I just wrapped up two days, along with our amazing partners,
NVDA and other NEK leaders, talking with colleagues from across the country about what it really takes to grow entrepreneurship in rural regions. One thing became clear: entrepreneurship isn’t a niche concern. It’s foundational to a healthy economy. Every thriving business, nonprofit, and community initiative starts the same way: with someone willing to imagine something new and take a risk.
Here in the Northeast Kingdom, we have an incredible reservoir of creativity. Sometimes it shows up in obvious ways, like a new cafe or a manufacturing startup. Other times it’s tucked inside a garage, a kitchen table, or a classroom. The challenge is helping those sparks catch fire, giving people the support, tools, and encouragement to turn good ideas into lasting enterprises.
That’s why programs like
Pitch Kitchen are so important. At the last session, led by fellow entrepreneur David Roth, about 20 of us gathered to share and listen to ideas. Even people like me who had never thought of themselves as “inventors” found a place at the table. Two middle schoolers pitched a design to harness the energy of riding their bikes to power electronics. The room lit up with questions, suggestions, and applause. It wasn’t about perfect business plans; it was about possibility.
Spaces such as
Do North Coworking in Lyndonville, or our sister organizations throughout the state, give that possibility a home. They’re more than shared desks and Wi-Fi—they’re intended to be environments where people can collaborate, learn, and grow. The programming supported by NVDA provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet mentors, refine their pitches, and build relationships that make starting something new just a little less scary. This regional leadership,
Catamount Arts’ partnership on events like
Rumble in the Kingdom, and a steady pipeline of support networks help ensure that promising ideas can find a path forward.
Entrepreneurship is a long game. It takes practice, feedback, and community. Chamber member Luke Robinson of
RS Developments, for example, returned to Pitch Kitchen to hone a concept he’d first shared months ago, and has tapped into the many valuable resources of our incredible community through
Passumpsic Bank and the
Small Business Development Center. He and others will keep refining their work ahead of the October 23 pitch competition, where $20,000 will be awarded to promising ventures. Each step, each conversation, strengthens the fabric of our regional economy.
As director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber, I see firsthand how supporting entrepreneurs lifts entire communities. When we invest in training, mentorship, flexible workspaces, and networks that welcome both bold visions and modest experiments, we cultivate resilience. We also make room for the next generation to stay, build, and lead here at home.
Entrepreneurship isn’t reserved for a select few with capital and connections. It’s something any of us can nurture, whether by sharing an idea, giving feedback, or cheering on someone who’s just starting out. I’m willing to bet each one of you reading has had an idea, a spark, that, if lit, could turn into something pretty cool.
If you want to be part of this movement, take the time to attend a pitch night, become a mentor, or simply stop by
DoNorthCoworking.com to see what’s happening. You may discover that the next big thing in the Northeast Kingdom begins with an ordinary conversation, and maybe even with you.
