Why renewing the American Dream runs through rural America | Tony Pipa | TEDxFargo

As our country celebrates its 250th birthday, too many of us feel as if the American Dream is dying. Yet the American Dream is not just about financial success – it’s about creating a good society where the opportunity to achieve is held in common.

In this talk, Tony Pipa, host of the Reimagine Rural podcast and founder of the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative at the Brookings Institution, describes how rural communities are demonstrating that renewal of the American Dream relies on healthy civic structures, where people use their talents, capabilities, and creativity to keep their hometowns vibrant and vital. In an era of polarization and pessimism, he tells the story of places in rural America undergoing a civic renaissance that offer a path forward for the rest of the country – if we embrace it. Tony Pipa is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. Pipa launched and leads the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative and hosts the award-winning Reimagine Rural podcast. He also provides expertise on U.S. global development policy and local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflected in the work of the SDG Leadership Cities Network.

The Reimagining Rural Policy initiative provides analysis and recommendations to improve the effectiveness of federal policy in supporting rural communities in the 21st century. The stories profiled by the Reimagine Rural podcast feature local people developing solutions to strengthen the resilience, economic security, and future prospects of their rural towns. As part of this portfolio to improve rural policy, Pipa is helping lead and facilitate America’s Rural Future: The Brookings-AEI Commission on Rural Prosperity, co-chaired by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and former governor Chris Sununu (R-NH).

Pipa came to Brookings after serving as chief strategy officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as a special envoy at the U.S. Department of State, leading the U.S. delegation during the intergovernmental negotiations at the U.N. to agree upon the SDGs.

His work on global policy built upon decades of leadership advancing community and economic development at home. He served as the first director of philanthropic services at the Triangle Community Foundation; founding CEO of the Warner Foundation in Durham, North Carolina; and as a founder of the Foundation for Louisiana.

He serves as vice-chair of StriveTogether, chair of the Reimagining Rural Assistance Network (RRAN), treasurer at Lead for America, member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Rural Investment Collaborative, member of the NC Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine’s advisory council, and on other advisory councils and boards related to economic mobility. He grew up in rural Elysburg, Pennsylvania, attended Stanford University, graduated from Duke University, and earned a Master of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx