I developed an undergraduate entrepreneurial leadership summer program examining the entrepreneurial opportunities emerging from a regional adventure tourism destination in eastern Kentucky to transition the economy from an extraction-based economy. This presentation reveals the steps and phrases of the process of linking historical assets, cultural authenticity, natural resources via a trail system in Appalachian distressed counties and was presented on October 26, 2017, at the Dinner on the Grounds.

1. Peter H. Hackbert, Director
James Bryson McCarthy, Lauren Heller, Will Bowling,
Walter Board, Aaron Clark, Anna Keller, and Breanna Lawson, EPG Cohort Members
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program
Berea College
October 26, 2017
PH – Examining the Historic, Cultural and
Natural Assets through the Daniel Boone Trace
Trail in Appalachian Distressed Counties

3. PH - Appalachian Community Economic
Development Model

4. PH - EPG small Rural Appalachian Community
Economic Development Model

5. PH - The EPG Model
The Berea College Entrepreneurial Leadership EPG Method
Appalachian context
Agile development

6. PH - “Uneven Ground”
UK Professor of
History: Ronald Eller
www.google.com/images
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 6

7. …growing popularity of ecotourism and heritage
tourism…contained the potentialfor building
an alternative economy, one that promised greater
monetary returns for local residents, the preservation
of rural traditions, and the protection of sensitive
natural resources.
- Ronald D. Eller, Uneven Ground, The University of
Kentucky Press, 2008: 256.
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 7

8. The vision is for eastern Kentucky
…be recognized as one of the great destinations with a
celebration of Appalachian heritage and life; innovative and
quality trail systems; world-class adventure recreation
venues; authentic frontier culture and art amenities; a rich
blend of retail, local restaurants, accommodations and
businesses supporting the tourism economy; and special
event activities – all in a setting of rugged Appalachia that
offers both active and passive recreation.

9. PH - 2008 – Searching for Solutions in the
KRADD

10. PH - 115 million Americans live
within a day’s driving distance
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 10

11. PH - 2008 Along come cell phones
Along come
cell phones

12. PH - 2009 Digital device to advance
tourism
Berea College students
demonstrated the “cell
phone prototypes to
Chambers of Commerce,
Tourism Commissions in
Central and Eastern KY to
rave reviews and
recommendations to
continue the experiments
and prototypes.

14. PH - Key 2010 Question
Can Social Media be a tool to
develop an alternative
economy in Appalachian
communities?
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 14

15. PH - By 2013….What has
changed in just the last five
years?
Facebook didn't exist; Twitter
was a sound; the cloud was in
the sky; 4G was a parking
place; LinkedIn was a prison;
applications were what you
sent to college; and Skype for
most people was typo."

16. PH - Sunday New York Times newspaper and their
travel tip and tell the readers the “best places not
to miss”…
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 16

17. PH - "The traveler/tourist persona
profile gives you a chance to truly
empathizewith target market
segments, stepping out of the role as someone
who wants to promote a product and see, through
your travelers' eyes…”
Peter H. Hackbert
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 17

18. PH – 72 Personas developed from 2011 -
2014
160 Personas
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 18

19. Will Bowling

20. June 2, 2015 "Entreprelachian" Will Bowling
Abingdon VA

21. June 2, 2015 "Entreprelachian" Will Bowling
InterestofThePublicGood

22. June 2, 2015 "Entreprelachian" Will Bowling
Adventure Tourism
Adventure tourism

23. PH - Native American tribes had well established
trading systems prior to the arrival of western
explorers.
14911

24. PH - Appalachian Trail

25. PH - Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, West
Virginia

26. PH - Estimated Economic Impact for small
business owners of trail events

27. from which states with varying trail lengths
provided six figures in sales, created new jobs, and
prompted overnight travelers to spend their
money. Trail system increase the patrons that
arrive by foot and cycle.
Central Appalachia Trail Systems:
A Review of the Literature 1
2
3
4
5
6

28. PH - Deep Dive into the Great Allegheny
Passage

29. PH - Small towns along the GAP
6 Trail Town Studies/Surveys 1998-2015
Estimated Trail Usage: 940,000 (2013)
Estimated Overall Direct Economic Impact: $50 Million (2012)
Average Day User Spends: $18 per day (2014)
Average Overnight Guest Spends: $124 per night (2014)
Sources: 2007-2008 The Great Allegheny Passage Economic Impact Study; 2012 Trail Town Business Survey Report for
The Progress Fund May, 2012; 2013 Analysis of Trail Usage Patterns along the Great Allegheny Passage, The Progress
Fund; 2013 User Survey and Economic Impact Analysis, Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (Between Titusville and Parker, PA. The
Progress Fund; 2016 Trail User Sample Survey Highlight Report Main Line Canal & Trans-Allegheny Trails Systems, The
Progress Fund

30. PH - Small towns along the GAP
Business Activity Impact of the GAP, 2007-2015
137 new trail-related businesses opened in Trail Towns since
2007.
There net gain of 65 new businesses (72 business closings)
270+ net new jobs were created
25 businesses expanded operations; 15 changed hands
Estimated Sales Related to Trail Traffic: 2008: 25%, 2012: 30%,
2013: 34%, 2014: 40%
Sources: 2007-2008 The Great Allegheny Passage Economic Impact Study; 2012 Trail Town Business Survey Report for
The Progress Fund May, 2012; 2013 Analysis of Trail Usage Patterns along the Great Allegheny Passage, The Progress
Fund; 2013 User Survey and Economic Impact Analysis, Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (Between Titusville and Parker, PA. The
Progress Fund; 2016 Trail User Sample Survey Highlight Report Main Line Canal & Trans-Allegheny Trails Systems, The
Progress Fund

31. PH - What did the GAP cost? What is the
benefit to small businesses?

32. Table 1; Travel Economic Impact Model for Central Appalachia States
Traveler
Spending Payroll Jobs
Tax
Receipts
Travel Industry
Employment Rank
Kentucky $9.0B $2.1B 93,900 $1.3B 6
North Carolina $22.8B $5.5B 220,789 $3.5B 6
Ohio $19B $4.6B 185,600 $3.1B 10
Virginia $23.7B $5.4B 227,600 $3.2B 5
Tennessee $18.4B $3.7B 157,400 $3.0B 6
West Virginia $3.0B $547M 27,770 $385.1M 7
PH - Travel Economic Impact Model for
Central Appalachian States

33. PH - North Carolina Small Town Program
Populations
1,602
357
175
1,764
747
1,081
11/29/2018 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 33

34. PH - Western North Carolina Results
Western North Carolina Results
Facades Redone
Buildings Renovations
Net Increase in
Businesses
Volunteers Hours
$ Raised Locally
Private / Public
Investment
69
103
51
103,641
$ 182,000
$ 13.9M

35. PH - Small Business Using Social
Media in North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Soap Shed

36. PH - Customer Discovery in North Carolina
We count the number of customer discovery
interviews

37. PH - Lewis and Clark open the western
frontier

38. PH - Lewis and Clark returned through
Kentucky

39. PH - Lewis and Clark traveled on the Boone
Trace and Wilderness Trail

40. PH - Wilderness Road opened the Kentucky
frontier in the late 1700s

41. PH - Daniel Boone Trace in 1775
CUMBERLAND GAP
THE NARROWS
FLAT LICK
HAZEL PATCH
SKAGG’S TRACE
DANVILLE
FORT
BOONESBOROUGH
Daniel Boone
Trace Trail, 1775

42. Bryson McCarthy - A Journey
Through Berea
How to spend 36 hours in Kentucky’s
craft capital
James Bryson McCarthey
Hometown: Erlanger, KY
Class: Rising Sophomore
Major: Biology

43. June 2, 2015 "Entreprelachian" Will Bowling
= 37 Reviews
= 35 Reviews
= 247 Likes= 279 Likes
= 58 Points
= 279 Likes
= 437 Followers
Source: Google Images, June 2, 3015. Web.
Social Media Measures

44. Jessica BowmanA Persona along the Bonne Trace

45. PH - Fall 2012 EPG was asked to serve as a group
to trial-run the proposed Livingston KY Trail Town

46. PH Sheltowee Trail through Livingston

47. PH - Hikers on the Boone Trace

48. PH - Daniel Boone Marker at
Boone Gap
DAR marker at Boone Gap in southern Madison County

49. PH - Bridge at Brushy Fork

50. PH - John B Stephenson Memorial Trail also called
the Indiana Fort Trail and the Boone Trace Trail
John B Stephenson Memorial Trail overlays the Boone Trace

51. PH - Bridge over Brushy Fork and Silver Creek
Bridge over Brushy Fork and Silver Creek

52. PH - Confluence of Brushy Fork and Silver
Creek

53. PH - Red House north of Richmond, KY
Red House north of Richmond, KY

54. PH - Boonesborough settlement
Fort Boonesborough settlement the end of the line of the Trace.

55. Berea (TransAmerica Trail USBR 76) Blacksburg VA

56. PH - The TransAmerican Bike Route from
Yorktown VA to Astoria, Oregon,

57. PH - USBR 76 Cyclists intercepted at Coffee shop

58. PH - Cyclists provide instruction
Conversing with Transamerica Cyclist Matt Krajewski.

59. November 29, 2018 EPG Cohort 12 Final Portfolio by Minashsha Zareel Lamisa 59
EPG Cohort 12 Members with TransAmerican Trail Bikers “The Renegades”, from US, and Sebastien and Wouter, from Belgium. 3 June 2015.
Selfie with the European TransAmerican Cyclists .
PH - International cyclists visit EPG

60. PH - Bike Travel is Booming / Local Economies
are Benefiting

61. PH - Virginia Creeper Trail,

62. PH - EPG students as adventure tourists on
the Virginia Creeper Trail
Abingdon/Damascus Case Study

63. PH - EPG students gain business insights from
small business entrepreneurs in Damascus
Most Significant Event
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Guinevere Beirne “Personal Observations.”
Damascus, Va. May 2015.
Meeting home grown expanding and
returning Damascus Small Business Owners

64. PH – End user talks with Virginia Creeper Trail
Bike Shuttle & Rental Owner

65. PH - How did we test these
assumptions?
Conversations with Kentucky Trail Town Small
Business Owners

66. Testing the economic model in Hindman KY
integrating arts, music, crafts and cycling
7/2/2015 My EPG experience Adriana Williams

67. Will Bowling

68. Walter - EPG at Coalwood WV

69. Walter -

70. Walter -

71. Walter -

72. Walter -

73. PH - Kentucky Blue Grass Cycling Tour -
$379.00 per day
$379 per day

74. PH - Woman tours - $478.00 per day
Date: 10/13/17 - 10/18/17
Meet: Lexington, KY
Tour Price: $2390
Single Upgrade: $700
$479 per day

75. PH - Damascus City,
VA. Revenues 1978:
$90,350

76. PH - Damascus VA 2016 City RevenuesDamascus City Revenues
2016: $1,177,600

77. How much did your party spend WHILE IN Abingdon VA?
Overnight Day-Trip
Provide TOTAL costs for your stay, not daily
Lodging $268.46 $0.00
Food/Meals $171.69 $46.04
Shopping $129.47 $68.35
Attractions/Events $94.69 $71.78
Auto Fuel $71.63 $26.31
Average Trip Spending: $735.94 $212.48
Average Daily Spending: $337.58 $212.48
How destination visitors get to Abingdon?
Drive destination 3-5 hours in car.
How much do they spend?

78. Lauren Heller

79. PH - Kentucky Trail Town Program

80. PH - Identifying our routes, trails and loops.

81. PH - February 2015 announcement the Intent
to apply

82. PH - March 2015, Honor the Boone Trace
Hikers

83. PH - EPG meets with the Executive Judge Kent Clark –
May 16, 2015

91. PH - Trail Town Certification December 11, 2015

92. Aaron Clark

93. Community Partners in 2016

94. Kentucky's life expectancy

95. The Berea Trail Town Signature Event June
2016

96. Daniel Boone Splash and Dash June 2016

97. AC - Daniel Boone Splash and Dash run on the
trail

98. EPG Members trained by Sam Dick, Director of the Kids Legacy in Lexington

99. Walter Board

100. Walter Board – the Role of the Community
Partners in 4 minutes

101. Community Partner in 2016

102. Community Partner in 2016

103. Community Partners in 2016
Daniel Boone Splash and Dash Community Partners

104. PH - Central Kentucky trails through Berea

105. Unintended Consequences

106. Anna Keller

107. AK - 2008 Age-Adjusted Estimates of Adults who
are Physically inactive: Pockets of inactivity,
diabetes, and obesity
Pockets of Adults Who Are Physically Inactive

108. Percentage of Physical Inactivity & Health
USA KY and Madison County KY
United StatesMadison County Kentucky
%ofPhysicalInactivity

109. AK - 2017 Trail Town Multi-Use Research

110. Health Benefits of Trails
Louisa Summers, Ph.D.
Berea College
Source: Finding the Fulcrum: Reclamation of Appalachian Identity through the Transition from an Exogenous Resource
Extraction Based Economy to an Endogenous Tourism, Knowledge and Health Based Economy, 40th Annual Appalachian
Studies Conference , March 9-12, 2017, Blacksburg VA.

111. AK - Preliminary Avoided Health Care
Costs - Cyclists
$377

112. AK - Preliminary Avoided Health Care
Costs - Walkers
$2,814

113. Preliminary Avoided Health Care Costs -
Runners
$ 405

114. AK - Preliminary Avoided Health Care
Costs – All modes
$ 2,814

115. Breanna Lawson

121. BL- Bell County Accomplishments 2017

124. 1

125. Kentucky Pedestrian and Cycling Comfort Index

126. PH - EPG small Rural Appalachian Community
Economic Development Model

127. Judge executive Reagon Taylor makes the case of a Trail Town
in Madison County