Save the Date: 2025 Investing in Rural America: Elevating What Works
May 20, 2025 @ 9:00 am – May 21, 2025 @ 4:00 pm EDT
As part of the Richmond Fed’s focus on supporting small town and rural communities, we will host the sixth annual Investing in Rural America Conference on May 20‒21, 2025. This year’s conference theme is Elevating What Works, during which we will spotlight the strategies and solutions that bolster economic and social vitality in rural communities — embracing empowerment, working together and leveraging assets.
Breakout sessions will be organized into two tracks:
- Building Skills for Rural Success: This conference track will focus on empowering rural communities through skill development and resource sharing. Participants will explore innovative strategies and best practices for meeting community needs and leveraging local assets.
- Tackling Big Barriers to Labor Force Participation: This conference track addresses critical barriers to labor force participation, exploring solutions to enhance inclusivity and accessibility in the workforce. Sessions will focus on key challenges, such as childcare, transportation and skills gaps, including pandemic learning loss. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for removing obstacles and fostering an environment where all individuals can contribute to the labor market.
Registration for the conference will go live in February. To receive notification when registration goes live, sign up here.
Learn more about our work focused on helping small towns and rural communities thrive.
Who should attend
Policymakers, community representatives, business executives, nonprofit leaders, investors, workforce development professionals.