2025 Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium

July 8-11, 2025 | Ames, IA
Hosted by Iowa State University

Transforming the Heartland
Rural Retail, Manufacturing, and Tourism Innovation in the Midwest

The US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium promotes an integrated approach to better understanding entrepreneurship in rural areas and small towns. The symposium brings together researchers, educators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and supporters of rural entrepreneurship to generate more data-driven research, education, policy, and action for the 61% of the U.S. who live in small towns and rural spaces.

After a successful first symposium in 2024 at the University of Vermont, Iowa State University is excited to host the second annual symposium in July 2025! Seen as the signature event for USASBE’s Rural Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group, but open to all who are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas, the symposium will run July 8 – 11 (Tuesday through Friday) in and around Ames, Iowa.

Go to the Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium Website

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