CEDA’S 2025 RBIL KICKOFF!

Community Economic Development Associates (CEDA), one of the E1 (Entrepreneurs First) partners, held their Rural Business Innovation Lab (RBIL) 2025 cohort kickoff at IgniteMN on Friday, April 11, 2025. This year’s cohort, consisting of 13 companies, is CEDA’s third annual RBIL cohort. 

The morning began with each of the 13 companies presenting a brief overview of their company. IgniteMN’s Director of Communications, Val Lockhart, gave a presentation on AI over lunch, and then the afternoon was spent hearing from some of the 2024 RBIL cohort participants. CEDA Manager of Entrepreneurial Programs, Cameron Payne, had prepared a ton of questions that the audience could vote on, using MENTI, and each of the 2024 RBIL participants answered several of them. They were inspiring and authentic and a great way to launch the 2025 participants off!

There was yummy food, including cider from one of the 2024 participants, Simple Cider Company. 

Congratulations to everyone!