their unique community strengths.
CULTURE OF CHANGE
Driven by commitment to the community’s future, a culture of change supports innovation and new ideas for growth.
INFRASTRUCTURE
A community’s infrastructure distributes goods and services to support social services, schools, hospitals, and more.
Eight Entrepreneurial Community Characteristics
ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Communities support entrepreneurs of all types in securing the resources they need to create, expand, and establish their businesses.
DIGITAL CONNECTION
Entrepreneurial communities create the opportunities to increase broadband adoption, usage, and connectivity.
SENSE OF PLACE
Communities highlight the characteristics that create a community’s identity, pride, and a history of belonging among residents.
EDUCATION / WORKFORCE IQ
Entrepreneurial communities use the creative ideas and resources of their residents to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Contact
JORDAN RASMUSSEN
RPN Extension Educator
402-719-5230
jordan.rasmussen@unl.edu