2025 speaking and visits
February 17-22 San Juan County, Utah
Working with leaders to start a county-wide Chamber of Commerce, and visiting with entrepreneurs to help them get started with the Idea Friendly Method
March 12-15 Dayton, Nevada
Onsite Visit: Working with Travel Nevada on a project involving Dayton and surround area, and the Sutro Tunnel.
March 24-27 Leland, NC
National Travel Center work with residents of Leland, sharing recommendations from the evolving strategic plan.
April 4 Save Your Small Town Doable Ideas and Stories
First Friday e-call with Kansas State at 9:30 am Central. Join us to hear stories and gather ideas for your small town.
April 28-May 1 Johnson County, Iowa
Onsite visit in Johnson County, Iowa rural communities learning and implementing the Idea Friendly Method
May 21 Ten Years of Survey Results presentation
The state of Virginia SBDC invited me to share the results from the ten years of the Survey of Rural Challenges with all of their state directors.
June 17 Make Downtown Vibrant for $100 or Less Webinar
Dakota Resources Thriverr program is bringing me over the wires to share downtown development $100 secrets!
June 22-25 IEDC Rural Montana Conference
Register today ! https://www.iedconline.org/pages/ruralretreat25/
July 7 Dakota Resources Empty Buildings Tour Cohort
Dakota Resources Empty Buildings Tour Cohort Four sessions.
July 9 Radically Rural Webinar
Join in as Becky and I share the results from the Survey of Rural Challenge
July 16-17 Summer Meeting, Rural Challenges & Solutions
Inland Northwest Partners/Inland Northwest Alliance Summer Meeting
Keynote Speaker and and onsite visit in Washington state. Attendees will receive a copy of my book.
September 11, 2025 AMIBA Survey of Rural Challenges Webinar
September Three Webinar Series with NADO
Details are in planning: Filling Empty Buildings, Innovative Rural Business Models, and Self-Supporting Entrepreneurship
October 23-24 Shawnee, Oklahoma
Empty Buildings Tour and Intensive Idea Friendly Project
Wednesday 8 to 11 am and Thursday 4 to 7 pm
Podcasts
The Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko
Econ Dev Show with Dane Carlson
Ladies of Economic Development with Kaycee Bunch
Coming:
Conversations About Power with Lynn Coleman
Business Insider; Expert Edition
Poster Sessions
September 9-11 West Virginia Brownfields and Main Street 25th Anniversary Conference
Ten Years of Survey of Rural Challenges Results Poster
Collaborations
I am also collaborating with National Travel Center on some of their economic development/tourism projects. If you are interested in talking about this kind of work, please email deb.brown@nationaltravelcenter.org
2024
January 25 8:30 am
Keynote: Small Town Revitalization
Murray County, GA
February 12 7 to 9 pm Central
Reimagining Rural: Idea Friendly
Montana State University
March 27, 2024
Webinar with Dell Gines, IEDC, and Becky McCray
Rural Collaboration - no charge
May 6-8 Birmingham, AL
Innovative Rural Business Models: Grow Your Own
Main Street NOW
May 12-16
Intensive Action Visit, 3 day Community Engagement
Shawnee, OK
June 12, 2024
Webinar with Melody Warnick, author, and Becky McCray
Talent Attraction
June 24-25, 2024
Grow Your Food Business Ecosystem
National Rural Grocery Summit
Montgomery, Alabama
July 11, 2024
Webinar for SourceLink Affiliates, with Becky McCray
Innovative Rural Business Models
July 17-19, 2024
Keynote for West Texas Rural Philanthrophy Days in Alpine Texas
Rural Non-Profit Needs
August 25-28, 2024
Intensive Project in Lander County, NV
First visit
October 21-24, 2024
Presentation at NADO Annual Training in New Orleans
Filling Empty Buildings
November 12-14, 2024
Illinois Main Street
Opening Keynote: Becoming an Idea Friendly Town
December 5, 2024
San Juan County, Utah Business Summit
Keynote Using the Idea Friendly Method: Solutions to Rural Challenges
Coaching:
Joseph A.C. Smith, BlackNatchez.org
2025 is shaping up!
- Shawnee, Oklahoma Tour of Empty Buildings and a visit in early 2025
- March 13, 2025 AMIBA Webinar, Results from Survey of Rural Challenges
- Lost River Valley, Idaho, with National Travel Center in March 2025
- Rural Retreat, IEDC, June 2025
- Wyoming Working Together, Fall 2025
2023
February 6-9, 2023
Swift County, Minnesota
Onsite Visit
February 15, 2023
Virtual Roundtable for Radically Rural
Becky and I will be discussing volunteerism and community engagement.Greenlee
March 29-31, 2023
Gowrie, Iowa
Gowrie Development Commission Annual Banquet
April 5-8, 2023
Eastern Kentucky, Jackson County and Grayson
What's Next EKY's Community Accelerator program,
Onsite Visits
May 17, 2023
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Moss Point Area Council
Keynote: Economic Development Ideas for Small Towns
July 25-28, 2023
Letcher County, KY Visit and Workshop
Idea Friendly Workshop
August 1, 2023
Webinar to Jefferson City, MO Downtown Association
Idea Friendly Method
August 17, 2023
Rural Rise Speaker Series
Innovative Rural Business Models
August 23, 2023
Interview with Iowa Ideas for In Depth Week - Urban/Rural Divide
Topic: How can you build support for a new idea and help open minds to it? And how can you harness the power to get new volunteers into the fold?
September 17-20, 2023 Dallas, Texas
International Economic Development Council Annual Conference
Interactive Rural Focused Idea Friendly Method Workshop
September 22, 2023 Isanti, Minnesota
Keynote speaker for GPS 4593
Stories and solutions to rural challenges in smalltowns
October 9, 2023
Online Course for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Iowa State University
Cheap Downtown Placemaking Ideas
Conferences attending:
Gladly Connect May 9-10, 2023
2023 Placemaking in Small & Rural Communities Conference' May 23, 2023
State of the Coast Symposium May 24, 2023
Folklife in the South June 8-10, 2023
Standup Rural America September 5-7, 2023 Laurel, MS
In Planning:
- working with Keith County, NE planning an Intensive Action Visit
- webinar with Wisconsin Extension
2022
Highlights of 2022
International Work:
Working with rural people in Portugal including a
- Facebook Live presentation on Innovation and Sustainability to the state, touring an old oil storing industrial space now being used as a coworking space in Lisbon,
- visits to a handmade tile business and several small towns,
- gathering with Henrique Sim-Sim, Advisor to the General Secretary and Coordinator of the Social and Development Area at Fundação Eugénio de Almeida, Carlos Sezoes, Managing Partner at Darefy, Me, Rui Barroso, Director Digital Transformation at DECSIS, Frederico Lucas, Rural Investments @ GROUS PARTNER, and Eurico Cabrita, Chemistry Professor at NOVA School of Science and Technology.
Keynotes:
- Sharing the Idea Friendly Method at the Annual Meeting of members for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Community Futures Manitoba and Saskatchewan Virtual
Keynote Using Idea Friendly to Create Youth Entrepreneurship - Innovative trends and actions for rural retailers at the Iowa State University Closing Presentation Conference- Retailing, Entrepreneurship, & Small Business
- Filling Empty Buildings for the Minnesota Brownfields Conference
- Filling Empty Buildings for the EDAM Conference in Brainerd, MN
- Filling Empty Buildings and Lots for the WV Brownfields Conference & Main Street/On Trac Training
- Using the Idea Friendly Method for the Rice Lake Community Getting Action Ready Conference
- Using the Idea Friendly Method for the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission
Workshops:
- Mark Twain Council of Governments Workshop
Virtual Workshop – using the Idea Friendly Method - Montana Reimaging Rural Idea Friendly virtual workshop
- Panel for Iowa State University design students in Webster City, Iowa
Webinars:
- How to be Successful at Economic Development Without Blowing the Budget for Cooperatives First in Canada
- Workforce Solutions Roundtable for the University of Idaho
Onsite Action Visits:
- Colorado- Four counties: Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne
- Five Counties in Montana, wrap up of 2 year project
- La Junta CO - Onsite Visit with Agritourism Workshop and Chamber BLT Keynote
Videos:
Each month we shared the videos we’ve written, shot, and recorded. Our focus was building fairer, more unified communities in 2022. You can take a look at our site to see what videos are available: https://learnto.saveyour.town
Watch Parties with Montana Team (and all members invited)
- Trends
- The Future of Retail
- Finding More Volunteers
- Placemaking Your Parks, Trails and Water: Building Community Stewardship
- Bringing Life and Activity Downtown
- and Zoom Towns
Have you ordered your book?
From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town with these Uniquely Do-able Ideas, Projects, and Success Stories is a workbook written with you and your small town in mind. Our early readers say they use it to empower residents, entrepreneurs, and community leaders with practical strategies and real-world examples.
Each section tells success stories and gives actionable advice. It is a comprehensive guide to kickstarting economic growth, fostering community engagement, and creating a thriving future for our vital local small town communities. The author draws from her own experiences working with small towns as cofounder of SaveYour.Town and case studies of innovative initiatives from small towns nationwide.
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Ingram and here.
It was a true pleasure meeting and supporting you today. Your preparation and professionalism was reflected in your session. I appreciate your adaptability as well. Alexa Schulz IEDC
Thanks Deb Brown SaveYour.Town for bringing your community-building wisdom to Central MN for the annual GPS::45::93 gathering and touring the region to support the ideas of many rural champions! Have been a fan a long time of your approach rooted in joy and what’s uniquely achievable.
Brian Voerding, Vice President for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Initiative Foundation
Highlights of 2021:
Videos:
Each month we wrote, shot and recorded videos. Our focus was community in 2021. You can take a look at our site: https://learnto.saveyour.town
Keynotes:
- An interactive workshop on how Cooperatives engage in Community for Montana Council of Cooperatives Annual meeting
- Looking Forward: Rebuilding your Local Economy for British Columbia
- Closing keynote at Midstates Conference
- Filling Empty Buildings at StandUp Rural America in West Virginia
- Survey of Rural Challenges Results for NRECA in Minneapolis and Las Vegas
- Building Up New Leaders/Engaging Young Families, using the Idea Friendly Method for Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
- Idea Friendly for Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance(SEDA)
Webinars:
- North Carolina Webinar series
- Idea Friendly Webinar for Rural Summit Wisconsin
- Moving Forward for Valdez, AK
- First Friday for Kansas State Research and Education
- Filling Empty Buildings for Texas Rural Funders
Embedded Community Experiences:
- Delaware County, Iowa
- 5 Counties in Montana, part of a 2 year project
- Lincoln Highway Corridor in Iowa
- Missouri Council of Governments Region
Projects:
- Shop Local Campaign Building for Newcastle WA
- 2 year project with 5 Counties in Montana
If this is something you’d like to talk about with me, just shoot me an email and let’s talk! deb@buildingpossibility.com
Looking back at 2020
My own Idea Friendly Story
Brendan Hoffman, international photojournalist from Kiev, Ukraine, was spending two months at my place. It was an artist residency giving him the opportunity to showcase his photos from the Ukraine War. It was a perfect opportunity for me to try out an Idea Friendly big idea. What if we had a temporary gallery in an empty building? Brendan was on board, as was Legacy Learning Boone River Valley.
A group of interested people gathered, discussed what was needed and began taking small steps to get it done. No committee meetings, just everyone doing a little something. An empty building, press releases, online marketing, outreach to Ukrainian communities, funds for framing photos, volunteers to greet visitors were just a few of the connections made and small steps taken.
It went off without a hitch. It was successful under regular conditions: great turnouts, promotion of the empty space (now full), and recognition for the artist. More surprising results were tied to the actual photographs. They showed the viewers that war can happen anywhere, and quickly. This area of the Ukraine was once just another group of small communities, living their lives day to day. Then one day armoured tanks rolled through their streets, bombings happened, many people died. War is real.
Videos:
Each month we wrote, shot and recorded videos. After the pandemic began we switched to videos that focused on recovery. We also reduced the price to $5. You can take a look at our site: https://learnto.saveyour.town
Keynotes:
- Opening Keynote for TS Bank Economic Development Conference for Rural towns in Staunton, Iowa, Filling Empty Buildings.
- Opening Keynote in Hannibal MO for North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) Title
- Annual Dinner Keynote in Rock Valley, Iowa The Future of Rural
- Keynote for Small Business at Sequin TX The Future of Small Business
- Spoke at Radically Rural Remote Take Your Empty Buildings off Furlough!
- SMTulsa 8 Ways to get around the rules
- Montana Extension presentation with Becky McCray Idea Friendly Method
- TMCN Virtual Conference – Seeing the Small Town Future
- presentation to RCD in Hancock County Filling Empty Buildings and Lots
Student Work
- Live Q and A with students in Idaho
- Students in Grundy County, Illinois How to start a rural business
Podcasts:
- Podcast with Mayor Matt Searle www.smalltownpodcast.com
- Podcast with Ben Rowley https://www.ruralbusiness.com/a-common-sense-approach-to-reinvigorating-small-town-america/
- Podcast with Jeff Siegler https://www.facebook.com/proudplaces/posts/214183826937799
Webinars:
- BCEDA Refilling the Business Pipeline
- First Friday Kansas State Grow Your Own Entrepreneurs, Making Entrepreneurship Self Sustaining
- NRECA Community Development webinar series Save Your Town By Engaging Everyone
- Master of Agribusiness (MAB) program at K-State The Future of Rural
Radio interview
- Jackie Shireman of WBBA Radio in Pittsfield, Ill.
- KHMO AM of Hannibal
- Scott Hardy at WTAD Radio in Quincy, Ill
Recorded interviews posted on LinkedIn:
- Ann in Idaho
- Rob Hatch
- Ted Kilmer
- Pastor
- Erica Pangburn
- Mary Hodson
- Andrew Button
- Chris Casillas
- CC Chapman
ECE
- Ripley Ohio
- Mt Ayr Iowa
- 5 counties in Montana
Coaching
- Client in upstate NY
- I meet regularly with Brook Boehmler, and we coach each other
Miscellaneous
- #140Liv Co Hosted several episodes with Jeff Pulver
- Spoke to Rotary about Art in Communities
- Did a live Q and A on Our Town Matters
Previous Speaking Appearances include:
- Brownfields National Annual Training
- NADO Annual Conference
- International Economic Development Conference
- TEDx Brookings
- Western Area Chamber Executives Conference, Los Angeles
- Radically Rural Conference, Keene, New Hampshire
- Colorado Hospital Association Annual Conference
- Michigan Association of Planners Annual Conference
- Rural X Summit
- Misfit Conference
- 140 Character Conferences – NYC, Iowa, and Small Town
- Regards to Rural Conference, Portland, OR
- Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference
- Mid America Chamber Executives (MACE)
- The Future of Rural Conference, Klamath Falls, OR
- Historic Preservation Summit Iowa
- Iowa Byways
- Women’s Business Conference, Kearney, NE
- MidStates Economic Development Conference
- Stuart, Iowa Chamber Dinner
- Building Communities Conference, Surf Ballroom, Iowa
- Rural Arts and Culture Summit, Morris Minnesota
- Central Iowa Tourism
- Southern Illinois Economic Development Conference
- Western Iowa Tourism
- Missouri Community Betterment Association Conference (twice)
- Milbank, South Dakota
- Monroe Economic Development Conference, Monroe, Wisconsin
- Iowa Museum Association Annual Conference
- Rural Business and Innovation Summit, Klamath Falls, OR
- Rural That Works Annual Conference
- Social Media Breakfast, Mason City, Iowa and Albert Lea, Minnesota
Previous Embedded Community Experiences:
- 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
Previous Webinars:
- 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 Webinar Marketing Your Small Town
- K State Research and Extension Webinar Filling Empty Buildings
This is a full listing of dates, places and topics.