Schedule of Day
8:30 – 9:00
Registration and Coffee
9:00
Conference Welcome
Patricia Coates, Director, UVM Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships and Office of Engagement
Dr. Marlene Tromp, President, University of Vermont
9:15 – 10:15
Keynote Panel: AI and the Future Rural Economy
Panelists:
Kyla Kasharian, Senior Associate, Seigel Family Endowment
Matt Dunne, President, Center on Rural Innovation
Dr. Kate Mays, Assistant Professor, UVM Community Development and Applied Economics
Facilitator:
Dr. Marlene Tromp, President, University of Vermont
10:30 – 11:00
Breakout Sessions
Track 1 - “Looking Out/Looking In”
Hear from practitioners, leaders, and researchers from rural communities across the United States on how we learn from each other.
Panelists:
Michael Moser, Coordinator for the VT State Data Center and Research Project Specialist, UVM Center for Rural Studies
Joshua Beneš, UVM Water Resources Institute Manager of Research Facilities and Initiatives
Track 2 - “Building Bridges to Community Wellbeing”
Explore the lessons that take partnerships from ideas to practice in rural communities.
Moderator:
Roz King, M.S.N., RN, CNL, Division Chief, Emergency Medicine Research, Larner College of Medicine, UVM
Panelists:
Heidi Schumacher, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Larner College of Medicine, UVM
Track 3: “Returns on Rural Investment”
Dig into critical questions about all that happens when we invest in rural business and innovation. Beyond shareholder value.
Moderator:
Kevin Chu, Director, Vermont Futures Project
Panelists:
Wei Wei Wang, Executive Director of Community & Policy, VTPOC
James Stafford, Director, Biolabs at UVM
Annie Mclean, Community and Economic Development Coordinator, Northeastern Vermont Development Association and Do North Coworking
Melissa Merkel, Center on Rural Innovation
12:00 – 1:30
Lunch
Enjoy a “Vermont First” lunch prepared by our sponsor, SODEXO.
12:15 – 1:15
2026 RISE Lunch and Learns
Vermont First: A Lunch and Learn with Local Farmers and Food Producers
Moderator:
Nicole Reilly, UVM Food Services, VT First Director
Panelists:
Becky Castle, Owner of Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream
Kevin Melman, Owner of FUNJ Shrooming Co.
Nurbu Sherpa, Owner of Sherpa Foods and Himalayan Delight
Quick Talks: “How I’m Building Rural Prosperity”
A smorgasbord of short talks from community members working to solve rural challenges across the state.
Vermont Civic Lab
Join the creators of Game Theory to explore new tools for envisioning your community’s future
Moderator:
Marguerite Dibble, Game Theory
1:30 – 2:30
Breakout Workshops
Workshops will be held within their respective tracks, building on sessions from earlier in the day.
Track 1 Panel: "Looking Out/Looking In"
Hear from practitioners, leaders, and researchers from rural communities across the United States on how we learn from each other.
Track 1 Workshop: America's Rural Future Commission
Track 2 Panel: “Building Bridges to Community Wellbeing”
Explore the lessons that take partnerships from ideas to practice in rural communities.
Track 2 Workshop: Moving at the Speed of Trust – Community Dialogue
Workshop Leader: Karen Anderson, Director of Radio Programming and Operations, Vermont Public
This session explores how storytelling and listening can transform difficult conversations into pathways for trust and collaboration. Build the skills to turn challenging conversations into opportunities for connection, helping move community-driven partnerships from intention to impact.
Track 3 Panel: “Returns on Rural Investment”
Dig into critical questions about all that happens when we invest in rural business and innovation.
Track 3 Workshop: The Pitch Lab
Workshop Leader: Mollie Davis, Innovation & Experiential Learning Professional, UVM Innovations
2:30 — 2:45
Coffee and Networking
2:45 – 3:15
Performance
3:15 — 3:30
Leahy Institute Award for Distinguished Community Engagement
Presented by Retired Senator Patrick Leahy.
3:30 – 4:30
Keynote Panel: What’s Possible for Rural Prosperity?
Moderator:
Kirk Dombrowski, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at UVM
Panelists:
Beth Haskovec, Director of Wisconsin Office of Rural Prosperity
Rafael Carbonell, Executive Director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard University