Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension

Did you catch the Exchange Webinar featuring MU Extension - Business and Communities HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship Program?

Since launching in 2021, HOMEGROWN has helped creative entrepreneurs grow their businesses across Missouri. Thanks to the generosity of the Delta Regional Authority, the latest workshop was offered at no cost to participants in Poplar Bluff on April 17–18.

Eligible attendees who participated in both the workshop and vendor fair were also qualified for a $500 scholarship to support their creative business!

Be sure to watch the inspiring entrepreneur testimonial videos, and mark your calendar to join our HOMEGROWN facilitators and entrepreneurs at the 2026 CEC Conference. Their breakout session panel will take place on Wednesday, September 16, from 1:15–2:00 PM in Visit Maryville, Missouri.

Did you attend the webinar? Share your biggest takeaway in the comments!

HOMEGROWN is a program offered through Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension.

Homegrown Entrepreneurship Testimonials Testimonial videos from participants of the HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship for Creative Economies program held in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. First launched in 2021,...

⏰ Early Bird Registration for the 2026 CEC Conference in Maryville ends June 30!

Don't miss your chance to secure the discounted rate for this exciting annual evet. Join colleagues from across the state for professional learning, networking, and collaboration - and learn how to build from to !

Check out our latest updates on the conference, and register today: https://bit.ly/CECEBAJune26

Calling All Future Founders! 🚀

Join us at the Inaugural CEC Future Founders Market during the 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference!

📍 New Downtown Maryville Pavilion
📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026
🕓 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Young entrepreneurs ages 18 and under are invited to showcase their products, ideas, and creativity in a professional market setting. This exciting event celebrates youth entrepreneurship and helps build the next generation of rural business leaders.

Know a young innovator ready to shine? Encourage them to participate!

📧 For vendor information and to register, contact Autumn Quimby at [email protected]

Visit Maryville, Missouri MU Extension - Business and Communities Missouri After School Network

YOU are the "Y" in Maryville. Well... not literally. 😊

But you are the reason we gather.

The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference isn't about keynote speakers, breakout sessions, or even the host community. It's about bringing together people who care deeply about the places they call home and who are willing to invest their time, talent, and energy into making those places stronger.

That's why the City of Maryville, Missouri is excited to welcome community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, elected officials, nonprofit professionals, and changemakers from across Missouri and beyond for the 2026 CEC Conference!

📍 Maryville, Missouri
📅 September 15–17, 2026

Join us as we explore how entrepreneurial thinking, community leadership, innovation, agriculture, and local action create MOmentum from Main Street to Farm Gate.

✅ Early Bird Registration available through June 30
✅ Hotel room blocks are now open
✅ Networking, inspiration, and practical ideas you can take home and put to work immediately

Register today! https://bit.ly/CEC26REG ✅

Find the schedule and lodging info: https://bit.ly/CEC26ScheduleSite

Because the most important part of CEC isn't where it's held.
It's who shows up.
And this year, Maryville can't wait to welcome YOU.

MU Extension - Business and Communities

Did you miss the CEC Exchange Webinar last Friday? Watch the recording to learn about the HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship program and hear firsthand from participants in Poplar Bluff about how this initiative is helping strengthen local businesses and communities. Don’t miss these inspiring insights from entrepreneurs and community leaders!

Homegrown Entrepreneurship University of Missouri Extension delivered HOMEGROWN Entrepreneursh...

You will not want to miss the FREE Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities - University of Missouri Extension CEC Exchange LIVE Webinar as we share an overview of the HOMEGROWN program. Participants from the April session in Poplar Bluff will share their experiences with and feedback on the program.

MU Extension - Business and Communities delivered HOMEGROWN Entrepreneurship to Poplar Bluff in April 2026 with a two-day workshop and vendor fair designed to inspire, equip, and connect entrepreneurs at every stage.

Entrepreneurship—creative and traditional alike—is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable local economic growth. By investing in locally owned businesses, communities strengthen their economies from the inside out, supporting innovation, job creation, and long-term vitality.

First launched in 2021, the HOMEGROWN curriculum event in Poplar Bluff was made possible through funding from the Delta Regional Authority.

LIVE🔴Webinar: Friday, May 29, from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

➜ Register Now: https://pears.io/events/mu/7053/

Tomorrow is here—and so is your opportunity!

Early Bird Registration is now open for the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference 2026

If you care about your community’s future, this is your space.

If you’re ready to think bigger about your local economy—this is your moment.

💡 Join us in Maryville

💲 Save with Early Bird pricing through June 30

Register today: https://bit.ly/CEC26REG

Let’s build momentum—together.

Visit Maryville, Missouri City of Maryville, Missouri MU Extension - Business and Communities

Your community is more than one idea, one business, or one street— It’s an ecosystem. And it’s time to think bigger.

Join MU Extension - Business and Communities for the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, happening in Visit Maryville, Missouri, from September 15 -17, 2026.

Early Bird Registration opens April 24!