Eastern Kentucky faces real challenges.
Communities are navigating workforce shortages, economic transition, healthcare barriers, population decline, broadband needs, and questions about what the future of rural America looks like.
But alongside those challenges, something else is happening across the region:
People are building.
Communities are innovating.
Organizations are testing new ideas.
Local leaders are finding ways forward.
That’s why TenTalk is returning to the 2026 SOAR Summit, presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Because some of the most important solutions shaping the future of Appalachia are already happening right here at home.
Two Slides. Your Passion. A Message That Matters.
TenTalk is designed to be simple, accessible, and impactful.
Two slides.
Your passion.
An audience ready to listen, learn, and take action.
This isn’t about polished keynote speeches or professional presenters.
It’s about real people sharing real ideas that can help strengthen communities across Eastern Kentucky.
Whether someone is revitalizing a downtown, creating workforce opportunities, expanding broadband access, launching a small business, improving healthcare access, building educational pathways, or growing tourism in their community—those stories matter.
And they deserve a platform.
Built Around What the Region Needs Most
One of the clearest messages we heard while shaping the 2026 SOAR Summit was this:
People want practical ideas they can take home and apply.
They want to hear from communities facing similar challenges.
They want examples of what is actually working in Eastern Kentucky.
TenTalk was built for exactly that purpose.
The presentations are intentionally concise and focused on:
- Ideas worth sharing
- Lessons worth learning
- Solutions worth replicating
Because progress in Eastern Kentucky will not come from one organization or one county working alone.
It will come from collaboration.
From shared learning.
From communities building momentum together.
A Platform for Local Voices
To participate in TenTalk, speakers must live in Eastern Kentucky and present on topics connected to the future of the region.
Topics can include:
- Industrial recruitment
- Workforce training and development
- Broadband expansion
- Downtown revitalization
- Tourism
- Entrepreneurship
- Education
- Healthy communities
But the heart of TenTalk goes beyond categories.
At its core, this is about elevating the voices of people who care deeply about their communities and are willing to step forward to share what they are learning.
Not because they have all the answers.
But because they are doing the work.
Why This Matters
Ideas often start small.
A pilot program.
A conversation.
A partnership.
A single community trying something different.
But when those ideas are shared, they create something bigger: Momentum.
That is the power of TenTalk.
It creates opportunities for people across county lines to connect, collaborate, and reimagine what is possible for Eastern Kentucky.
And in a region where the future will be shaped by the people willing to build it, those conversations matter.
The future of Eastern Kentucky will not be written somewhere else.
It will be written here. By the people who call this region home.
Ready to Talk?
Applications are open for TenTalk. Applications will be accepted through July 31, 2026.