Bio
Deb Brown's small-town roots have shaped her into a passionate advocate for community revitalization. Hailing from the tiny town of Geneva, Iowa, with only 141 residents, Deb knows firsthand the power of transforming small towns into thriving communities.
Through her captivating storytelling, Deb brings to life the inspiring journeys of everyday people who have successfully reshaped their small towns. With her unwavering enthusiasm, she shares practical advice on how anyone can become a catalyst for change and create a brighter future for their small town.
As a co-founder of SaveYour.Town, Deb Brown has spearheaded numerous programs that empower small businesses, tackle the challenge of empty buildings, elevate customer service, revolutionize marketing strategies, and drive economic development. Her expertise and insight have garnered widespread praise from various industry professionals, including chambers, economic developers, tourism specialists, museum experts, business groups, and small-town conferences.
Deb's influence extends far and wide, as she has been invited to keynote prestigious events such as the Rural X Summit, TEDx Brookings, Michigan Rural Economic Development Conference, and many more. From Roscommon County Michigan to Central Iowa Tourism Annual Meeting, her dynamic presence has left an indelible mark on diverse audiences. Additionally, she has shared her expertise at notable conferences like NADO, NRECA, Milbank South Dakota Chamber Annual Dinner, and the renowned 140 Character Conferences.
With Deb Brown's infectious energy and invaluable insights, she emboldens individuals and communities to shape their small towns into flourishing havens of opportunity and growth. Get ready to embark on a transformative journey with Deb, as she guides you toward a future where dreams become realities in small towns across the world.
All the info on one page
Feel free to share this pdf of all the information you could want with your teams!
The last ten years
Speaking Engagements
- Keynote and small town visits in Malden, Palouse, Oaksdale, Tekoa, Pullman and Fairfield, Washington
- IEDC Rural Montana Conference, Great Falls, MT
- Wyoming Working Together: Keynote at annual conference in Gillette, Wyoming
- Murray County, GA: Keynote on Small Town Revitalization
- Birmingham, AL: Main Street NOW Conference
- Montgomery, Alabama: National Rural Grocery Summit
- Alpine, Texas: Keynote for West Texas Rural Philanthropy Days
- New Orleans: Presentation at NADO Annual Training
- Illinois Main Street: Opening Keynote on Becoming an Idea Friendly Town and visits to Geneva, Illinois
- San Juan County, Utah Business Summit: Keynote on Using the Idea Friendly Method, Visit communities: Bluff, Monticello, Blanding
- Gowrie, Iowa: Gowrie Development Commission Annual Banquet
- Jackson County, Mississippi Chamber of Commerce in Moss Point, Area Council: Keynote
- Isanti, Minnesota: Keynote speaker for GPS 4593
- Nashville, Tennessee: NRECA Annual Meeting
- Iowa State University: Closing Presentation Conference
- Minnesota Brownfields Conference
- EDAM Conference in Brainerd, MN
- WV Brownfields Conference & Main Street/On Trac Training
- Rice Lake, Minnesota Community Getting Action Ready Conference
- Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission
- La Junta CO: Chamber BLT Keynote
- Montana Council of Cooperatives Annual meeting
- Midstates Conference: Closing keynote, South Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- StandUp Rural America in West Virginia
- NRECA in Minneapolis and Las Vegas
- Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque in SW Iowa
- TS Bank Economic Development Conference for Rural towns in Staunton, Iowa
- Hannibal MO for Northeast Community Action Corporation (NECAC) and visits to Hannibal, Palmyra, Monroe City,Louisiana, Mexico, Montgomery City
- Rock Valley, Iowa: Annual Dinner Keynote
- Sequin TX: Small Business Keynote
- SMTulsa
- Brownfields National Annual Training in Los Angeles
- NADO Annual Conference
- International Economic Development Conference in Dallas, Texas
- TEDx Brookings South Dakota
- Western Area Chamber Executives Conference, Los Angeles
- Radically Rural Conference, Keene, New Hampshire
- Colorado Hospital Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO
- Michigan Association of Planners Annual Conference, Grand Rapid, MI
- Rural X Summit 4 times
- Misfit Conference, Fargo ND
- 140 Character Conferences – NYC, Iowa, and Small Town in Hutchinson, KY
- Regards to Rural Conference, Portland, OR
- Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference
- Mid America Chamber Executives (MACE) in Minnesota
- The Future of Rural Conference, Klamath Falls, OR
- Historic Preservation Summit Fort Dodge, Iowa
- Iowa Byways Fort Dodge, Iowa
- Women's Business Conference, Kearney, NE
- MidStates Economic Development Conference, Iowa
- Stuart, Iowa Chamber Dinner
- Building Communities Conference, Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa
- Rural Arts and Culture Summit, Morris Minnesota
- Central Iowa Tourism, Des Moines Iowa
- Southern Illinois Economic Development Conference Alabama
- Western Iowa Tourism, Iowa
- Missouri Community Betterment Association Conference, Missouri
- Chamber dinner speaker at Milbank, South Dakota
- Monroe Economic Development Conference, Monroe, Wisconsin
- Iowa Museum Association Annual Conference, Fort Dodge Iowa
- Rural Business and Innovation Summit, Klamath Falls, OR
- Rural That Works Annual Conference, Jewell Iowa
Onsite Visits
- Leland, NC: National Travel Center work with residents
- Johnson County, Iowa: Implementing the Idea Friendly Method
- Shawnee, OK: Intensive Action Visit, 3-day Community Engagement
- Lander County, NV: Intensive Project, First visit, Battle Mountain, Austin
- Swift County, Minnesota Kirkoven, Appleton, Swift Falls, Benson, Danvers, Holloway, Clontorf, DeGraff
- Eastern Kentucky: What's Next EKY's Community Accelerator program, Grayson, Ky and Jackson County, Ky (McKee, Big Hill, Annville, Sand Gap)
- Letcher County, KY: Visit and Workshop (Carcassone, Blackey, Whitesburg,
- Colorado: Four counties (Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne)
- Five Counties in Montana: 2-year project
- La Junta CO: Onsite Visit with Agritourism Workshop
- Delaware County, Iowa
- Lincoln Highway Corridor in Iowa
- Missouri Council of Governments Region
- Ripley Ohio
- Mt Ayr Iowa
- Akron, Iowa
- Belle Fourche, South Dakota
- Ritzville, Washington
- Avon, Minnesota
- Cold Springs, Minnesota
- York, Nebraska
- Rock Valley, Iowa
- Bennettsville, South Carolina
- Forest County, Pennsylvania
- Ohio RCAP Project: Minerva, Carrollton, Columbiana, Sebring, Fostoria, and Paulding, Ohio
- Roscommon County, Michigan
- Estherville, Iowa
- Webster City, Iowa
Webinars and Virtual Events
- NADO: 3 webinar series focused on empty buildings and entrepreneurs
- Community Futures Manitoba and Saskatchewan: Virtual Keynote
- Montana State University: Reimagining Rural: Idea Friendly
- Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA)
- Radically Rural Remote
- TMCN Virtual Conference
- British Columbia: Looking Forward: Rebuilding your Local Economy
- AMIBA Webinar: Results from Survey of Rural Challenges
- Rural Collaboration webinar with Dell Gines, IEDC, and Becky McCray
- Talent Attraction webinar with Melody Warnick and Becky McCray
- Innovative Rural Business Models webinar for SourceLink Affiliates
- Virtual Roundtable for Radically Rural
- Webinar to Jefferson City, MO Downtown Association
- Rural Rise Speaker Series
- Online Course for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Iowa State University
- Mark Twain Council of Governments Workshop
- Montana Reimaging Rural Idea Friendly virtual workshop
- Cooperatives First in Canada
- Workforce Solutions Roundtable for the University of Idaho
- North Carolina Webinar series
- Rural Summit Wisconsin
- Moving Forward for Valdez, AK
- First Friday for Kansas State Research and Education
- Texas Rural Funders
- BCEDA: Refilling the Business Pipeline
- NRECA Community Development webinar series
- Master of Agribusiness (MAB) program at K-State
- Rural Economic Development Webinar – Blaine, Canada and Pro Learning Laboratory
- SaveYour.Town Videos Monthly with Becky McCray
- National Realtors Association Webinar with Tyler Abens
- K State Research and Extension Webinars
Radio Interviews
- Michael Libbie Business Insider Des Moines Iowa
- Jackie Shireman of WBBA Radio in Pittsfield, Ill.
- KHMO AM of Hannibal
- Scott Hardy at WTAD Radio in Quincy, Ill.
- Interview with Canadian Broadcast Corporation about the Tour of Empty Buildings
- All Sides with Ann Fisher: Changing Landscape of Rural America and Small Towns
Podcasts
Deb Brown, co-founder of SaveYour.Town, has been featured on several podcasts discussing rural community development and small town revitalization. Here are some notable podcast appearances:
- Economic Development Show
Deb Brown was interviewed on the Econ Dev Show podcast, where she discussed her work in rural community and economic development. The episode focused on her blueprint for rural prosperity and her experiences working with small towns.
- Appalachia Meets World
Deb Brown and her SaveYour.Town co-founder Becky McCray were guests on episode 117 of the Appalachia Meets World podcast. They discussed strategies for saving small towns in Appalachia and beyond.
- EngagingCities Fireside Chat
Deb Brown appeared on episode 12 of the EngagingCities Fireside Chat podcast. The episode, titled "Grassroots Action - Save Your Small Town With Deb Brown," featured success stories from small towns across the U.S. and insights on overcoming obstacles in rural communities.
- The Delicious Story
Deb Brown was interviewed on The Delicious Story podcast, where she discussed her work with SaveYour.Town and shared insights about small town development.
- Small Biz Survival Podcast
Deb Brown has been featured multiple times on the Small Biz Survival podcast. These appearances often focus on her experiences working with rural communities and practical advice for small town revitalization.
These podcast appearances showcase Deb Brown's expertise in rural community development and her commitment to helping small towns thrive. Listeners can gain valuable insights into her "idea friendly method" and practical strategies for rural revitalization through these interviews.
Also Deb was on:
- Episode 12 of Rusty Water Towers
- “Rural Towns Recover From Pandemic” Midwest Farm Report, Pam Jahnke
- Deb and Ken Burgin in Australia
- Proud Places with Jeff Siegler
- A common sense approach to reinvigorating America
- Rural Business: Episode 34 with Ben Rowley
- Podcast with Develop This – Economic and Community Development Episode 237
- Podcast at Small Town Big Talk
- Podcast with George and MaryLynn at BIGG Success
- Podcast with Sherry Borzo from Storied Gifts
- Podcast with Des Walsh talking about Leadership in Small Towns
- In the Moment – Rural X Update
- Digital Homesteading with Scott Meyer
- Small Town Podcast with Mayor Matt Searle
Projects
- Shop Local Campaign Building for Newcastle, WA
- Temporary gallery project in an empty building
- Monthly video productions on community building and recovery
- Work with National Travel Center and Community Economic Partners
Book:
Other Activities
- International work in Portugal
- Coaching sessions
- Co-hosting #140Liv episodes with Jeff Pulver
- Rotary presentation about Art in Communities
- Live Q&A sessions with students and on Our Town Matters
This comprehensive list showcases Deb Brown's extensive involvement in rural development initiatives, speaking engagements, and community projects across the United States and internationally.
There are undoubtedly a few things missing from this list. You can also find more information on her speaking site: www.BuildingPossibility.com
Why bring Deb to town?
The best answer is because she understands you. Deb is a small town enthusiast, raised in a small town, live in a small town and work with towns just like yours.
Video, Testimonials, Schedule
You can visit the video page to see videos of her in action, including the TEDx talk. You’ll also find newspaper articles, podcasts and a few pictures there. The testimonials page shares some things other towns have said about Deb. Check the schedule page to see where she’s been and what her upcoming schedule is.
Social Media
What does an Onsite Visit look like
Deb spends 3-4 days in a small town, talking to as many people, groups, city people, non profits, students, service organizations and boards as possible. She asks them “what do you want?” This question prompts everyone to start talking and working on the things they want. A week later after the data has been compiled, a virtual presentation is given sharing what people said they wanted, stories of other towns who have done it and some suggestions for their town!
Download this document of what the onsite visit is all about. Remember every community is different, and so is their experience.
Talking Points
- Find ways to fill those empty buildings in your town, including a Tour of Empty Buildings
- Marketing in a Small Town is more than just social media.
- Idea Friendly Method – how three simple steps can help you achieve your big idea
- Why small towns and rural areas matter (Rural is not Dead)
- Innovative Rural Business Models
- Rural Jobs Creations Strategies
- Creating Events People Will Attend and why it matters to your retailers
If you need anything else feel free to email deb@buildingpossibility.com or call me at 641-580-0103.