Radically Rural biotech (RRb) is a national rural biotech network formed to create a more geographically dispersed and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for the biotech sector by leveraging local assets, resources, and expertise through partnerships. The creation of this network was made possible through funding from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). The $50,000 Stage one and $150,000 Stage two GAFC awards provided support to the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship (HGC) to identify rural biotech entrepreneur support organizations and catalyze these Founding Partners to support the creation of RRb.
RRb Founding Partners include New Hampshire’s Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship (HGC), Dirigo Labs – Central Maine Growth Council, Inventors Network KY, New Mexico Bioscience Authority, and Ohio University Innovation Center. Each organization offers a range of experience working in rural communities and supporting STEM focused rural businesses. In the upcoming year, we are looking to expand the group to include other entrepreneur support organizations as partners and other key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem as affiliates.
The RRb Founding Partners have set out to demonstrate how rural communities can be a vibrant part of the U.S. biotech sector. They believe that connecting their dispersed assets, resources and expertise through a national network will create a robust and integrated ecosystem enabling rural communities to fully participate in the innovation economy.
“Prevailing culture, not facts, have kept biotech companies from exploring the advantages of rural communities. The Radically Rural biotech network can be at the forefront of overcoming that cultural norm and establishing a more geographically dispersed and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for the U.S. biotech sector.” – Mary Ann Kristiansen, executive director of the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship (HGC).
Learn more about RRb at our upcoming roundtable: Radically Rural biotech: Why and how rural biotech can compete with urban hubs on Wednesday, March 13 at 2:00-3:00 PM ET.
