Rural Innovation

From Pitch to Progress: ECU’s Glass Recycling Program Turns Waste into Opportunity
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker In 2018, Dr. Christine Pappas competed in Ada Jobs Foundation’s Big Pitch Competition by promoting grinding glass bottles…

The Importance of Customer Discovery: Know Your Audience and Know Your Market
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Entrepreneurs and small business owners must consider many factors to achieve success, with their target market being one…

What Does Economic Development Do for You? The Significance of the Economic Multiplier
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker People often find the term “economic development” vague and confusing. Understanding how economic development works and benefits the…

Empowering Native Artists: FAME App Brings Innovation to First American E-Commerce
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. They are constantly striving for solutions to issues they see in the world or…

Ada Jobs Foundation Looks Ahead: A Vision for Growth and Collaboration in 2025
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker As we begin 2025, the team at the Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF) eagerly awaits the developments in the…

Exploring Data Democracy: Vinayak Mitty on AI, Machine Learning, and Empowering Businesses
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Vinayak Mitty, the Director…

Conduit Startup Showcase: Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Community Innovation
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Anticipation filled the air as fifteen entrepreneurs, representing nine different projects, prepared to present and compete for cash…

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders: How the Chickasaw Nation STEM Academy Shapes Young Minds
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Space exploration has long held a fascination and curiosity for people, especially children. This interest led to the…

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders: Oklahoma Business Week
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker In early June, 35 high school students converged onto the East Central University campus to learn about business…

Bridging the Digital Divide: How Ada’s Community Can Access Free Cybersecurity and Networking Courses
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Digital jobs are not just the careers of the future—they are the careers of the present. However, people…