Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference 2026

Sessions

Sept. 15, 2026

• 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM CDT Welcome to Maryville Pre-Conference Reception

  Join your Maryville CEC Conference Host Committee at the Mozingo Event Center for drinks, appetizers, activities on the deck and a chance to network with other conference participants and colleagues.

  Location: Mozingo Event Center

Sept. 16, 2026

• 08:30 AM - 09:15 AM CDT Pre-Conference: Visit Maryville Coffee & Walking Tour

  Start your day with a cup of local coffee while a member of the CEC Maryville Host Committee hosts a guided exploration of the quaint local locations where you'll attend 2026 Breakout Sessions - make your dinner plans - and enjoy the charm of Downtown Maryville.

  Location: TBD

• 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM CDT Pre-Conference Workshop: Building Civic Muscle: Movement to Thrive Together

  When a community flexes its civic muscle, residents thrive, economies prosper, and neighborhoods flourish. Civic muscle is a relatively new saying, but not a new concept. Civic muscle powers community progress through building the collective strength of people in a place (neighborhood, town, region) to respond to challenges and to proactively pursue thriving communities. When civic muscle is strong, communities can tackle tough issues and collectively create the kind of momentum that draws investment and opportunity. This workshop introduces the Civic Muscle Framework to help local leaders understand how to measure civic muscle and identify strategies to improve outcomes in their communities. Participants will explore the four dimensions of civic muscle: Belonging, Contribution, Leadership, and Vitality, and see how they come to life in Midwest communities. Through stories, data, and practical examples, the workshop will highlight how places can use their civic strengths to spark innovation, foster collaboration, measure outcomes, and cast brighter futures for themselves. This workshop invites leaders, economic developers, and community builders to reframe how they think about capacity, not as something a community lacks, but as something it can grow. By strengthening their civic muscle, communities can transform connection into action and vision into vitality.

  Location: TBD

• 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM CDT Wednesday Opening Session - Welcome to CEC 2026

  The 2026 CEC Conference opens with a Welcome Luncheon and a warm introduction to one of Missouri's friendliest towns.

  Location: TBD

• 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM CDT Rural Workforce Growth Starts with Childcare - Breakout Session

  In rural Missouri, childcare is a critical economic infrastructure. When care is unavailable or unaffordable, employers struggle, workforce participation drops, and entrepreneurial momentum slows. In Nodaway County, the City of Maryville, Nodaway County Commissioners, Maryville Industrial Development Corporation, Nodaway County Economic Development, and Chrisman Consulting partnered on a comprehensive Childcare and Labor shed Study. This data-driven effort quantified workforce loss, assessed employer impact, and created a capital-aligned plan. Participants will leave with a practical framework for using childcare data to strengthen the workforce and drive rural economic growth.

  Location: TBD

• 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM CDT Inside the Microenterprise Journey: Activating Your Local Microbusiness Ecosystem - Breakout Session

  Microenterprises make up 96% of small businesses in the US, yet most support systems weren’t built with them in mind. Attendees will experience the true needs of microbusiness owners, where traditional economic development systems align, and where they unintentionally create friction. We’ll explore the economic impact of microbusinesses, how microbusiness needs differ by stage, and how communities can better activate existing resources to support them. Participants will leave with: - A clearer understanding of microenterprise realities.

  Location: TBD

• 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM CDT Know Your Customer Before You Spend Another Dollar: Using Placer.ai to Turn Location Data into Retail & Restaurant Growth - Breakout Session

  This session introduces Placer.ai (www.placer.ai) as a practical, entrepreneur-friendly tool for using location-based intelligence to understand customer behavior and make smarter decisions on marketing, hours, staffing, site selection, and expansion. I’ll demonstrate how entrepreneurs can: 1. Convert anonymous visits and trade-area patterns into customer insights, 2. Mine generated traffic and visit patterns for operational and marketing decisions, 3. Identify market gaps—what your community is missing and what concepts can win, and 4. Benchmark against “like me, only better” businesses (peer locations that outperform) to uncover what winning operators do differently. The emphasis is not “cool data,” but actionable steps entrepreneurs can take immediately—without hiring consultants or buying expensive studies.

  Location: TBD

• 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM CDT Developing Youth Entrepreneurs through Farmers' Markets - Breakout Session

  The intentional recruitment of young entrepreneurs provides an avenue for them to develop business judgment. This not only contributes to local economic growth but also encourages entrepreneurship at a grassroots level, providing youth with the tools to succeed in the workforce or as business owners. This could mean retention of our youth in rural communities. We have immersed them in experiential learning, building their confidence, knowledge, skills, and connections to the community.

  Location: TBD

• 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM CDT Small Town, Big Brand: Marketing Your Business with Canva - Breakout Session

  Local businesses and solo entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of Missouri’s small towns, yet many struggle to create consistent, professional marketing with limited time and resources. Led by a Canva Certified Community Trainer and Canvassador, participants will learn how to develop a simple brand system, organize reusable templates, and create polished materials for social media, print, and digital outreach. Through guided demonstrations and structured practice, attendees will design branded graphics and promotional content tailored to their own businesses and communities. The session focuses on practical workflows that reduce design overwhelm and increase confidence.

  Location: TBD

• 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM CDT Workshop - From Storefront to Destination: Designing Third Places That Revitalize Rural Communities

  Across Missouri, communities are investing in buildings, incentives, and business recruitment to revitalize their downtowns. But one critical element is often overlooked: experience design. Third places — coffee shops, mercantiles, gathering spaces — are becoming the heartbeat of rural towns. When thoughtfully designed, these businesses create belonging, drive foot traffic, support other local businesses, and shape a town’s identity. In this interactive workshop, entrepreneur Stephanie Campbell Yount shares the real-world story of transforming a traditional boutique into Haven, a modern mercantile and coffee bar designed as a community gathering space in downtown Maryville, Missouri. Participants will learn the practical frameworks behind building experience-driven businesses and leave with tools to evaluate and activate “third places” in their own communities.

  Location: TBD

• 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM CDT Little Roots, Big Harvest: Homesteading Together - Breakout Session

  Across rural communities, growing interest in self-sufficiency, local food systems, and skill-based entrepreneurship is creating opportunities for community education that supports economic vitality. This session highlights the Little Roots, Big Harvest programming model developed through University of Missouri Extension, demonstrating how interdisciplinary experiential education can connect homesteading education with rural microenterprise awareness. Participants will explore how practical education in areas such as food preservation, gardening, and value-added household production can be delivered through flexible, hands-on learning environments. The presentation will showcase a hybrid education strategy that integrates subject matter expertise with make-it, take-it workshop experiences designed for accessibility, engagement, and immediate skill application.

  Location: TBD

• 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM CDT From Coffee Shops to Community Hubs: How Third Spaces Build Belonging and Economic Momentum! - Breakout Session

  For generations, communities relied on informal gathering spaces like diners, libraries, coffee shops, barbershops, and hair salons as places for connection outside of home and work. Sociologists call these places “third spaces,” and they have long served as the social infrastructure of community life. Yet many of these spaces have declined in recent decades, contributing to rising social isolation and weakening civic ties. This session explores how rebuilding and intentionally cultivating third spaces can strengthen belonging while also driving economic momentum. When people feel connected to their neighbors, they are more likely to invest locally, support small businesses, and take on roles that ensure the long-term success of their community. Participants will explore how businesses and community leaders can intentionally create welcoming environments that foster connection, build customer loyalty, increase foot traffic, and strengthen the community relationships that support long-term economic vitality.

  Location: TBD

• 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM CDT The Role of Mental Models in Your Community’s Big Picture: Building a Community That Supports Entrepreneurs and Vice Versa - Breakout Session

  Differing mental models (a.k.a. the way people see and interpret the world) are typically avoided as they are considered fuel for conflicts and roadblocks, especially related to innovation, change, and new ideas – the fuel of entrepreneurs. However, research proves that teams and communities that value a wide range of perspectives are stronger and more thriving. In this workshop, we’ll provide hands-on opportunities to learn big-picture, or systems-thinking, habits and tools that can help small-business launchers and owners consider their enterprises from the many perspectives (i.e., prospective customers) in their community. These same tools are helpful to community leaders who are interested in creating supportive ecosystems that attract new, successful businesses to their main streets. Through engaging discussion breakouts and reflective activities, participants will consider the many thought patterns within their community. Maximize NWMO’s program facilitators will share proven approaches for more effective problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration.

  Location: TBD

• 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM CDT Revealed — How Local Leaders and Young Entrepreneurs Build Tomorrow's Economy Together - Breakout Session

  What does it take to bring an entrepreneurship education program to life in your community? It starts before the first student walks in the door. Chris Egelston — who spent over a decade inside the CEO Program, first as a guest speaker, now as the leader driving national growth — breaks down exactly how it's done. First: who needs to be in the room and what must be in place from day one. Then: why the real teachers are not in classrooms – but in local businesses. Guest speakers, business tour hosts, and mentors are the engine, and Chris shares how to recruit and engage them. Finally, he unveils the Engage, Educate, Empower framework — the structure that turns students into Problem Solving Value Creators who start businesses and become the workforce your community needs. This session is the blueprint.

  Location: TBD

• 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM CDT AI for Main Street: A Hands-On Toolkit for Rural Business Intelligence - Breakout Session

  Artificial intelligence is a present-day business tool available to every Main Street entrepreneur - no tech background required. Participants will use free AI tools on their own devices to tackle real rural business challenges: analyzing local market trends, drafting customer communications, and streamlining daily operations. The session opens with a live poll to surface participants' actual business challenges, followed by rapid AI demonstrations drawn from those responses. Participants then move through guided exercises on their own devices before collaborating in small groups to apply AI to a realistic rural business scenario.

  Location: TBD

• 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM CDT Celebrate Downtown Maryville - Wednesday Night Reception

  Late afternoon reception with Youth Entrepreneur Market in Downtown Maryville.

  Location: Downtown Maryville

Sept. 17, 2026

• 09:15 AM - 10:00 AM CDT Hometown Belonging, Early Entrepreneurs, and Your Community’s Ecosystem - Breakout Session

  This session will highlight findings from a 2024 national case study of how rural high school students’ sense of hometown belonging was impacted by real-world entrepreneurial learning experiences. It will unpack what hometown belonging means for young entrepreneurs and the strategies local organizations and communities can use to foster it through entrepreneurial ecosystems. I will co-present with one or more young entrepreneurs who can speak directly with attendees about belonging from their lived experiences and share their perspectives on durable community connections and engagement. This session will bring fresh data-based insights into MU Extension’s Civic Muscle Framework, highlighting for attendees how belonging is essential to long-term community vitality. From mailboxes for high school seniors to alumni databases, homecoming invitations, targeted business development, and return-entrepreneurial recruitment, we will equip attendees for ongoing discussions on how communities can innovate to keep their homegrown talent connected and engaged.

  Location: TBD

• 09:15 AM - 10:00 AM CDT Local Food Connections: Community Engagement Grows Local Food Systems - Breakout Session

  This session will highlight the steps taken in Nodaway County to grow a local food system that supports economic development, community vitality, and food and nutrition security. The Missouri EATs planning process has been used in the county since 2024 to involve multiple stakeholders, gather input, and chart a course for local food system resilience. Led by Nodaway County Economic Development, with support from MU Extension, the session will include panelists from local government, business, and the non-profit sector to discuss how the effort was launched and the progress made to date.

  Location: TBD

• 09:15 AM - 10:00 AM CDT Revving Your Economic Engine - Breakout Session

  If your economic engine just purrs, let’s install some amplifying modifications to make that engine roar! Explore how Missouri Farmers Care’s Agri-Ready Designation program is marketed as a pro-agriculture brand. The program’s strategic storytelling methods elevate and promote Missouri Agriculture, inviting more economic opportunities that can drive industry expansion and growth. Learn how to apply these methods to your industry, community, business, program, or project. The potential that fuels local economies is already in the tank. The key is sharing the story in a way that stands out!

  Location: TBD

• 09:15 AM - 10:00 AM CDT Smarter Rural Decisions: Practical Thinking Tools for Community Momentum - Breakout Session

  Smarter Rural Decisions: Practical Thinking Tools for Community Momentum Rural communities don’t lack ideas — they struggle with clear, structured decision-making. This interactive 90-minute workshop equips participants with three simple thinking tools they can use immediately to move projects forward with less conflict and greater clarity. Participants will apply the tools to a real issue from their own community (Main Street initiative, farm diversification, capital investment, partnership idea, etc.). They will learn how to separate facts from opinions, surface risks without stalling momentum, generate better options, and leave with a one-page 90-day action plan. This is a hands-on working session — not a lecture. Every participant will practice the tools, complete a structured decision worksheet, and walk away with templates they can use with their boards, councils, and business teams the following week. Clear thinking creates momentum.

  Location: TBD

• 09:15 AM - 10:00 AM CDT From Insight to Investment: Turning Local Ideas into Aligned Action Through Story + Evidence - Breakout Session

  Strong local ideas often stall—not because they lack merit, but because their value is not clearly positioned or aligned with the priorities of others. Working on a real initiative from their own community—whether Main Street revitalization, microenterprise growth, agribusiness innovation, or cross-sector collaboration—participants will clarify the story behind their idea, connect outcomes to meaningful data, and reframe their work as an opportunity rather than a request. Using a guided template, attendees will complete a Strategic Support alignment map, identifying stakeholders who already benefit from their outcomes, and outline a 30-day action step for implementation. Participants will leave with a plan they can apply immediately to accelerate momentum in their communities.

  Location: TBD

• 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM CDT Workshop - Working Smarter Without Working More: Simple AI Tools for Rural Small Businesses

  Running a small business in a rural community means wearing a lot of hats. Marketing, pricing, customer communication, planning events, managing the day-to-day, and still trying to think ahead. As someone who runs multiple small businesses in rural Missouri, I understand how limited time and capacity can slow momentum. This hands-on workshop explores how simple AI tools can support your thinking and save time without adding more to your plate. Participants will work through guided exercises using their own business as the example. Together, we will create practical prompts, identify patterns you may be missing, and outline a realistic 30-day plan to try AI in a manageable way. No tech background required. Just curiosity and a willingness to experiment.

  Location: TBD

• 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM CDT Igniting Rural MOmentum: Building Profitable Farm-to-Main Street Enterprises - Breakout Session

  Participants explore value-added agriculture and agritourism as drivers of cross-sector growth, workforce development, and regional collaboration. After a quick framing ofthe “Farm Gate to Main Street Bridge,” the core hands-on activity uses a guided “Momentum Bridge Canvas”: attendees audit local ag and downtownassets (e.g., shop foot traffic, event calendars), brainstorm ideas like downtown pop-up events with farm vendors in local shops, seasonal “Farm onMain” days with tastings/demos, harvest festivals routing visitors through downtown, and joint marketing bundles. They map partnerships (cross-promotions, shared staffing), address challenges (transportation, timing), and customize templates: Opportunity Map, Business Model Canvas, Partnership Checklist, Workforce Planner, and 90-Day Roadmap.

  Location: TBD

• 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM CDT How do you “Do” Economic Development? Tips for understanding your economy, who the key players are, and how to bring them together - Breakout Session

  Economic development involves far more than business recruitment or expansion. It includes supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening infrastructure, building workforce skills, and enhancing the community's quality of life. Economic development is a team sport, so we cover the basic data, roles, and organizations in this space. We’ll also show you facilitation tips to help you in “Doing” economic development.

  Location: TBD

• 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM CDT Becoming the Most Neighborly State: How Local Places Create Statewide Momentum - 1-Hour Breakout Session

  Presented by Neighboring Experts Laura Mize & David Burton What if the key to economic momentum isn’t just funding or strategy—but belonging? This workshop combines a proven statewide framework with a real-world business example to show how connection drives community and economic vitality. Participants will explore The Neighboring Playbook, a practical system for building “belonging infrastructure” that moves people from awareness to participation to leadership. Then, through the story of an award-winning Missouri coffee shop, attendees will see how simple, intentional design choices can transform a business into a thriving third place that attracts diverse groups and strengthens local economies. Participants will identify low-barrier ways to create connection, design welcoming spaces, and build momentum in their own communities—whether through neighborhoods, organizations, or businesses. Attendees will leave with practical tools, real examples, and a clear first step they can implement to foster belonging and fuel local growth.

  Location: TBD

• 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM CDT Growing Your Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Connecting Stakeholders for Rural Economic Vitality - Breakout Session

  Rural entrepreneurship doesn't happen in isolation—it requires a connected ecosystem of support. But too often, we rely on the same networks while entrepreneurs struggle to find the resources, partnerships, and leadership they need to thrive. Through ecosystem mapping, peer discussion, and collaboration design exercises, you'll discover gaps in your community's support structure and build actionable plans to bridge them. Learn how one Illinois community used inclusive engagement to connect entrepreneurs, city resources, and investors—resulting in millions in private investment and a thriving Main Street district. Leave with a 60-day action plan, practical tools, and strategies to expand your network beyond usual suspects. Perfect for economic developers, Main Street managers, Extension professionals, and anyone working to strengthen their rural entrepreneurial community.

  Location: TBD

• 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM CDT Top Three Characteristics of Thriving Entrepreneurial Communities - Breakout Session

  The "Can-Do" spirit of entrepreneurial thinkers, whether they are launching a new business, growing an organization, or leading in elected roles, is a critical ingredient for communities that want not only to survive but to thrive. Join the Maximize NWMO team to learn how hope, positivity, and actionable plans, along with investing in yourselves and developing generational leadership, have very tangible payoffs for communities. We'll share evidence for our conclusions through research and inspiring stories from partners and active participants in community collaboration work here in northwest Missouri, across the Midwest, and around the globe.

  Location: TBD

• 11:30 AM - 01:30 PM CDT Closing Luncheon & Workshop - Hosted by Missouri After School Network (MASN)

  Close out your 2026 CEC Conference experience with a luncheon and engaging workshop hosted by the Missouri After School Network (MASN) - recognitions - and much more! Keynote Speaker will be announced in June 2026.

  Location: TBD