Since 2007, the Rural Assembly has convened voices from every region and every state in the United States. Participants represent local grassroots organizers, nonprofit and business leaders, government officials, funders, and next generation leaders. They represent a diversity of cultures, geographies, and ethnicities, and they pour their expertise into creative initiatives that build up their hometowns and communities, ranging from climate and energy solutions to creative placemaking initiatives, from economic transitions to restoring our democracy. Our participants share a passion for achieving healthier, more sustainable, and more just communities, and they are all courageously taking on the challenges and barriers that would stand in the way.