Dreama Gentry

Founder & CEO, Partners for Rural Impact

Keynote: Pathways to Upward Mobility

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An Appalachian by birth and choice, Dreama Gentry is passionate about creating pathways to success for rural youth across America. At the heart of the American Dream is upward mobility, the promise that every child has a fair chance at economic success, regardless of where they live. Yet, in her 30 years of working with rural communities, Gentry has witnessed rural children, youth, and families too often left out of the national conversation. To address this, she founded Partners for Rural Impact, a national intermediary committed to ensuring that every rural child has pathways to upward mobility.

Highlighting the troubling reality that rural children’s chances of out-earning their parents are declining, Gentry brings hope by showcasing the transformation possible through impactful programs and practices like place-based partnerships and community schools. She will share how we can ensure that all children have the hope we provide the children in our own families -- the hope for an opportunity-filled life.