Thursday, October 7th at the Corbin Center was all about ideas you could take home and put to work.
At the Corbin Center, attendees could choose from two different session experiences: FOCUS Breakout Sessions, designed for deeper conversations around the opportunities and challenges facing Eastern Kentucky, and TenTalks, featuring focused presentations from leaders and changemakers with ideas worth sharing.
Attendees chose the conversations most relevant to their work, community, and the future they want to help build.
TenTalks brought together leaders, innovators, and changemakers to share ideas, experiences, and lessons from work happening across Eastern Kentucky and beyond. Get inspired by what’s possible, discover ideas worth bringing home, and leave ready to turn inspiration into action in your own community.
Hear What’s Possible
Discover ideas, successes, and new approaches from people doing the work.
Bring Ideas Home
Find inspiration and practical takeaways you can adapt to your organization or community.
Become a Changemaker
Turn what you hear into action that creates new opportunities and moves your community forward.
FOCUS Sessions brought leaders, practitioners, and community partners together to explore some of Eastern Kentucky’s biggest opportunities. Sessions were organized around four themes:
Building Competitive Communities
How communities become places people choose to invest, work, and live.
Growing the Economy
Practical strategies to strengthen local businesses, entrepreneurs, and investment.
Preparing for Tomorrow
Emerging industries and technologies shaping Appalachia’s future.
People & Place
Building healthier, stronger, and more connected communities.
Recruiting new employers matters, but some of the greatest opportunities for economic growth already exist within your community. Explore how local leaders, economic developers, financial institutions, educators, and business support organizations can help existing businesses innovate, expand, and create quality jobs. Hear practical examples of communities investing in the businesses they already have and leave with strategies to strengthen your local economy from the inside out.
Moderator
Danna Barnett | Director of Entrepreneurship | SOAR
Panelists
Brett Traver | Executive Director | Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation
Jacob Hannah | CEO | Coalfield Development
Rodney Kuhl | Southeastern Kentucky Center Director | Kentucky SBDC
Robin Gabbard | President | Mountain Association
Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations work, but its greatest potential isn’t replacing people; it’s helping leaders make better decisions. Explore practical ways AI can strengthen planning, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration while keeping human judgment at the center. Leave with actionable strategies, ready-to-use prompts, and a new perspective on using AI to help your organization and community thrive.
Presenter
Dr. Nathan Hamblin | Dean of the School of Leadership | University of the Cumberlands
Access to quality child care isn’t just a family issue; it is a workforce and community development opportunity. Explore how employers, local governments, child care providers, nonprofits, and other partners can work together to identify local needs and build solutions that help more parents participate in the workforce. Leave with resources, partnership models, and practical next steps to begin advancing child care solutions in your community.
Moderator
Sarah Fugate | Business Programs Manager | SOAR
Panelists
Amanda Kelly | Director of Small Business Training | Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation
Michelle Spriggs | Eastern Kentucky Center Director | Kentucky SBDC
Kate Dean | Director of Community-Based Partnerships and Strategy | Child Care Aware of Kentucky
Karen Thompson | Interim Executive Director | Appalachian Early Childhood Network
Landing a job is only the beginning. Many employees face barriers that make it difficult to stay employed and advance, from the benefits cliff to transportation, childcare, and other challenges. Explore how employers, workforce organizations, and community partners can recognize early warning signs, provide meaningful support, and create pathways that help people build lasting careers while strengthening the workforce.
Moderator
Barb Gay | Program Manager | EKY Runway | SOAR
Panelists
Renata Osborne | Human Resources Manager | Martin’s Perterbilt
Aaron Poynter | Director of the Reentry and Employment Services Branch | Commonwealth of Kentucky
Justin Suttles | Director | TENCO Workforce Development
Broadband is more than faster internet; it’s a catalyst for economic growth. As Kentucky prepares to distribute millions of dollars in BEAD non-deployment funding, communities have a unique opportunity to leverage broadband investments to strengthen workforce development, support entrepreneurs, expand educational opportunities, improve healthcare access, attract industry, and enhance quality of life. Learn what’s coming, what communities should be doing now, and how to position your community to maximize this historic investment.
Moderator
Chris Boggs | Program Manager | SOAR
Panelists
Chris Pedersen | Executive Vice President | Connected Nation
Hilda Legg | Founder | Legg Strategies
Lonnie Lawson | CEO | Center for Rural Development
Meghan Sandfoss | Executive Director | Kentucky Office of Broadband Development
Strong local economies don’t happen by accident; they’re built by investing in local entrepreneurs. Learn how One Clay County and SOAR Innovation partnered to launch a county-based accelerator that equipped entrepreneurs with coaching, funding, and the support to start and grow businesses. Hear what worked, what they’d do differently, and leave with a practical framework to help your community build its own entrepreneurship pipeline.
Moderator
Danna Barnett | Director of Entrepreneurship | SOAR
Panelists
Mike White | Executive Director | 1 Clay County
Randy Craft | Market President | First National Bank of Manchester
Kelcey Moore | Owner | Slab & Cedar Ceramics and The Porch Goose | 1CC Leap Alumni
Shannon Garrett | Owner | Shannon Marie Art / Pottery’s Will | 1CC Launch Alumni
More than 80 families from over 30 states have chosen Eastern Kentucky as home. Hear firsthand why they came, how they’re becoming part of our communities, and what their experiences reveal about attracting talent, growing our population, and building stronger local economies.
Moderator
Latasha Friend | Director | EKY Remote
Panelists
Ben Ledo | Vice President | MakeMyMove
Jacob Roan | Assistant City Manager of Corbin
Chelsea Clubb | EKY Remote Mover
Every community has a story, and that story shapes how people see its future. For too long, Appalachia’s narrative has been written by others. Explore how intentional storytelling can attract talent, strengthen communities, support business growth, and inspire investment. Leave with practical messaging strategies and a clearer understanding of how every leader can help shape a more complete and compelling story of Eastern Kentucky.
Facilitated by
Marc Whitt | Director of Media & Strategic Relations | University of Kentucky
The future of nuclear innovation is closer than many realize. With the Oak Ridge National Laboratory just an hour from Corbin and Eastern Kentuckians already supporting nuclear facilities across the country through outage work, our region is well positioned to capitalize on one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries. Discover how communities can prepare for opportunities in advanced manufacturing, workforce development, supply chains, and research partnerships, and leave with practical strategies to help position your community for long-term growth.
Facilitated by
Cason Carroll | Program Manager | Envoy Public Labs
Austin Blanch | Senior Analyst | Envoy Public Labs
Sean Schaub | Executive Director | Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority
Curious about AI but unsure where to start? This hands-on workshop is designed for beginners and early adopters ready to move from curiosity to confidence. Bring your laptop and learn how to use AI to write emails, summarize meetings, create marketing content, analyze data, brainstorm ideas, develop policies, and automate everyday tasks. You’ll explore practical tools, practice real-world prompts, and leave with an AI toolkit you can begin using immediately in your organization.
Facilitated by
The University of the Cumberlands