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Shawn Kaskie shawn.kaskie@unl.edu

308-872-6831

Becky Vogt rvogt2@unl.edu

Entrepreneurial Community Activation Process

Conversation One:

Sargent Community Readiness & Vision

August 21, 2025

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Tonight’s Agenda

Welcome

Entrepreneurial Community Activation Process
Conversation protocols

Who’s in the room?
What Sargent means to you
Defining Sargent's ECAP successes
Defining the eight ECAP Characteristics
Characteristics and Sargent-Are we Ready
Logistics and sign up for steering & survey committee

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What is ECAP?

ECAP is a holistic approach to community change
Helps communities understand

Unique characteristics
Community assets
Potential opportunities for growth

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What is ECAP?

Engages community members

Discovery Tool
Conversations – four sessions

Actions for change

Step One – Organize an ECAP steering committee • Team should be accountable to the community organization sponsoring the ECAP program • Committed to working over the next year to coordinate ECAP

Step Two – Develop and conduct a community Discovery Tool • With community coaches, develop a Discovery Tool to gather citizen input on community characteristics and important issues. • Encourage a large percentage of the citizenry to complete the ECAP Discovery Tool

Step Three – Introduce ECAP to your community through four community meetings (approximately 2.5 hours) • Organize a gathering of citizens committed to the future to participate in an introductory session about the ECAP program. • To take an informative look at the eight characteristics of entrepreneurial communities and develop vision to move forward

Step Four – Identify characteristics from which the community can create action plans that build excitement and energy. • Assess the findings from the Discovery Tool. Come to consensus on characteristics the community should focus on over the next year • Take a deeper dive and work with ECAP coaches to develop action plans around the characteristics to create opportunities for innovation, growth and community vitality

Step Five - Organize community teams for implementation • Community teams organize and implement the action plans. Work with community coaches for accountability.

Step Six - Celebrate, evaluate, modify and continue moving forward as an innovative and entrepreneurial community.

The holistic approach will help communities foster and support innovation and entrepreneurship

- Holistic meaning the complete or overall approach of addressing community sustainability instead of looking at a segment.

The ECAP process was developed by the UNL Extension Entrepreneurship Action Team

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Why ECAP?

Visionary thinking
Entrepreneurial leadership
Build synergistic relationships
Increase ability to leverage resources
Attract and retain a working age population
Empower community economic growth

Sargent

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�Conversation protocols

Listen to understand
Assume good intentions
Participate fully
Focus on opportunities
Expect unfinished business

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�Who’s in the Room? [at your table]

Name
Occupation [basic count on back..i.e. farm=2]
How long have you lived in or been connected to the Sargent community?

Why Sargent[?

What do you like about living in Sargent?

What are Sargent’s strengths?

What are important Sargent values?

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Why Sargent?

What do you like about living in Sargent?

What are Sargent’s strengths?

What are important Sargent values?

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Are we ready to change?

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Defining Sargent’s ECAP Successes

What do you EXPECT to see during Sargent’s ECAP process?
What would you LOVE to see happen over the next year as a result of this process?
What is your DREAM for Sargent’s future over the next five, ten, twenty years?

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Characteristics and Sargent

How have you seen evidence of the characteristics in Sargent?
How could this characteristic be strengthened in your community?

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Community Vision & Strategy [S]

Sense of purpose and identity
Sense of commitment
Direction for the future
Respect historical perspective

-last survey said…

Communication open and inclusive
Support innovation and opportunities

For a moment we are going to skip ahead to one the key characteristics of an entrepreneurial community to help us gain an understanding of Sargent’s vision for the future is.

Strategic Capacity

Capacity of the community to activate and manage human, physical, and financial resources for the benefit of the community goals and strategic vision.

Strategic Capacity Questions

Does the community have a long-term vision?
Is the community able to identify resources to support short- and long-term efforts?
Has the community built upon its strengths for the future?
Does the community have a history of implementing long-term, broader community efforts?

Explanation of Scales

STRONG Communities with strong strategic capacity have an up-to-date vision or plan. There are resources available to address basic and unexpected needs. Community infrastructure is reliable, well-maintained and modern. There are job opportunities for young people and availability of skilled labor. Real estate is available for business and housing expansions.⁴

WEAK Communities with weak strategic capacity lack a long-term vision or plan. Resources are scarce and minimally meet basic community needs. Infrastructure is deteriorating due to lack of funding and up-keep. Limited available job opportunities and skilled labor. Real estate may be available but underutilized.

Potential Strategic Capacity Building Actions:

Entrepreneurial Communities Activation Process (ECAP)
Strategic Planning/Comprehensive Planning
Nebraska Community Foundation
Others -

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Culture of Change & Inclusivity [I]

Open to new ideas and opinions
Willingness to change
Value created vision and innovation
Understand - strategic plan is ever-changing
Commitment to the future

Inclusivity

Community’s willingness to seek out and include a broad spectrum of individuals in community organizations, activities, and leadership.

Inclusivity Questions

Do all community members, including newcomers, participate in formal and informal activities?
Do youth participate meaningfully in the community?
Is diversity (age, culture, interests) within the community represented in community activities?
To what extent do collaborative activities involve a diverse group of individuals and organizations?

Explanation of Scales

STRONG Communities with a strong inclusivity have a broad set of individuals who represent the community and serve in leadership roles. All members have a voice in the decision-making process. There are strong networks between community leadership and citizens.

WEAK Communities with a weak inclusivity have limited citizen input nor have representation from a broad, diverse segment of the population. Evidence seen as citizens having limited access to participate in community decision-making. There is limited communications between civic leadership and citizens.

Potential Inclusivity Building Actions:

Diversity & Inclusion Training

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Digitally Connected FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT [E]

Understand the importance of increasing connection with each other and the community in “positive” ways
Incorporates broadband in all sectors

Civic Engagement

Citizens’ willingness to participate in the life of the community to improve conditions and create a better future.

Civic Engagement Questions

Do community members feel comfortable expressing their opinions to community leaders?
Do community leaders encourage residents to actively participate in community efforts?
Do community residents have opportunities to connect with resources outside of this community that help to bring about change?
Is there strong communication in this community that makes it easy for residents to participate in community efforts?

Explanation of Scales

STRONG Communities with a strong civic engagement have individuals who actively participate in community organizations as leaders, members and volunteers. Citizens are engaged in community discussions to solve community problems, which may or may not be political. civic engagement attitudes give meaning to individuals local commitment and civic engaged behaviors which contributes to their sense of community and social responsibility.³

WEAK Communities with low civic engagement have limited involvement from citizens from all sectors. There is a lack of volunteerism and organizational supports, including lack of financial supports to sustain community organizations.

Potential Civic Engagement Building Actions:

Entrepreneurial Communities Activation Process (ECAP)
Marketing Hometown America (MHA) – engagement & resident recruitment program
Strategic Planning/Comprehensive Planning
Others -

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Education/Workforce IQ

Be creative in finding capital to foster innovation and entrepreneurship
Educational Opportunities

Entrepreneurship education
Workshop education
Business transfer/transition education

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Entrepreneurial Attitude & Support Systems [A]

Support entrepreneurs of all types
Create a comprehensive support system

Access to capital
Access to support structures
Entrepreneurial culture
Favorable public policy

Entrepreneurial Attitude

Community is proactive in identifying and encouraging business opportunities.

Entrepreneurial Attitude Questions

Does the community act upon opportunities?
Are innovative and enterprising individuals encouraging and recognized in the community?
Are community members motivated to learn new skills and develop existing ones?
Are community members thinking creatively and developing solutions to address community efforts.

Explanation of Scales

STRONG Communities with strong entrepreneurial attitudes display creative-thinking and are pro-active in solving community issues. Community identifies and acts on opportunities. Individuals are encouraged to be innovative and create businesses and jobs. Business, organizations, and local government work together to create a positive business support system.

WEAK Communities with weak entrepreneurial attitudes are reactionary in handling community issues. Leadership does is tired and reluctant to change. Business activity is limited, often with empty store fronts present. Limited resources to support and encourage business starts.

Potential Entrepreneurial Attitude Building Actions:

Entrepreneurial Communities Activation Process (ECAP)
Entrepreneurship Training Programs/Training
Youth Entrepreneurship
Establish a local Microloan fund
Downtown Revitalization Program/Main Street Nebraska

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Infrastructure

Include systems and services to help businesses expand their markets
Understand basic Infrastructure needs

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Leadership [L]

Open and Creative
Motivated to improve the economic and social well-being
Build on unique assets and strengths

Leadership Energy (both formal and informal leaders)¹

Leadership Energy is about seeking new ideas, being adaptive and proactive toward community change. Energetic leaders encourage the development of individuals to assume both formal (elected, appointed) and informal (organizational, volunteer, etc.) leadership roles and individuals actively seek these roles.

Leadership Energy Questions

Are community leaders willing to look outside of this community for new ideas and new ways of doing things?
Are your community leaders able to adapt to changing situations?
Are community leaders able to move beyond the past and look toward the future of this community?
Do community leaders encourage the development and support of future leaders?

Explanation of Scales

Strong: Communities with strong leadership energy have leaders who beyond the past and look toward the future. Leadership base is diverse with established and new community members, varied ages, and under-recognized populations participating. Trust has been developed between leaders and residents.

WEAK: Communities with low leadership energy have long time serving leaders, with little to no leadership change nor individuals recruited to assume leadership roles. There may be active resistance to new ideas and change. Trust is low between leaders and residents.

Possible Leadership Energy Building Activities:

Develop a local leadership program for individual leadership skills and community capacity building.
Create mentoring opportunities (formal and informal)
Develop a community engagement/visioning process working with informal and formal leaders.
Seek young, new or inexperienced individuals to co-lead community projects.
Others?

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Sense of Place & Cooperation [C]

A feeling that a community is a special place, distinct from anywhere else

Make a place special and unique
Creates an identify
A bond of pride
A sense of history and belonging

Cooperative/Collaborative Climate

A collaborative climate is fostered through the community and its organizations’ ability to draw the community together to achieve community-wide goals. Collaboration is built and supported through the coalition structure, member relationships, and the programs that are offered. A collaborative climate is also supported through positive attitudes, a common vision and diverse representation of differing viewpoints, skills/knowledge and expertise. Collaboration is maintained when members have access to both internal and external resources and have the capacity to grow in their leadership and shared decision-making.²

Cooperative/Collaborative Climate Questions

Is the community able to deal constructively with conflict?
Do community groups and organizations collaborate toward goals that benefit the entire community?
Is there trust among individuals in the community?
Is there trust among groups and organizations in the community?

Explanation of Scales

STRONG Communities with a strong cooperative/collaborative climate have member capacity to effectively work together, create and build effective programs, hold positive attitudes toward collaboration and members, hold a shared vision and create opportunities for shared decision-making and leadership capacity.

WEAK: Communities with a low cooperative/collaborative climate have a sporadic history of effectively working together on community projects, have past or current leadership conflicts, display a low level of trust and have had a history of low community participation.

Potential Cooperative/Collaborative Climate Building Actions:

Conduct a community visioning process with broad representations and shared decision-making.
Increase positive communications through social media, cross-organizational dialogue, print media to reach broad and diverse audiences.
Create opportunities for greater citizen participation, provide childcare, transportation, etc.)
Provide opportunities to build capacity of citizens through leadership training, skills building and increasing knowledge around community problems/issues.

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Again, characteristics and Sargent

How have you seen evidence of the characteristics in Sargent?
How could this characteristic be strengthened in your community?

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Resources web site in development�

STEERING & SURVEY COMMITTEE FORMATON Immediately following

DATE 1

Discovery Tool results

DATE 2

Goals and prioritization

DATE 3

Moving to action

Next steps & meetings

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Shawn Kaskie| shawn.kaskie@unl.edu | 308-872-6831

Becky Vogt | rvogt2@unl.edu | 402.750.1727