EDGE
​(Economic Development greater east)
seeks
corporate, government, and nonprofit partners in
community grocery store development
​entrepreneurship traininG
mountain farming training
​remote work training and at-large work training.

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Depopulation devastates communities leading to tax base drain,
schools closing permanently, businesses fleeing, and massive community decline.


EDGE allows locals to remain local through training in:
entrepreneurship
agripreneurship through mountain appropriate farming
IT (information technology)
medical coding
CDL (commercial drivers license)
and other entrepreneurial, remote, and at-large work opportunities.

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EDGE is glad to be supported by the USDA through two grants:
Rural Business Development (received 2018) and Rural Economic Development Innovation (received 2019)!

​EDGE CURRENTLY HAS THREE MAJOR PROGRAMS

--​MOUNTAIN FARM STORE--
a community grocery for mcdowell county, WV
​PHASE ONE OF MOUNTAIN FARM AND FRIENDS

Mountain Farm Store (MFS)
​is a three-entity partnership [McDowell County Farms Cooperative, Economic Development Greater East, and Southeast Economic and Education Development Hub, with EDGE management, building ownership by McDowell County Farms Cooperative] currently under renovation through a USDA Rural Business Development grant as a premier site for value-added and fresh food sales and production training, entrepreneurship training, and, consumer and youth and adult food and nutrition education.

​Read more here>>>



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THRIVE (TEACH, HEAL, RENEW, INVEST, enVIsion Entrepreneurship)

EDGE provides training and partnerships for training in agricultural entrepreneurship, other entrepreneurship, and workforce training for the WV and SWVA coalfields and beyond through its THRIVE initiative.

​It focuses on entrepreneurship and work to allow locals to THRIVE and remain local.

EDGE is partnered with Coalfield Development Corporation to train nine young adults for 35 hours per week for seven months in 2020.

In March 2021, EDGE starts its second cohort of nine locals.

​Read more here...

See more of EDGE's THRIVE training participants in the video and photos below!

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regional coordination 

EDGE is building out and empowering a local Prosperity Council.

​In 2018, EDGE was visited by the national office of the USDA and invited to participate in a private-public-faith based initiative to increase local community grasstops coordination.

The Prosperity Council works together to achieve the goals of locals remaining local and thriving, jumpstarting regional agripreneurship and entrepreneurship, and facilitating remote, flexible, and at large work training and work opportunities

More about EDGE's current Prosperity Council Participants and designation below.

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EDGE overview

VISION

Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) envisions vibrant land-based, tourist, creative, and trade sectors in the greater Eastern United States supported through a thriving work and entrepreneurial force.

core mission

EDGE curates and cultivates the greater East’s economic edge through education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in land-based (ag+) and creative industries, tourism, and the trades.

​EDGE provides essential regional coordination across counties and state borders to address cross-regional economic development, economic sector support, and the socioeconomic needs for economic sector upgrowth and resilience.

Join our classes! Volunteer! Collaborate!
Get in touch at the tab above.
Follow us on Facebook!  fb.me/edgeentrepreneur 
​Message on Facebook at m.me/edgeentrepreneur

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EDGE is a federally recognized nonprofit, 501 (c) (3).
Website Content by Economic Development Greater East. All Rights Reserved.