Nevada City, CA – October 6, 2025 – Sierra Commons is hosting an action-focused event that will bring entrepreneurs, community leaders, policymakers, nonprofit partners, and special guest California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, together to address rural challenges and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen local economies.
Resilience Through Rural Entrepreneurship: A Gathering for Change-Makers and Cross-Pollinators will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 13. The event will be livestreamed on Zoom, and the public is invited to join free of charge.
“By bringing multiple sectors together, we can identify shared challenges, uncover opportunities for collaboration, and move more quickly toward actionable solutions. This kind of cross-sector problem solving is what accelerates progress and builds lasting resilience in rural communities,” said Robert Trent, Executive Director of Sierra Commons.
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, will deliver the afternoon keynote and moderate a panel discussion with leaders representing sectors such as local food systems, forest resilience, and workforce housing.
“Rural entrepreneurs are an important part of California’s economy, and communities like Nevada County show how much local innovation can accomplish. I am honored to join Sierra Commons to lift up practical solutions that connect food, forest resilience, and workforce housing so small businesses can grow and families can thrive. I look forward to hear ideas and leave with clear, actionable next steps we can advance together,” said Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA.
In-person attendees (entrepreneurs, government agencies, nonprofits, housing experts and forest sector representatives) will participate in collaborative exercises designed to identify challenges, explore innovative solutions and develop actionable strategies to support rural microenterprises. Livestream participants will also have opportunities to contribute their ideas and perspectives, ensuring that both onsite and online voices shape the dialogue and outcomes of the event.
The first-of-its-kind event for Sierra Commons will include guest presentations, success story spotlights, networking, and facilitated group discussions. The event builds upon an exciting year of growth for the nonprofit that is expanding in-person and online business education to grow a broader audience with workshops throughout California.
Free registration for the livestream is open now at https://bit.ly/resiliencegathering
This event is part of the California Jobs First program, which supports innovative approaches to strengthening rural food webs and advancing resilient local economies across the state.
About Sierra Commons
Sierra Commons is a nonprofit business incubator in Nevada City, California that helps rural entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses through education, mentorship, and community support, focusing on food, forest, and emerging rural microenterprises.