Ada Jobs Foundation

?? Excited to celebrate local innovation and entrepreneurship! Check out the Conduit Startup Showcase and see how we're supporting tech startups and community growth in Ada. #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #GrowAda

Semifinals voting is now open. Please support these great teams. The Baby Albino Monkeys have advanced to the semifinals in the 5th/6th grade division. The Three Coderteers have advanced in the 7th/8th grade division. With your support we can get these teams to the finals. Go to?https://lnkd.in/eUR7vykP?to cast your vote!

Voting is open for Youth Coding League Fall 2024 Postseason! Go to https://lnkd.in/eUR7vykP to vote for your favorite project. Note that this year, the Conduit Coders have teams in both the 5th/6th grade and 7th/8th grade division, so make sure to pick your favorite in each. Preliminary round voting is open from Friday, November 15th at 8:00 AM through Monday, November 18th and 3:00 PM. This will determine which projects will go on to represent our community in the semifinals. Results will be announced on Wednesday, November 20th, at 8:00 AM when the semifinal voting begins. The Ada Jobs Foundation and the Conduit Coders ask for your continued support as our winning teams go on to compete against other organizations around the country. Semifinal voting lasts until Friday, November 22nd, at noon.

Carol Ervin joined the Ada Jobs Foundation last month. Learn more about her take on economic development and what she envisions for Ada!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Conduit Startup Showcase!???? We’re thrilled by the community support and so proud of all the participants who pitched their ideas. Congratulations to our winners: ?? 1st Place Revenue Category: Adon Russell, Russ-Tech Industries ?? 2nd Place Revenue Category: Kay and Michael Smith, Tek-Work ?? 1st Place Idea-Stage Category: Hunter Cook, Forwritten ?? 2nd Place Idea-Stage Category: Roger Matthews, Callum Simmons, Lucien Peguret, and Cadence Frederick, Holy Crepes ??People’s Choice Award: Madelyn Gray, Eli Eager, and LuCasey Rogers, Moonlight Movies A huge thank you to our judges- Srijita Ghosh, Amy Childers Elliott, and Jake Cantrell—for their thoughtful evaluations, and to Poes Prepping for catering the event. We are also incredibly grateful to our sponsors: Gold Sponsor: Mercy of Ada Silver Sponsors: OG&E, East Central University, Vision Bank Bronze Sponsors: Pontotoc Technology Center, Citizens Bank, People’s Electric Cooperative Finally, a special shoutout to the AJF team—Peggy Saunkeah, Sunnie Baker, Carol Ervin, and Daniel Casta?eda, AICP—for their hard work in bringing this event to life. Congratulations again to all the winners, and we can’t wait to see where you take your businesses next!

The Conduit Startup Showcase is bringing together talent from across our community, with participants including local high school students, East Central University students, and established businesses! This Thursday, November 7th, join us to see these talented participants pitch their ideas and compete for top prizes. A huge shoutout to our amazing sponsors who are helping makes this event possible: ?? Gold Sponsor: Mercy of Ada ?? Silver Sponsors: OG&E, East Central University, Vision Bank ?? Bronze Sponsors: Pontotoc Technology Center, Citizens Bank, People’s Electric Cooperative ?? Location: First United Bank, 221 W 12th St, Ada ? Time: 5:30 - 8:00 PM Come cheer on these startups and support local entrepreneurship! #Entrepreneurship #EconomicDevelopment #RuralInnovation

Explore how OKA Camp brought a day full of learning, reflection, and connection to the Blue River, immersing students in nature and cultural experiences. Discover more about this meaningful day and its impact on our community! ????

In 2018, Ada Main Street, the Ada Jobs Foundation, and the City of Ada launched the Business Improvement Grant to empower local businesses. Six years later, we are thrilled to announce a significant milestone: over $1 million has been invested in Main Street businesses! This achievement reflects the community’s dedication to fostering growth and sustainability. We look forward to expanding this essential program to further support local economic development. Let’s keep growing together!

Discover how East Central University is transforming rural education with innovative strategies that support student success and community growth. Read more about ECU’s unique approach to harnessing the strengths of rural education here:

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