A bold experiment in coal country.

<p><strong><a href= "https://evepicker.com/a-bold-experiment-in-coal-country/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">BE SURE TO SEE THE SHOWNOTES AND LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.</a></strong></p> <p><strong>Eve Picker:</strong> [00:00:08] Hi there. Thanks so much for joining me today for the latest episode of Impact Real Estate Investing.</p> <p> </p> <p>[00:00:15] My guest today is Brandon Dennison, a young creative powerhouse working to bring an economy to mid-Appalachia. As a young adult, Brandon noticed the poverty and lack of jobs in the town he grew up in. That early memory stayed with him through his college years. While still at school, he launched Coalfield Development, which is focused on workforce development to counter the generational poverty and lack of economic opportunities in Western Virginia. While workforce development is the center of Brandon's focus, that has also spilled over into creative, sustainable and community-centric real estate development. Brandon's work has been recognized with a Heinz Award, and a $1 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation/Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. You are going to want to hear all about it.</p> <p> </p> <p>[00:01:24] Be sure to go to EvePicker.com to find out more about Brandon on the show notes page for this episode. And be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can access information about impact real estate investing and get the latest news about the exciting projects on my crowdfunding platform, Small Change.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Eve:</strong> [00:01:58] Thanks so much for joining me today, Brandon.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Brandon Dennison:</strong> [00:02:01] Happy to be here. Thanks for having me.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Eve:</strong> [00:02:03] So, we are rebuilding the Appalachian economy from the ground up. That statement is front and center on the home page of Coalfield Development, the organization you founded and lead. Well, I'd love you to tell me exactly what that means.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Brandon:</strong> [00:02:20] Well, it is a bold