Tackling high and persistent unemployment, especially in rural areas and regions with limited industry sector diversity, is a goal that may be best served through entrepreneurship. In these geographies that often have the added challenge of isolation, individuals must rely on their own ingenuity, skills and in some cases, a local competitive advantage. Led by a network of microenterprise and business development organizations, this is the model that is being pursued in the agricultural areas of the Pajaro Valley of Santa Cruz County and the Salinas Valley of Monterey County.

The purpose of this forum is to highlight the range of resources and programs that are available to support entrepreneurship as an economic development and job creation strategy in the central coast region. In particular funders and stakeholders that are interested in investing in strategies that can help to build the regional economy are encouraged to attend.