Hosted annually by Appalachians for Appalachia, The Appalachian Big Ideas Festival (ABIF) brings hundreds of rural leaders, storytellers, waymakers, creatives, and entrepreneurs together to celebrate all that is and all that will be in Appalachia. Everyone has big ideas – of course – but what does it look like to put those ideas into action?

I was invited to attend to participate on a panel about Impact Investing, and what that looks like at Main Street America. I shared the work we are carrying out through our Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Rural Communities Pilot Program, which is supporting communities in Appalachia and beyond.

‘Appalachia is not a monolith’ is a sentiment repeated and broadly showcased at ABIF. The event included an impressive roster of speakers, like Appalachian influencers Andie Marie, the Appodlachia team, and Danielle Kirk; Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, the first member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel; and Kentucky’s Poet Laureate and internationally recognized author and creative, Silas House. They uplifted every version of Appalachia you can imagine, ensuring that attendees could see themselves not only in the programming, but also in the people in the room. Guided by a resident storyteller, Kiran Singh Sirah and the power of narrative, the three-day experience centered Indigenous culture and the experience of Indigenous communities in Appalachia and beyond. We were part of the incredible Kentucky premiere of the documentary titled “ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak),” a film by ᎤᎶᎩᎳ /Schon Duncan about Cherokee language preservation. Schon joined us from Oklahoma, as did Chef Nico Albert Williams (ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ Cherokee Nation), who prepared an amazing keynote lunch highlighting Cherokee foodways and stories.

The impact and implications of climate change were also brought to the forefront of ABIF. Ravaged by a devastating flood just last year, it is estimated that 10,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. We traveled to the Bearville/Hickory Hill Housing Community – homes built by a collaborative of community members and organizations for those who lost theirs in the flood. Eastern Kentucky is home to more than prescribed resilience and grit – it is home to hope, wholeness, and community. We visited the former Starfire coal mine site, where a $1 billion solar project is taking shape – bringing Eastern Kentucky to the forefront of both “mine reclamation and Social Impact Solar”.

At Main Street America, we know that it’s not enough to focus on the physical revitalization of a community or downtown. We must also support revitalization of the stories and cultures within a community – both new and old. When I reflect on our work with the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Rural Communities pilot program, I find that truth is always in the nuance, and you can only get there with transparency and trust - and often courage.