Initiative to support rural Nevada entrepreneurship

The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced that it is partnering with other government entities, higher education institutions, business leaders and start-up resources in a new statewide initiative to foster entrepreneurship in Nevada’s smaller cities and towns.

A rural entrepreneurship workshop will be held on from 9:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 7 at the Great Basin College campus in Elko with remote connections through Nevada’s smaller cities and towns. The new initiative will create a resource hub to coordinate and elevate the innovation and entrepreneurship efforts of rural Nevadans.

“By creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural Nevada, we will foster new business ideas that can turn into successful enterprises,” Gov. Steve Sisolak said in a statement. “There are unique challenges and opportunities that exist for startups in our state’s small towns. This statewide partnership will help create conditions for success of our rural Nevada entrepreneurs.”

The partnership of the department, the Great Basin College, StartUpNV, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, University of Nevada, Reno, Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority, Audacity Fund, the Nevada Small Business Development Center and Nevada Cooperative Extension will support a network that will develop an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors to enhance successful business development across Nevada.

“As more small towns take steps to grow innovative economies, it’s important that we share the resources that are available in Nevada,” Patricia Herzog, the department’s director of rural and community development, said in a statement. “Today’s startups can quickly become the companies of tomorrow taking root in Nevada.”

The event will allow resources from around the state to be available in every small city and town in Nevada, the economic development department said in its news release.

“The Rural Nevada Entrepreneurship Program will bridge the urban, rural divide and develop a statewide business incubator program,” said Maggie Saling of StartUpNV, a nonprofit startup incubator. “We want to support emerging entrepreneurs we have in Nevada by providing them with the information, mentoring and access to funding they need.”