Overcoming the Challenge of COVID-19: How entrepreneurs in Rural NL can understand and face the pandemic

The response to COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders have led to skyrocketing unemployment and various economic impacts. Entrepreneurs are coping up with challenges and conflicts that require solutions to sustain rural communities. With researchers based in Grenfell Campus, Memorial University (MUN) of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), this study will focus on how enterprise hubs could help entrepreneurship development in rural communities. With the support of personnel at the partner institution, the researchers will identify the assets contributing to entrepreneurship initiatives in rural communities, establish an enterprise hub in a pilot community to build capacity, and evaluate and analyze the impact of the enterprise hub. The research results will bring out the feedback, thoughts, and experiences of the entrepreneurs within the community to ensure that their feedback is mapped out in decision making on new policies, procedures and reforms post pandemic COVID-19.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kelly Vodden

Student:

Roshayne Mendis

Partner:

CBDC NORTIP

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland