RCDI: Creating A Thriving Small Business Community in Southeast Kentucky

The purpose of this project is to create a new culture for economic development in rural Southeastern Kentucky. This will be accomplished through a comprehensive technical assistance program designed to train leaders (both elected officials as well as emerging business leaders) to make more informed decisions that will result in greater impacts for the community they serve. The new culture embraces entrepreneurship, small business development, and calculated investment in resources designed to maximize the return on investment. This new culture also includes engaging the broader community so that the economic development efforts are not only supporting a few invested individuals - but the larger community. The Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) proposes an approach that will model the current and potential economic environment, strengthen and expand existing business, and encourage civic engagement and entrepreneurial activities (both business and social entrepreneurship) for the next generation of leaders