rural entrepreneurship forum
TRANSCRIPT
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum is a part of the Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Initiative at
July 19, 2016
Community Development Foundation
398 E. Main Street
Tupelo, MS 38804
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
CEED
The Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Initiative works with UM
students and faculty to build actionable partnerships with Mississippi communities. These
partnerships will increase entrepreneurship and promote economic development in rural
Mississippi communities.
Above picture includes students in the CEED Initiative taken in 2015 on the UM campus.
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
CEED’s impact statewide
Since the start of the CEED initiative in 2014, there has been a direct connection to over 26
counties in Mississippi through students, faculty, and community partners.
- Adams county native Janae Owens has been involved in financial awareness and youth
programs for children and adults in Oxford and Marks.
- Alcorn county native Austin Powell has been involved with entrepreneurship education
programs in Holly Springs and at the state level to reduce recidivism rates.
- Bolivar county has been the site of Holly Pitts in working with tourism as a means of economic
development through the GRAMMY Museum.
- Calhoun county has served as the site for Vera Gardner, Madison Gable, Elizabeth Kelley, and
Brittany Fields in working with Catholic Charities through the smART program and financial
workshops. Dr. Dave Holber and Dr. Teyas Pandya, UM faculty, have launched research projects
in the county.
- Chickasaw county native Brittany Fields coordinated the smART program in Vardman during
the summer of 2015.
- Coahoma county has served as the site for Caitlin Brooking, Elizabeth Robinson, and
Mackenzie Poole working with Tri-County Workforce Alliance and Baby University.
- Desoto county native Mackenzie Poole has been engaged in early childhood education
programs in Clarksdale through Baby University.
- Forrest county native Will Bedwell has been engaged in housing and economic development
projects in Indianola and Jonestown.
- Hancock county natives Madison Gable and Mary Blessey have been engaged in housing
projects in Biloxi, the smART program in Vardaman, and instructed children’s photography
classes in Sumner and Tutwiler.
- Harrison county native Brittanee Wallace has been engaged with NASA in the Delta day in
Greenwood.
- Hinds county has served as the site for Ryan Snow and Camille Walker to intern with the
Mississippi Development Authority and The Entrepreneur Center. Leah Gibson also engaged
with Mississippi Public Broadcasting in producing news reports about economic development.
- Itawamba county native Seth Dickinson has been selected to CEED Cohort 3 as an Innovation
Scholar.
- Issaquena county served as a research site for Dr. Chris Surbeck, UM Faculty, in her
“Sensitivity Analysis on the Relationships between Quality of Life and Quality of Environment
in the Mississippi Delta Region.”
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
- Lafayette county is home to Insight Park where CEED students such as Mike Davis worked to
start a social polling app, Impster, and Lorin Dawson also coordinated with Zyn Careers to use
electronic database tools in human resource management departments.
- Lee county native Camille Walker worked with Congressman Trent Kelly to help inform CEED
students about state and federal economic development programs. Ashley Smith helped
coordinate volunteers with the Imagine the Possibilities career event with the CREATE
foundation.
- Leflore county native Dr. Albert Nylander serves as the Director of the McLean Institute for
Public Service and Community Engagement and Professor of Sociology. Henry Lang-
Vanderlaan partnered with the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwood for the NASA in the Delta
day.
- Marshall county is the site of Rebecca Bramlett and Austin Powell in coordinating an
entrepreneurship education program.
- Newton county had seven high school students take part in the inaugural McLean
Entrepreneurial Leadership Program on the UM campus.
- Oktibbeha county native Leah Gibson worked with Mississippi Public Broadcasting to help
with documentaries in Holmes County related to economic development.
- Panola county native Robert Patterson will be an Innovation Fellow with Cohort 3.
- Pontotoc county native Sam Russell conducted an honors thesis on community-campus
relations and tourism in the Mississippi Delta.
- Quitman county served as the site for Taeisha Gambrel and Janae Owens in the summer youth
program in partnership with Youth Opportunities Unlimited in coordination with Y.O.U. (Youth
Opportunities Unlimited) and Quitman county superintendent of education, Dr. Evelyn Jossell.
- Simpson county student, Bayle Brown, from Magee High School participated in the inaugural
McLean Entrepreneurial Leadership Program on May 29-June 3, 2016 on the UM campus.
- Sunflower county native Holly Pitts is conducting her thesis on economic impact of tourism in
the Mississippi Delta while interning with the BB King Museum and GRAMMY Museum. Will
Bedwell served in Indianola at the Mississippi Center for Justice to gain a better understanding
of legal issues in Mississippi.
-Tallahatchie county has served as the site of Kate Sackett and Audrey Dayan in working with
the Tallahatchie General Hospital and the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center in health
education programs. Mary Blessey also worked with the Emmitt Till Interpretive Center in
helping with children photography classes.
- Tunica county served as a research site for Dr. Chris Surbeck in her “Sensitivity Analysis on
the Relationships between Quality of Life and Quality of Environment in the Mississippi Delta
Region.”
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
- Union county native Chris Beard has worked with the Northeast Mississippi Medical Center in
Tupelo to further the availability of primary care physicians in rural Mississippi.
- Washington county native Dr. J.R. Love serves as the project manager of the CEED initiative.
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Forum Schedule
9:30 - 10:00 am Registration and Coffee
10:00 - 10:30 am Welcome and Introductions
Dr. Albert Nylander, Director of the McLean Institute for Public Service and
Community Engagement and Professor of Sociology, University of Mississippi
Mr. Tim Lampkin, CEO, Lampkin Consulting Group, LLC and CEO/Co-
Founder, Higher Purpose Co.
10:30 - 11:30 am Session 1: Mr. John Brandon
Manager, Entrepreneur Center
Mississippi Development Authority
Session 2: Panel Discussion
Residents of Marks and Jonestown
11:30 -12:30 pm Lunch
Session 3: Mr. Mike Clayborne
President, CREATE foundation
12:30 - 1:30 pm Session 4: Ms. Cobie Watkins
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
University of Mississippi
Session 5: Panel Talk
BPI Coatings, Olive Branch
Sleepmade, Columbus
1:30 - 2:30 pm Session 6: Mr. Eric Hill and Mr. Jeffrey Rupp
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach
Mississippi State University
Session 7: Mr. Josh Mabus
President, The Mabus Agency
2:30 - 3:00 pm Break
3:00 - 4:00 pm Session 8: Ms. Elizabeth Randall
President, Randall Commercial Group
Session 9: Mr. Judd Wilson
Vice-President, Chamber of Commerce
Community Development Foundation
4:00 - 5:00 pm Session 10: Honorable Jason Shelton
Mayor, City of Tupelo
5:00 - 5:30 pm Closing Comments
Dr. Albert Nylander and Mr. William Nichols, Director of Economic
Development, University of Mississippi
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Guest Speakers
John Brandon
Manager, The Entrepreneur Center
601.359.2399
The Entrepreneur Center @ MDA, a bureau within the Existing Industry and Business Division,
provides financial, marketing, management, and technical assistance to new and existing small
businesses. Services are offered at no charge to individuals interested in starting a new business
or expanding an existing firm.
Session 1:
10:30-11:30 am
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Sam McCray, Chair, [email protected] 662-326-0272
The Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) Program has enjoyed tremendous success since its
establishment in 1992. The initiative grew out of the awareness that economically disadvantaged
parenting teens and school dropouts lacked the basic environmental support and services
essential for proper growth, development, and functioning in society. The Y.O.U. Program works
closely with the participating School Districts in each county (Coahoma, Quitman, North Panola
and West Tallahatchie) in the identification and selection of youth at risk from ages 6-21, and
provides these selected youth and their parents an array of services that will address some of the
negative factors in their lives.
Rusty Hall, Managing Director, [email protected] 601-983-1179
But God Ministries has held individual meetings and focus groups in Jonestown, MS to help
address economic development issues among other concerns voiced by community members. In
working with the Mayor of Jonestown and local community members, BGM is looking at
possible future developments in Jonestown. BGM was founded in the Fall of 2010 by the former
pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson, MS.
Session 2:
10:30-11:30 am
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Mike Clayborne
President of CREATE foundation
662-844-8989
An endowment by the late Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Publisher George McLean and
his wife, Anna Keirsey McLean, started and supported the administrative operations of CREATE
in 1972, making it the oldest community foundation in Mississippi. Upon their deaths, CREATE
Foundation became the sole stockholder of the Journal Publishing Company, Inc. and now
receives dividends for its operations. This allows a professional staff to support initiatives by
citizen leaders and other service organizations to meet the challenges and provide creative
solutions to Northeast Mississippi opportunities.
Session 3:
11:30 am-12:30
pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Cobie Crews Watkins
Director of Student and Alumni Programs
662.915.3737
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mississippi is dedicated to
expanding entrepreneurship in Mississippi and its students.
Our mission is to inspire our students to create valuable new businesses and enhance the
economic value of all businesses in the state of Mississippi and those created by alumni through
excellent teaching, world-class research, and exceptional service to the university and the
community.
Session 4:
12:30-1:30 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
John Dillon
901-565-8260
BPI Packaging, LLC is a full-service custom chemical blending and packaging service provider.
From our state-of-the-art, EPA-registered chemical blending and packaging facility, BPI
Packaging offers efficient turnkey custom product formulation, blending and packaging services
for our customers.
Brad Clayton
662-350-0999
Sleepmade is a Veteran Owned and Operated company located entirely in the United States with
manufacturing and warehouse facilities in Indiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi. We have great
people that have a desire to design and manufacture the most advanced sleep products in the
industry. Sleepmade takes a new approach to sleep products by putting customer needs at the
forefront of our business. In fact, we pride ourselves on this approach. “Our Mission is to create
a continually improving, people-centered culture that drives our passion to become the most
progressive and innovative enterprise in the sleep products industry, while also enriching the
lives of our customers, employees, and vendors.”
Session 5:
12:30-1:30 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Eric Hill, Director of Entrepreneurship, [email protected], 662-325-3521
Jeffrey Rupp, Director of Outreach, [email protected], 662-325-8122
Vision Statement
Our vision is for MSU’s students and employees to embrace their capacity to start globally
impactful companies.
Mission Statement
The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation strives to help students, faculty, and staff at
Mississippi State University start and grow successful companies. Our goal is to provide world-
class strategic guidance and mentorship, build financial and other tangibles resources to support
business startups, forge new partnerships with industry thought leaders, enhance interdisciplinary
relationships, and actively promote outreach to new students. Through these efforts, we
aggressively seek to unify, grow and foster a strong campus-wide culture of entrepreneurship.
Session 6:
1:30-2:30 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Josh Mabus
President, The Mabus Agency
662-823-2100
Josh Mabus founded Mabus Agency in 2008 with the intention of raising the creative bar in
Tupelo, Mississippi, and the Southeast. The Mabus Agency mission is simple. We retain the best
talent Mississippi has to offer, while recruiting across the country with one goal in mind:
providing businesses with nationally competitive marketing strategies, brands, websites, videos
and print services. Our nationally recognized work speaks for itself.
Session 7:
1:30-2:30 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Elizabeth Randall
President, Randall Commercial Group, LLC
662-234-4043
Randall Commercial Group, LLC is a boutique commercial real estate investment brokerage and
consulting firm focused on properties and development opportunities in the southeastern United
States for clients located throughout the country. Through a myriad of brokerage services, we
serve institutional and individual investors as well as end users, tenants, and developers on deals
ranging up to $50 million in estimated market value.
Our proprietary research, continual education, creativity, and perseverance, allow us to focus on
creating client wealth by optimizing real estate strategies for businesses and investors while
building meaningful, long-term relationships.
Our corporate strategy is simple: client first. We do not desire to be all things to all clients, but
we are singularly focused on being all things investment real estate.
Session 8:
3:00-4:00 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Judd Wilson
Vice-President, Chamber of Commerce
662-842-4521
CDF is a membership organization governed by a 60-member Board of Directors, elected by the
members, with a 15 member Executive Committee, composed of officers, division leaders and
other professionals. Currently CDF has nearly 1,200 members. Utilizing a professional staff and
experienced volunteers, CDF presents the positive points of the Tupelo-Lee County region to
business, industry and professional leaders who bring jobs to the region. CDF's membership
assumes the leadership role in developing a ten year strategy, an annual program of work
designed to enhance agricultural, business, educational, industrial, private/public partnership and
support efforts such as skills and technology enhancement, improved transportation and health
care.
Session 9:
3:00-4:00 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Honorable Jason Shelton
Mayor, City of Tupelo
662-841-6513
Mayor Jason Shelton is a lifelong resident of the City of Tupelo and a product of the Mississippi
public education system, having attended Tupelo High School, Itawamba Community College,
Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law. After practicing
law in Tupelo for more than a decade, Jason was elected as the first mayor in the history of
Tupelo from "East Tupelo." During his time as mayor, the City of Tupelo has overcome many
hardships, and also has been highly acclaimed as a 2015 All-America City and as the Mississippi
Municipal League 2015 Overall Excellence Award winner.
Session 10:
4:00-5:00 pm
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Featured Entrepreneur:
Mr. Tim Lampkin
Timothy E. Lampkin is a millennial living in the Mississippi Delta who found his purpose at the
nexus of community development, entrepreneurship, and arts/culture. Tim has carved a niche for
himself as an entrepreneur, educator, and philanthropist. He is the CEO of Lampkin Consulting
Group, LLC, which provides grant writing, project management, small business coaching, and
event support to nonprofits, universities, municipalities, and entrepreneurs. Tim is also the
CEO/Co-Founder of Higher Purpose Co. a social enterprise designed to connect, inspire, and
educate minority millennials in rural communities.
Rural Entrepreneurship Forum July 19, 2016 Tupelo, MS
Food was provided by
Endville Bakery & Catering Company
2135 McCullough Blvd. Tupelo, MS 38801
Tupelo, MS 38801
662-680-3332