DT #577 IEDC Rural Retreat Recap - Main Street at the Mountain West

Develop This: Economic and Community Development

In this special episode, Joi Cuartero Austin of Main Street America sits down with colleagues Erik Reader and Jonathan Stone to reflect on their experience at the IEDC Rural Retreat in Great Falls, Montana. They discuss the power of data, the importance of people-powered revitalization, and how Main Street strategies are showing up in economic development conversations like never before. From hype teams and alleyway dance parties to building inventories and rural entrepreneurship, this conversation dives deep into what it means to breathe new life into rural communities—and how Main Street can lead the way.