Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension

09/05/2026

🚀 Calling all young entrepreneurs! 🌟

Know a young entrepreneur with a product or service to share? The CEC Future Founders Market is happening Wednesday, September 16—a great opportunity to build awareness, connect with the community, and showcase what they’ve created!

👉 If you know a young entrepreneur who should be there, encourage them to register to participate!

Let’s support the next generation of local business owners! 💡💼

Calling all Future Founders!

Youth entrepreneurs ages 18 and under are invited to showcase their ideas and creations at the inaugural CEC Future Founders Market.

The CEC Future Founders Market reflects the mission of the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference: strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems and creating pathways for economic vitality in rural communities. By providing young people with a professional venue to showcase their ideas, engage with customers, and connect with business and community leaders, the market helps cultivate the future entrepreneurs who will shape our communities for years to come.

And the community is invited to come shop, cheer them on, and support the next generation of entrepreneurs!

Interested in learning more or registering? Visit
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lE-TH0TE0D6X4HE1jdnUjjCFIWgE00dXCQKqmM1ilVU/edit

09/03/2026

TWO WEEKS OUT! ⏰

The countdown is officially on to the CEC Conference Closing Keynote with Scott Mann! 🎤

From Construction Science at Texas A&M to the Peace Corps in Panama, to empowering young entrepreneurs across all 50 states, Scott’s journey is anything but ordinary—and his message is one you won’t want to miss.

Get ready for fresh ideas, practical inspiration, a little entrepreneurial spark, and possibly a dad joke or two. 😉

Registration Today to secure your place: https://bit.ly/CEC26REG

Two days. One incredible keynote. Let’s finish CEC strong! 🔥

MU Extension - Business and Communities MU Extension MU Extension in the Northwest Region Visit Maryville, Missouri Downtown Maryville City of Maryville, Missouri

09/02/2026

Just two more weeks until the 2026 CEC Conference in Maryville!

🎉 Are you registered? https://lnkd.in/gCmCHKTY

We can’t wait to see you there!

MU Extension - Business and Communities Visit Maryville, Missouri Downtown Maryville City of Maryville, Missouri Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc.

09/01/2026

🌱 Big Ideas. Practical Tools. Homegrown Momentum.

The CEC Conference is bringing together an incredible lineup of speakers and ideas focused on one powerful question: How do we build stronger, more vibrant rural communities from the ground up?

From developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and strengthening local microbusiness ecosystems, to using AI and data to make smarter business decisions… from childcare and workforce development to local food systems, agritourism, and farm-to-Main Street opportunities — these sessions tackle the issues that matter most to the future of our communities.

And it doesn’t stop there. We’ll explore the power of belonging, third spaces, neighboring, collaboration, leadership, systems thinking, and community decision-making — because economic development is about much more than numbers. It’s about people, connections, opportunity, and creating places where people want to live, work, invest, and stay.

🎤 Meet the speakers.
💡 Explore the ideas.
🤝 Build the connections.
🚀 Create the momentum.

This year’s breakout sessions are designed to inspire new thinking and leave you with practical ideas you can take home and put to work.

Round up your crew. Head to Maryville. Learn how YOU can fuel .

And remember to register! https://pears.io/events/mu/6395/

CEC Conference 2026 — where rural communities connect, learn, and create what’s next.

MU Extension - Business and Communities Visit Maryville, Missouri Downtown Maryville

08/31/2026

Did you miss last week’s CEC Quarterly Exchange Webinar on “Third Places”? 🌟

You can catch the recording here: https://youtu.be/hrPkSBkQoJY

On Friday, August 28, we explored how # ThirdPlaces can help create connection, belonging, and stronger rural communities.

Our guests included:

Stephanie Campbell-Yount, owner of Haven in Maryville, MO
Elena Stephenson, Extension Community Development Specialist
David Burton, Extension Community Development Specialist

Stephanie shared the story behind Haven and previewed “From Storefront to Destination: Designing Third Places that Revitalize Rural Communities.”

Elena shared examples of Third Places from the Kansas City metro, and David highlighted his recently published guidesheet.

The conversation also explored belonging, a key pillar of the Civic Muscle Index.

You can join webinar host Lisa Robinson, along with Stephanie, Elena, and David, and learn more from their Workshops and Breakout Sessions at the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension Conference in Downtown Maryville, September 15 - 17.

🎥 Watch the recording and learn more about the power of Third Places and register for the CEC Conference today! https://pears.io/events/mu/6395/

MU Extension - Business and Communities Visit Maryville, Missouri

In the August 2026 CEC (Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities) qua...

08/28/2026

🤖 Work Smarter. Save Time. Grow Your Business.

Running a rural small business means juggling marketing, customer service, pricing, planning, and everything in between. What if AI could help you work smarter—without working more?

Register for the CEC Conference and join Alicia Jett for Working Smarter Without Working More: Simple AI Tools for Rural Small Businesses and discover practical, easy-to-use AI tools that can help you save time, spark new ideas, and strengthen your business.

This interactive workshop is designed for real business owners.

You'll leave with:
✨ Practical AI prompts you can use immediately
✨ New insights into your business
✨ A realistic 30-day action plan
✨ Confidence to start using AI—no tech experience required

📅 Thursday, September 17, 2026
🕤 9:30–11:00 a.m. (90-Minute Workshop)

Bring your curiosity and your business challenges—we'll do the work together.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain practical tools you can start using right away.

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

08/27/2026

🏘️ TOMORROW is the day! Don’t miss the CEC Quarterly Exchange Webinar, hosted by Lisa Robinson!

Join us as we explore the power of “Third Places”—the gathering spaces beyond home and work where people connect, build relationships, and create a sense of belonging in rural communities.

Hear from featured guests who will share insights, stories, and real-world examples of Third Places and creative placemaking:

📣Stephanie Campbell-Yount, owner of Haven in Maryville, MO
📣Elena Stephenson, Arts Expert and Extension Community Development Specialist
📣David Burton, Neighboring Expert and Extension Community Development Specialist

📅 TOMORROW — Friday, August 28
🕜 1:30–2:30 p.m. Central Time
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ FREE — but registration is required!

⏰ Haven’t registered yet? Now’s the time! Don’t wait until it’s too late to join us.

👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gYqRVKRh
You will receive the Zoom link once you register.

CEC Quarterly Exchange Webinar — TOMORROW! Be there!

MU Extension Downtown Maryville MU Extension - Business and Communities

08/25/2026

From Main Street to Farm Gate 💚

The 2026 CEC Conference: Show-Me Momentum — From Main Street to Farm Gate is coming to Downtown Maryville, Missouri, September 15–17, and we’re especially excited to spotlight the incredible lineup of breakout session speakers joining us September 16–17!

These leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and community builders are bringing real-world experience and practical ideas to the conversation around building stronger, more vibrant entrepreneurial communities.

➡️ Rural entrepreneurship & agriculture
➡️ Downtown revitalization & placemaking
➡️ Workforce, childcare & community development
➡️ AI tools for small businesses
➡️ Youth entrepreneurship & the CEC Future Founders Market
➡️ Entrepreneurship, innovation & community development

Across two full days of breakout sessions, you’ll have opportunities to learn from experts who are doing the work—and take away ideas you can put into action in your own community.

And when the sessions wrap up, there’s still plenty to experience: Downtown Maryville, local businesses, networking, community connections, and the momentum happening throughout the region.

📅 September 15–17, 2026
📍 Downtown Maryville, Missouri

Learn about each Breakout Session: https://lnkd.in/gW5ew68j

Come ready to learn. Leave ready to move your community forward.

MU Extension - Business and Communities MU Extension in the Northwest Region Maximize Northwest Missouri Visit Maryville, Missouri Downtown Maryville

08/24/2026

Meet Stephanie Campbell-Yount, a 2026 CEC Conference Workshop Host!

Stephanie will lead “From Storefront to Destination: Designing Third Places That Revitalize Rural Communities” on Wednesday, September 16, from 1:30–3:00 p.m. in Maryville.

As the entrepreneur behind Haven, a modern mercantile and coffee bar in downtown Maryville, Stephanie brings a firsthand perspective on how thoughtfully designed gathering spaces can help create a greater sense of belonging, strengthen local businesses, and shape a community’s identity.

Join this interactive workshop to explore practical ideas for turning everyday storefronts into destinations—and discover how “third places” can become catalysts for rural revitalization.

And before the conference, catch Stephanie as a featured guest on the CEC Exchange Quarterly Webinar this Friday, August 28, at 1:30 p.m.!

Register for the webinar and the 2026 CEC Conference today!

CEC Exchange Webinar Registration: https://pears.io/events/mu/9666/

Register for the CEC Conference now: https://bit.ly/CEC26REG

MU Extension - Business and Communities Visit Maryville, Missouri Downtown Maryville