About Maple REVer Program
The Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) model is based on the e2 EntrepreneurialEcosystems framework from NetWork Kansas, which provides guidance to communities for accelerating entrepreneurial activity. The framework has been utilized by communities across the country and provides a roadmap for sustainable entrepreneur-focused development. The program is currently in its 3rd cohort, but Mapleton was able to participate in the 2021 cohort after a competitive review process.
The 2021-2023 REV Cohort included:
- Montgomery (Le Sueur County)
- Springfield (Brown County)
- Wells (Faribault County)
- Mapleton, in collaboration with the additional Maple River School District communities of Amboy, Good Thunder and Minnesota Lake (Blue Earth/Faribault Counties).
Each group was supported by a core leadership team made up of a variety of community stakeholders. The teams met regularly with coaches from SMIF, RegionNine Development Commission and University of Minnesota Extension.
In 2024 Mapleton was awarded REV Activating our Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystems grant, in collaboration with Compeer Financial. The purpose is to provide relevant, right time, and affordable technical assistance to any basic entrepreneurial ecosystem which we define as finding, engaging, and developing the entrepreneurial talent of our community.
For more information about the REV program, contact Pam Bishop at pamb@smifoundation.org or 507-214-7013. Read more about the long-lasting impact REV has made on small towns in the region in SMIF's 2020 Impact Report.
