RuraLead is a national learning initiative focused on strengthening leadership to transform rural communities. Beginning with a listening tour in 2020, the effort engaged rural and Indigenous leaders across the country through interviews, videoconferences, and regional “journeys” in Appalachia, the Midwest, the South, the Northwest, and rural Indigenous communities. The initiative explored fundamental questions about who gets to lead, what good leadership looks like, and how best to support emerging and established leaders. RuraLead culminated in the Ideas Summit, where leaders, practitioners, and funders came together to advance rural equity, development, and opportunity. Guided by Rural Development Initiatives and partners, RuraLead highlights the central role of leadership in shaping thriving, equitable rural futures—an emphasis that aligns with Aspen CSG’s commitment to building durable community capacity through Rural Development Hubs and asset-based strategies.
RURALEAD
