Urban Rural Action's Mission

Urban Rural Action is a national grassroots movement that brings together Americans across divides to tackle our country's most urgent challenges.

Program Overview

The Uniting for Entrepreneurship in Maryland program will bring together immigrants and non-immigrants across ideological, racial, generational, and geographic lines of difference to advance entrepreneurship. We are forming four hubs: Baltimore Metro (County and City), Prince George’s County, Talbot County, and Washington County.

Each hub will consist of ~5-7 immigrants and non-immigrants engaged in small business and/or entrepreneurship and committed to working across divides. The ~5-7 participants in each hub will work with a designated community partner to design and implement a project that supports entrepreneurship and/or small business. Collectively, the four hubs will make up one Maryland Uniters cohort.

We will repeatedly bring the Uniters cohort together for relationship-building, dialogue, collective learning and analysis, and collaboration to promote small business and entrepreneurship. In so doing, we will achieve three key objectives:

1. Build relationships between immigrant and non-immigrant communities and across ideological, racial, generational, and geographic lines of difference,
2. Take action to support local businesses and entrepreneurs (especially immigrants), and
3. Raise awareness about the positive economic contributions of immigrants.

Main Responsibilities of Program Leads

The 3 Program Leads will lead a Core Team that also includes 4 Hub Advisors (one per hub).

Overall Purpose of the Core Team: Ensure successful program implementation (i.e., meet program goals). The Core Team should meet weekly at the same time each week to 1) review and update the work plan, 2) review draft content for gatherings, and 3) agree on communication to the cohort.

Conduct planning from October '22 - January '23 and implement the program from February '23 - October '23, including the following:

1. Develop and implement a work plan
2. Formalize and manage relationships with community partners
3. Administer an application process to form the Maryland Uniters cohort
4. Design and conduct interactive in-person and Zoom sessions that build skills in constructive dialogue
5. Promote new relationships across lines of difference
6. Conduct program evaluation and share findings
7. Communicate externally about the program (UR Action website, events, social media, etc.)

Experience & Qualifications

• Strong familiarity with key UR Action frameworks: ABCs for Constructive Dialogue, Problem Tree Analysis, Stakeholder and Influence Mapping, and Community Project Design
• Excellent oral and written communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent attention to detail
• Tenacious community organizing skills
• Commitment to the mission and vision of UR Action
• Flexibility to adapt to changing needs
• Language: Fluent English speaker. Other language skills are a plus.

Hours and Schedule: 25% level of effort = ~10 hours/week (with fluctuations). Generally flexible hours, but with a need to participate in (1) program gatherings in person on Saturdays (dates to be decided by you and other Core Team members) and on Zoom on weekday evenings, and (2) weekly Core Team planning meetings, including during the business day.

Salary: $30/hour. This is a salaried employee position, and includes tax and leave benefits. All gas expenses will be reimbursed.

To Apply: To apply, please email urbanruralaction@gmail.com with an expression of interest. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and decisions will be made as soon as an appropriate candidate is identified.