Global Social Enterprise Initiative

Rural Opportunity Initiative

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Global Social Enterprise Initiative at GeorgetownUniversity’s McDonough School of Business are working to foster, study, and promote rural economicdevelopment through partnerships between the public and private sectors. This effort—the Rural Opportunity Initiative— housed at the McDonough School of Business will grow toinclude a larger network of academic and land grant institutions all of whom understand the value ofrural America and see opportunities to invest in its people, businesses, and infrastructure. To stay informed about the Rural Opportunity Initiative, please email: ruralopportunity@georgetown.edu.

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The Rural Opportunity Initiative is led at GSEI by its Executive in Residence, Matt McKenna.Until recently, Matt was senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack In this role, hedeveloped public-private partnerships for rural investment to create economic development andgrowth.Previously, Matt served as chief executive officer of Keep America Beautiful, which focuses on volunteerleadership to build and sustain vibrant communities. He also brings 16 years of experience in seniormanagement positions, including senior vice president of finance at PepsiCo and as a partner withWinthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts, a law firm in New York. He is a graduate of Georgetown Law andis an adjunct professor at Fordham University’s School of Law.


To learn more about the Rural Opportunity Initiative, click here.

Matt McKenna