Northwest Missouri State University is inviting individuals and small business owners – including farmers, ranchers and other agriculture enterprises – to engage in discussions aimed at creating economic progress as part of a nationwide “Path to Prosperity” regional economic development series.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) partner to provide the no-cost series featuring experts in the lending industry, federal government, and community partners and stakeholders.

The Northwest event is 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the Agricultural Learning Center, located on the R.T. Wright Farm at 22893 U.S. Highway 71 in Maryville.

All participants must register to attend either in person or virtually by clicking here. After registering, individuals will receive a confirmation email containing a unique link to join the meeting.

The event will include panel discussions comprised of economic and lending experts, community partners and stakeholders, and broadband experts who will identify challenges, and share best practices and innovative solutions to accessing capital and contracting opportunities. Presenters will discuss how financial institutions, non-profits, public and private sectors, and community-based organizations encourage the development of a “Path to Prosperity” by:

• Incentivizing unbanked and under-banked small business owners and individuals to establish a sustainable relationship with an insured financial institution;
• Expanding technical assistance and financial education for small business owners and individuals to improve their bankability;
• Increasing the number of SBA-certified lenders to provide access to capital for small, minority, and urban or rural underserved businesses; and
• Developing contracting relationships with federal government and private industry partners.

The event will include lenders from local, regional and national financial institutions helping to expand bank referrals of small businesses for technical assistance from business development organizations. Attendees will include financial institutions, community development financial institutions, trade groups, local and federal government staff, members of faith-based communities, and nonprofit organizations who support the small business community.

The Northwest event is the 19th in a national series geared toward communities across America and U.S. territories that have traditionally not been afforded access to the same level of resources and economic development enjoyed by larger metropolitan areas. The “Path to Prosperity” series provides federal partners an opportunity to highlight their programs.

For more information, visit www.usda.gov/path-to-prosperity.