Save the Date

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Time: 5 to 7 p.m. ET
In person: Dartmouth College campus, with reception to follow
Online: Virtual livestream

Now in its sixth year, CORI’s Small Towns, Big Ideas brings together leading voices in rural entrepreneurship for a live pitch event. In partnership with the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth, top scalable tech startups from CORI’s Rural Innovation Network will compete in person for a $10,000 cash prize.

New This Year

AI’s Impact on Rural Venture Capital Symposium

This year, in partnership with Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, our Small Towns, Big Ideas pitch event will be accompanied by a symposium centered on the opportunity AI could present for venture capital investment in rural America. The symposium will feature leading academics and investors and is part of our effort to shine a light on the innovation and entrepreneurship taking place across rural communities. More details to come.

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.

Get Excited for this 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

Join us in person!

This year, Small Towns, Big Ideas is taking place on the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, New Hampshire.

  • Experience the thrill of live pitches as rural founders compete for the $10,000 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.

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