It is with great pleasure to officially announce the dates and open registration for the first ever multi-state Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference. University of Missouri Extension along with seven other University Extension programs have collaborated to host a virtual week-long conference November 9th-13th, 2020 (11:00 am to 2:30pm daily). This conference is a community development initiative that brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, economic development professionals, decision makers, and community champions to strengthen and broaden regional entrepreneurial networks and learn tools and resources communities can use back home to nurture and support entrepreneurs. Thanks to the great sponsors and grant funding, registration cost for an individual is only $20. In-person CEC events have been held in Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota and are planned for Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Missouri, hosted by University Extension organizations. Due to COVID-19, the conference this year hosted by University of Missouri Extension will be virtual.