Janet Topolsky's guest appearances

Janet Topolsky

Rural Matters

David Reeves

Mitch Landrieu

David Kessler

Liz Carey

Nicole Johnson

Johns Hopkins

Chad Brown

Joe Davis

Paul Campbell

Karen Jackson

Anna Johnson

Cameron Webb

Tom Morris

Francis Collins

John Henderson

OwlTail

Tony Pipa

In this first of a three-part series, Michelle talks with Tony Pipa of the Brookings Institution and Janet Topolsky of the Aspen Institute about the opportunity for the Biden-Harris administration to modernize and improve U.S. policy to support equitable rural development. Drawing upon the landmark report recently published by Brookings, Reimagining rural policy: Organizing federal assistance to maximize rural prosperity, Pipa describes the lack of a coherent federal vision regarding community and economic development in rural areas, with over 400 federal rural programs spanning 13 departments and more than 50 offices and sub-agencies. Topolsky describes  the challenges that any rural community faces trying to navigate the myriad of programs by themselves; rather, she says strengthening “rural development hub” intermediaries can catalyze regional efforts that help communities grow and thrive – as outlined in Rural Development Hubs: Strengthening America’s Rural Innovation Infrastructure. Pipa suggests that the U.S. needs to create a national rural strategy to help rural communities develop and thrive. He emphasizes the importance of locally led development that takes advantage of real-world, on-the-ground knowledge, builds on local assets, and improves equitable outcomes. Topolsky urges lawmakers to make rural a priority and keep in mind the diverse racial and economic contexts that exist in rural. She also reiterates the importance of flexible funding, so local organizations can decide how best to deploy that funding. This episode and the three-part series are sponsored by the Brookings Institution, www.brookings.edu.

In this first of a three-part series, Michelle talks with Tony Pipa of the Brookings Institution and Janet Topolsky of the Aspen Institute about the opportunity for the Biden-Harris administration to modernize and improve U.S. policy to support equitable rural development. Drawing upon the landmark report recently published by Brookings, Reimagining rural policy: Organizing federal assistance to maximize rural prosperity, Pipa describes the lack of a coherent federal vision regarding community and economic development in rural areas, with over 400 federal rural programs spanning 13 departments and more than 50 offices and sub-agencies. Topolsky describes  the challenges that any rural community faces trying to navigate the myriad of programs by themselves; rather, she says strengthening “rural development hub” intermediaries can catalyze regional efforts that help communities grow and thrive – as outlined in Rural Development Hubs: Strengthening America’s Rural Innovation Infrastructure. Pipa suggests that the U.S. needs to create a national rural strategy to help rural communities develop and thrive. He emphasizes the importance of locally led development that takes advantage of real-world, on-the-ground knowledge, builds on local assets, and improves equitable outcomes. Topolsky urges lawmakers to make rural a priority and keep in mind the diverse racial and economic contexts that exist in rural. She also reiterates the importance of flexible funding, so local organizations can decide how best to deploy that funding. This episode and the three-part series are sponsored by the Brookings Institution, <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.brookings.edu</a>.

Reimagining Rural Policy with Tony Pipa and Janet Topolsky

Ines Polonius

David Erickson

In this third of our four-part series. “Rural Communities: Conquering Challenges, Optimizing Opportunities,” produced in association with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle discusses rural economics and business with Janet Topolsky, who directs the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, specializing in connecting low-wealth rural and urban places and populations to regional economic development; Ines Polonius. CEO of Communities Unlimited, Inc., a CDFI and community economic development organization in the rural South; and David Erickson, senior vice president and head of Outreach and Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Polonius works with leadership teams in rural communities, concentrating on water systems and entrepreneurial development, while collaborating with management consultants. Both Aspen and Communities Unlimited, the guest note, focus on wealth creation by looking at the social, cultural, and economic resources that already exist or could be filled locally to develop the economy, as opposed to building from the outside. There has actually been modest population growth in the rural sector, with persons of color responsible for much of that expansion, Topolsky points out. It’s also important, says Polonius, to recognize the explosion of the gig economy, in those from rural communities who return home to pursue freelance opportunities online. Her group also supports black-owned farms in expanding the distribution of healthy local food. In Minnesota, notes Topolsky, community foundations have looked at local businesses and started to do business lending to meet gaps, such as new technologies, putting together sustaining partnerships to grow manufacturing. Polonius says it’s often more beneficial to offer local entrepreneurs several micro loans rather than one large loan. Erickson says, in his personal opinion, there are three types of rural communities: those relatively thriving, such as vacation destinations; those struggling because of their distance from more prosperous markets; and those that chronically struggle with poverty and other issues. The New York Federal Reserve encourages banks to invest in rural areas and also acts as a facilitator, curating possible economic growth by bringing together stakeholders. Thought its market connection program, the NY Fed plays a “matchmaker” role, as it will in an upcoming meeting in Puerto Rico. This episode is sponsored by Thomas USAF, which on December 4 is sponsoring the 20th Annual National Rural Lenders Roundtable in Washington, DC, www.nrlrt.com. This episode and the entire four-part series is sponsored and supported by the +Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, rwjf.org.

In this third of our four-part series. “Rural Communities: Conquering Challenges, Optimizing Opportunities,” produced in association with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle discusses rural economics and business with Janet Topolsky, who directs the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, specializing in connecting low-wealth rural and urban places and populations to regional economic development; Ines Polonius. CEO of Communities Unlimited, Inc., a CDFI and community economic development organization in the rural South; and David Erickson, senior vice president and head of Outreach and Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Polonius works with leadership teams in rural communities, concentrating on water systems and entrepreneurial development, while collaborating with management consultants. Both Aspen and Communities Unlimited, the guest note, focus on wealth creation by looking at the social, cultural, and economic resources that already exist or could be filled locally to develop the economy, as opposed to building from the outside. There has actually been modest population growth in the rural sector, with persons of color responsible for much of that expansion, Topolsky points out. It’s also important, says Polonius, to recognize the explosion of the gig economy, in those from rural communities who return home to pursue freelance opportunities online. Her group also supports black-owned farms in expanding the distribution of healthy local food. In Minnesota, notes Topolsky, community foundations have looked at local businesses and started to do business lending to meet gaps, such as new technologies, putting together sustaining partnerships to grow manufacturing. Polonius says it’s often more beneficial to offer local entrepreneurs several micro loans rather than one large loan. Erickson says, in his personal opinion, there are three types of rural communities: those relatively thriving, such as vacation destinations; those struggling because of their distance from more prosperous markets; and those that chronically struggle with poverty and other issues. The New York Federal Reserve encourages banks to invest in rural areas and also acts as a facilitator, curating possible economic growth by bringing together stakeholders. Thought its market connection program, the NY Fed plays a “matchmaker” role, as it will in an upcoming meeting in Puerto Rico. This episode is sponsored by Thomas USAF, which on December 4 is sponsoring the 20th Annual National Rural Lenders Roundtable in Washington, DC, <a href="http://www.nrlrt.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.nrlrt.com</a>. This episode and the entire four-part series is sponsored and supported by the +Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, <a href="http://rwjf.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rwjf.org</a>.

Rural Business with Janet Topolsky, Ines Polonius & David Erickson