Kate Jellema, faculty chair from Marlboro College, is a panelist at the “Vermont Connected: Envisioning the Future of the Vermont Digital Economy” summit at the Vermont State House on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The event will highlight how digital tools are being used to foster community development and strengthen Vermont's economy.
Speakers and attendees also will consider the role the Internet and other advances in technology can play in growing Vermont's economy.
The keynote speaker is Julie Lenzer Kirk, director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration.
Jellema, director of Marlboro's program in nonprofit management, said she intends to discuss how nonprofit organizations can use new technology to better serve their constituents.
Also planning to speak is Adam Grinold, executive director at Wilmington Works. Grinold said he will discuss how online tools can help strengthen most businesses.
Vermont Council on Rural Development is producing the summit, which takes up education, organizational effectiveness, community resilience, and the creative economy.
According to the organization's executive director, Paul Costello, the summit is just the beginning of a conversation on technology, digital literacy, and the power of online tools.
More than 50 Vermont leaders from state government, local communities, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and technology firms will share insights about how essential digital tools have become in our rural state.
Costello said the summit will highlight how critical it is for Vermont to improve digital literacy, attract technology companies, and harness the potential of today's tools for our Main Street businesses and community organizations.