Rutland, Vermont

About Rutland

Anchored by the commercial and transportation hub of Rutland, southern Vermont’s city with more than 15,000 residents, Rutland County is a colorful combination of country roads, quaint villages, and historic downtown centers in the heart of the Green Mountains. Lifestyle freedom flourishes here — residents can easily claim their very own home-sweet-home, enjoy a range of year-round outdoor activities among the area’s lakes and mountains, and raise families among a network of great K-12 schools and nearby institutions of higher education, Vermont State University-Castleton and the Community College of Vermont.

Community partners

Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region

The Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) was founded in 2020 following a merger of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce and the Rutland Economic Development Corporation. The organization’s regional marketing initiative, “Real Rutland,” is actively involved in recruiting new neighbors to the region. The program provides a concierge service for new arrivals that introduces them to personal contacts for career, housing, business, education, and community opportunities.

CEDRR’s mission is to use collaboration, creativity, and ingenuity to create a regional economic climate conducive to business growth by recruiting talent and businesses of all kinds, growing and retaining employers while creating a bridge to community and cultural organizations that promote healthy and vibrant neighborhoods, and enhance the quality of life in Rutland County. The organization’s goal is for the greater Rutland region to be recognized as the most collaborative, innovative, and friendly place in Vermont to live, work, play, and grow a business. CEDRR is forging partnerships with area educational institutions to ensure the local workforce is vibrant, diversified, and up to the challenge of the new economic era.

StartUp Rutland

StartUp Rutland is an initiative launched by CEDRR, which serves as both an early-stage venture capital fund, and an accelerator and incubator. The vision for StartUp Rutland is to bridge the gap in the Vermont venture capital and startup ecosystem by connecting startups to the broader U.S. entrepreneurial landscape, enhancing visibility and awareness, enabling access to funding, expertise, and growth opportunities nationally.

StartUp Rutland seeks to catalyze economic development and sustainable progress through strategic investments in scalable and innovative pre-seed and seed-stage startups. As a venture capital fund and accelerator, it recognize the critical role startups play in creating scalable and sustainable solutions. Its investment philosophy is driven by a triple-bottom-line approach, evaluating not only financial returns but also the positive impact on people and the region. Through rigorous due diligence and hands-on support as well as a global partner network, it seeks to identify high-growth potential ventures that align with our mission, possess exceptional leadership, and demonstrate the potential to scale and revolutionize industries in Vermont.

The Hub CoWorks

The Hub CoWorks exists to empower Rutland’s professionals, entrepreneurs, and students with a flexible, high-quality workspace designed to nurture collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

The vision for The Hub is to establish it as Rutland’s go-to co-working community, setting unparalleled standards in service and innovation, all while fueling the growth and success its members and the community at large.

Explore our Network

Today, these local leaders are focused on educating and training local residents in digital skills (especially those traditionally excluded from the tech industry), employing them in new economy jobs, and empowering them to launch startups that will drive a prosperous 21st-century economy. Diverse in geography, economic origin, and demographics, these communities represent the full spectrum of rural America.