Event Aims To Connect Rural Business Leaders

Photo by: BJ Hansen

Sonora, CA — There is a unique opportunity upcoming for local business leaders to network and hear presentations from state and regional officials.

A daylong Rural Regions Connect Virtual Conference is scheduled for this Thursday, January 28.

While it was initially planned to be more of just a local event, interest increased, allowing for expanded offerings and presentations.

Cole Przybyla, Tuolumne County’s Director of Innovation and Business Assistance, says, “When we started building this event for the County of Tuolumne, the state recognized it, jumped on, and gave us more resources and access to larger speakers. We really built this event for an entire rural region. It will be really exciting to show off the County of Tuolumne, what we are doing here, and how exciting our community is.”

There is an extensive list of speakers announced, including Dee Dee Myers, with the Governor’s Office Of Business and Economic Development, and Barbara Hayes, who is the Chief Economic Development Officer with the Rural County Representatives of California. For more information on the speaker lineup, click here.

Przybyla stresses that it is set up to feel “less like a webinar,” and “more like an in-person event.”

While there will be presentations from industry leaders, there will also be virtual breakout rooms to hear more from those taking part, and a chance for one-on-one sessions among different participants.

Asked about who has the most to gain from this conference, Przybyla says, “The key demographic is probably manufacturing. We have invited our top manufacturing companies in Tuolumne County, but really all of the businesses in Tuolumne County are invited. There will also be a specific presentation for those in the tourism industry, retail, and restaurants.”

More information about Thursday’s event can be found here.

Sponsors include CSAC, RCRC, Sierra Business Council and America’s SBDC California (Central CA Network).