Rural communities have the talent, leadership, and vision to build strong futures, but too often they work with fewer public resources than their nonrural peers.

In this webinar, the Center on Rural Innovation explores findings from Uneven Ground: Local Public Funding Gaps Between Rural and Nonrural America, a new report examining how local public funding gaps shape rural opportunity, capacity, and long-term prosperity.

Dr. Amanda Weinstein, CORI’s Director of Research, opens the conversation with key findings from the report, including how public funding systems can disadvantage rural communities and why place-based investment is essential to building stronger local economies.

The webinar also features a conversation between CORI Founder and CEO Matt Dunne and Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution, leader of the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative, and host of the award-winning Reimagine Rural podcast. Together, they discuss how public policy affects rural America and what changes are needed to ensure rural communities have the resources to thrive.

The session closes with a panel on EDA’s Build to Scale program and the power of place-based funding, moderated by Trish Thibodo, CORI’s Senior Manager of Federal Initiatives. Panelists Amanda Hedrick of the Kricker Innovation Hub at Shawnee State University, Joe Thiel of Innovate Marquette SmartZone, and Bea Smith of the Northern Innovation and Startup Center share on-the-ground perspectives on what targeted public investment makes possible in rural communities.

This conversation is for rural leaders, policymakers, funders, ecosystem builders, economic developers, researchers, and anyone working to build a more equitable future for rural America.