when you lose a parent at a young age , like I did , it accelerates your inner sense of urgency . I ’ ve always been intrinsically motivated to do everything that I can in the time that I have on this earth . The work I do with CORI and RISI enables me to play a pivotal part in an organization that makes a noticeable impact in a field that I care about very deeply .”
Today , CORI and RISI work with more than 20 different rural communities throughout the country , including Springfield , Vermont ; Taos , New Mexico ; and Durango , Colorado . At the initial stages of every community partnership , CORI ’ s representatives consult with public servants and committee members in each town on an individual basis . They then devise custom-tailored digital economy ecosystem strategies that help to strengthen the technical skills of the local workforce , retain workers , increase job opportunities , and create direct pathways for local businesses and startups to obtain much-needed funding .
Nora Foote currently works for CORI and RISI ’ s Rural Innovation Initiative as a facilitator for strategy sessions with rural communities . Foote is a native
Vermonter who grew up in Hartland , and she is proud to work for an organization that provides essential economic opportunities for similar rural communities across the nation . Foote says that the assessment process for every community that CORI and RISI collaborate with starts with an open consultation phase . “ We speak with community members from a wide range of backgrounds during the initial assessment sessions ,” notes Foote . “ Everyone from educators , business owners , tech workers and economic development leaders has a seat at the table . The aim is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the local digital economy . We want to understand what kinds of opportunities are being provided to various groups of people within the community and how the community is engaging with national and local funding networks and education systems .”
Foote explains that the “ local digital economy ” refers to employment in digital jobs , including technology-related fields such as startup entrepreneurs , computer programmers , cybersecurity analysts , IT specialists , data scientists , network engineers , and other techpowered roles that are resistant to automation . “ Growing a digital economy ecosystem is about aligning organizations in communities around the common goals of increasing tech employment , and as a byproduct , promoting greater economic inclusion in rural communities .”
After the assessment phase is complete , CORI ’ s assessment workers then move forward to a phase of strategic planning . Working with a core team from each community , they systematically identify weaknesses and strengths in the existing digital infrastructure systems . By doing this , they can highlight opportunities for growth and leverage all available resources and connections . “ Due to the fact that every rural community is unique , we need to be in tune with the specific needs and considerations of the population in order to be able to effectively guide communities through the strategy process ,” says Foote . “ We want to provide a sounding board that encourages conversations about new and innovative ways to create jobs , support entrepreneurs , and bring in capital and talent . We also want to aid in the creation of training programs whenever possible . Ideally , everyone in
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