Join Us to Cheer on Rural Innovators

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET, with reception to follow

In person: Grand Ballroom at the Hanover Inn on Dartmouth College campus
Virtual: Live stream

Now in its sixth year, CORI’s Small Towns, Big Ideas brings together five top tech startups from CORI’s Rural Innovation Network for a live pitch event. In partnership with the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth, founders will compete in person for a $10,000 cash prize. New this year, the audience can vote for their favorite startup; the winner of the audience vote will receive a $1,500 Audience Choice cash prize.

After the pitches, join us for a lively reception with food, drinks, and conversation among founders, investors, and changemakers.

Register to Attend

REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON
REGISTER TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY
New This Year  | Panel Discussion

Rural Opportunity in the Age of AI: A New Frontier for Innovation and Investment

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET, followed by light bites and networking before our Pitch Competition
Location: Grand Ballroom at the Hanover Inn on Dartmouth Campus

As part of Dartmouth’s “AI at 70” national conference, and in partnership with the Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital at the Tuck School of Business, our annual pitch event will be preceded by a panel centered on the opportunity AI could present for venture capital investment and entrepreneurship in rural America. Register for this panel and other AI@70 events.

Spotlighting the Next Wave of Rural Tech Founders

Small Towns, Big Ideas brings together some of the most promising startups from CORI’s Rural Innovation Network to pitch live in front of investors and community members. Founders share their products, traction, and vision, and the top-ranked startup takes home $10,000, plus $5,000 worth of legal services.

Rural entrepreneurs are building innovative companies that create jobs and strengthen their communities, and this event gives them a stage to share their work with a national audience.

Small Towns, Big Ideas is about showcasing what rural founders can do when given the right platform and highlighting that innovative, scalable companies can start anywhere.

This year’s featured founders and startups will be announced soon! 

You'll Want to Be in This Room

This year, Small Towns, Big Ideas will take place in the Grand Ballroom at the Hanover Inn on the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, New Hampshire.

  • Experience the thrill of live pitches as rural founders compete for the $10,000 prize and a $1,500 Audience Choice prize.

  • Network with entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators shaping the future of small towns.

  • Celebrate with a post-event reception featuring snacks and an open bar.

  • Be part of the moment — where rural innovation shines.

📍 Location:

  • Hanover Inn | Grand Ballroom

    • 2 East Wheelock Street, Hanover, NH

    • Enter the hotel and follow the signs to the Grand Ballroom.

🚗 Parking:

  • Street parking is available, but it fills up quickly. The Hanover Parking Garage is a five-minute walk away. Please contact the Front Desk at the Hanover Inn for valet parking and accessible transportation.

    • Hanover Parking Garage

      • 7 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH

🥂 Networking Reception:

Please stay after the event and join us for a networking reception to celebrate the winning startup and chat with the founders, judges, and other changemakers in attendance. Complimentary snacks and an open bar will be provided.

 

 

 

Looking Back at Last Year’s Event

The 2025 grand prize went to Gretchen Heinen, founder of Authsnap, an AI-powered SaaS platform transforming how hospitals manage insurance claim denials. By automating appeals that typically require hours of administrative work, Authsnap empowers healthcare teams to focus on patient care, rather than paperwork.

Watch Gretchen’s Pitch

Past Judges

Judges represent top venture capitalists from across the country who understand talent exists outside of typical geographies. Past judges have included:

  • Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures
  • Vincent Berk, Apprentis Ventures
  • Jay Bockhaus, CORI Innovation Fund
  • Amy Butte, Navan
  • Stacey Giard, Tola Capital
  • Mark Hardie, Tuck School of Business, Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital
  • Ayush Jain and Jamie Rodota, Revolution Fund
  • Chloe Kinderman, Titletown Tech
  • Julie Penner, New Frontier Capital
  • Matt Rightmire, Building Ventures
  • Kim Rosenfield, Dartmouth Technology Transfer Office
  • Louisa Schibli, RuralWorks Partners
  • Janice St. Onge, Flexible Capital Fund, L3C

About the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship

The mission of the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship is to serve Dartmouth students, faculty, and alumni along all points of the entrepreneurial journey. Originally conceived of in the Provost Division — and as part of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer (OETT), which also includes the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) — the Magnuson Center was established in 2018 through a generous gift from Allison and Rick Magnuson ’79. The Center brings together various programs that support entrepreneurship and innovation at Dartmouth and beyond. By connecting these diverse resources, the Magnuson Center is able to streamline services and help Dartmouth entrepreneurs thrive.

 

About the Tuck School of Business

The Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital (CPEVC) at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth brings together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals to advance knowledge and understanding of private equity and venture capital. Through experiential learning, industry engagement, conferences, workshops, research, and its MBA Fellows program, the Center connects Tuck students with the people, ideas, and real-world experiences shaping the investment landscape. CPEVC complements Tuck’s rigorous MBA curriculum by helping students deepen their expertise, build meaningful industry relationships, and prepare to lead across private equity, venture capital, and related fields.

 

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Small Towns, Big Ideas wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous sponsors. The Center on Rural Innovation is grateful for their commitment to rural entrepreneurs and fostering innovation in rural America.

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