By Joshua Ball, Chief Operating Officer, SOAR
My story is what SOAR embodies.
I grew up in a holler in Martin County, a place etched into America’s conscience by a President’s declaration of war on poverty. For many, that’s where the story ends. But for me, and for so many others across Eastern Kentucky, it was just the beginning.
I wake up every morning honored and humbled to fight for this region. To fight for its people. To fight for its future. That fight is relentless, and it’s rooted in belief: belief in who we are, and in what we can become.
This year marks my eighth SOAR Summit as an employee. Eight years. In that time, I’ve watched the Summit grow from a gathering of voices into a movement of action. We always had a voice — what we needed was alignment, amplification, and the courage to speak not just to the moment, but to the future.
We found that courage. Together.
From the beginning, the SOAR Summit was never about rhetoric. Words, yes, but words shaped by our hands, moved by our feet, and driven by our hearts. We took big steps. We dreamed bigger. And we worked hard to make those dreams real.
We still do and we always will.
The Summit is now one of the most celebrated rural convenings in America, because what’s happening in Appalachia is being noticed. More importantly, it’s being built. Our sessions don’t just reflect where we are. They illuminate where we’re going. And they make room for everyone — from local leaders to national funders to the next generation sitting in the back row, wondering if there’s a place for them in this story.
There is.
This year’s agenda is packed with the themes that define our region’s future: workforce, energy, connectivity, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence. We’re not just talking about these ideas — we’re putting them to work. Because the future isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we shape. Relentlessly.
Take AI. Some see it as a threat. We see it as a tool — one that can be used to empower local people, enhance institutions, and elevate communities. The same goes for entrepreneurship. At this year’s Summit, we’re widening the lens. Yes, we’ll celebrate Main Street. But we’ll also shine a light on Appalachian tech startups, on scalable ventures, on people who are proving that the next big idea doesn’t have to come from a coast — it can come from a county road in Eastern Kentucky.
That’s what makes the SOAR Summit different. It isn’t just a conference. It’s a space where belief becomes action, and where action becomes transformation.
And it’s not just about us.
We gather for one reason: our kids are watching — and they’re in the room. We can’t cast a vision for tomorrow without the very people entrusted to lead it sitting at the table today. The SOAR Summit is where we model what’s possible. It’s where we remind our young people that they belong in the rooms where decisions are made, and that their dreams don’t have to wait.
That’s what being relentless really means.
It means we don’t stop — not when it’s hard, not when it’s uncertain, not when it feels uphill. We press forward. For Eastern Kentucky. For Appalachia. For each other.
Join us August 26–29 in Corbin for the SOAR Summit, presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission. This is more than an event. It’s a movement. And the story isn’t finished yet.
Be relentless with us, for what’s next.