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New Vista Associate for the Innovators’ Café to Assist With Business Assistance in the NEMO Region Posted on 07/31/2009
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The Innovators’ Café, an entrepreneur assistance center sponsored by the Northeast Regional Planning Commission (NEMO RPC) and Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center (MREIC) recently was awarded a AmeriCorpsVISTA Grant to hire a new associate to assist entrepreneurs and business expansion at the NEMO RPC headquarters at 326 Jefferson Street in Memphis MO.
“Ben will provide entrepreneurs from our area additional hands on service at the Innovators’ Café” said Nate Walker Executive Director of NEMO RPC. Walker added that “Ben has the background and education to be a real asset as we expand our services at the Innovators’ Café”. |
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Charlene Boyes, Executive Director of MREIC noted that with Ben working a couple days a week at the Innovators’ Café we can expand our services that are provided to regional small business owners and entrepreneurs. “Rural areas are especially dependent on their small businesses and they’re separated by distance from many resources needed to get a business started. With collaboration between the Innovation Center and the RPC we continue to offer a place for one-on-one assistance,” said Boyes.
The Innovators’ Café, entrepreneur assistance center, provides opportunities to network with other entrepreneurs, round-table discussions and programming on business specific topics, including how to launch a business on-line. The project was begun in late 2008 and has provided assistance and training to several clients from the area over the past nine months.
Ben La Van is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa State in Business Management and looks forward to working with regional entrepreneurs assisting them in ways to explore and develop business ideas, create additional local jobs and strengthen our area economy. Ben recently returned from a week of special VISTA orientation and training in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In the near future the Innovators’ Café will host an open house for the public to meet the new VISTA associate Ben La Van and announce new expansion of hours and service. AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years.
The Northeast Regional Planning Commission and Rural
Development Corporation (NEMO RPC & RDC) is one of 19 regional
planning commissions in the State of Missouri, which are authorized the
State of Missouri to formally organize and band together by county to
promote the spirit of cooperatively working together to solve problems
and plan the future development of regions and the State of Missouri.
The six counties of the Northeast Regional Planning Commission and
Rural Development Corporation are Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Schuyler
and Scotland.
Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center
(MREIC) is a nonprofit corporation organized under the statutes of
Missouri and dedicated to serving entrepreneurs in Northeast Missouri.
MREIC’s activities are supported by Missouri Department of Economic
Development, the City of Kirksville, Adair County Commission, A.T.
Still University, Truman State University, Northeast Regional Medical
Center, Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc., and the
Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce.
For additional
information please contact: Charlene Boyes, cboyes@truman.edu,
Executive Director, Missouri Rural Enterprise & Innovation Center
(MREIC) at 660.785.4307
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