Rural communities have time and time again demonstrated the talent, dedication, and assets needed to transform their economies. The rapid rise of AI and other new technologies presents an unprecedented opportunity to build on this foundation.
To position rural communities to lead this technological revolution, the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is excited to announce a significant expansion of our reach and offerings. Building on our existing work building rural tech economies, CORI is embarking on a comprehensive, multi-year approach to effectively leverage AI to grow rural economies, businesses, and careers.
To date, we have raised $7 million to support our programmatic offerings over the next three years. With the Siegel Family Endowment as the lead funder, we are proud to have additional support from the Patterson Family Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Cognizant, Nasdaq, LinkedIn, and Microsoft.
Scaling for Impact
Over the next year, CORI will be expanding its Rural Innovation Network, more than doubling the number of communities it serves to reach over 20% of the rural population, and bringing AI-forward programming to these communities, focusing on three areas:
- Leaders: CORI will support members of the Rural Innovation Network by equipping them with the skills, insights, and platforms needed to responsibly roll out and benefit from AI tools within their organizations.
- Founders: We’re positioning rural founders to leverage AI for scale and efficiency. AI allows entrepreneurs to do more with less, helping them overcome traditional limitations with the right tools and support. Our goal is to provide best-in-class AI tools and frameworks for effective use, aimed at driving efficiency in startup and product development.
- Learners: Delivering high-quality AI workforce training is a priority for CORI, as rural employers have identified this as necessary for local tech jobs. By partnering with colleges and community organizations, we will scale our tech workforce development programs to offer project-based, AI-native training, while also fostering the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that AI can’t replicate.
Guided by AI Experts
To guide us in this effort, CORI has established an AI Advisory Board comprising a dedicated team of experts. The Advisory Board will provide crucial guidance on emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges. The members are:
- Andrew McLaughlin, COO, SandboxAQ
- Jacob Smith, Member, CORI Board of Directors
- Omer Trajman, Founder, Ask Fora
- Terra Terwilliger, Director, Strategic Initiatives and Public Engagement, Google DeepMind
- Sean White, CEO, Inflection AI
To learn more and join our movement, visit ruralinnovation.us.
