The 4th Annual Rural Entrepreneurship Forum is as part of the “Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development” (CEED) initiative at the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement. The annual forum brings people together to promote entrepreneurship and economic development in rural areas throughout the state of Mississippi. Free of charge.

Day One:

• Teresa Hubbard, Mississippi Business Journal’s 2018 Business Woman of the Year, will hold a “meet and greet” from 1:30-2:30 pm.
• The Mississippi Small Business Development Center will host a pre-forum workshop on small business setup at 2:30 pm. Email Judy Forester at judy@olemiss.edu to sign up.
• Vince Jordan, Lobaki, Inc., will showcase Virtual Reality from 2:30-4:00 pm.
• The forum registration table will open at 3:00 pm. You will receive a nametag and program at this time.
• At 4:00 pm, there will be an opening session with a panel discussion on entrepreneurship and economic development in Mississippi.  Jon Maynard, Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation, will moderate a panel with Josh West, Blue Delta Jeans; Haleigh Hurt, Rent-A-Reb; Allyson Best, UM Division of Technology Management; and Denotee Martin, Minority PUL Alliance.

Day Two:

• The forum will start at 9:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.  Lunch will be provided.
• Speakers include:  Janet McCarty, Cotton’s Café; Phillip Ashley Rix, Phillip Ashley Chocolates; Karen Kurr, NoTime2Cook; Leonard Brown, Brown’s Farm and Shiitake Mushroom; Eli Gross, Trustmark National Bank; Alan Branson; Hope Credit Union; Tasha Bibb, Innovate Mississippi; Clifton Williams, Guaranty Bank & Trust Company;  Sheena Allen, Capway; Ryan Snow, CEED Innovation Fellow; Vince Jordan, Lobaki, Inc.; Bethany Cooper, Base Camp Coding Academy; Taeisha Gambrel, Sisters of Faith; Eli Harnett, Aerial Production Photography; Lee Ingram, Collegiate Tutoring; Albert Nylander, McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement.