06/22/2026
In March, WACRI had the pleasure of hosting an IVLP delegation from Moldova for a program focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Visitors engaged with higher education institutions, workforce organizations, startups, and private-sector leaders to examine how Rhode Island leverages innovation, community organizations, and private partnerships to spur small business development and economic growth in the state.
The program began at Farm Fresh Rhode Island, where the delegation visited the organization’s Providence location and explored how Rhode Island farmers are adopting innovative agribusiness strategies in their community business model. The group also met with Rhode Island Commerce to learn how the organization is targeting support tools to help small businesses move up the value chain, expand exports, and drive innovation in priority state sectors. The group finished up their day at the Community Libraries of Providence, where staff offered a tour of the library as well as the library’s Maker Space. Visitors learned about how the CLPVD promotes and assists in entrepreneurial development and innovation.
On their second day, the visitors met with the RI Small Business Coalition for a panel discussion on the best practices for facilitating small business growth in the community, from skill-building workshops to financial advice. The group then spent the afternoon at Bryant University, where they received a tour of the business school’s new Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC). Faculty from different departments met with the visitors to discuss how they are bringing business development, entrepreneurship, and international trade to the university.
The last day of programming began at the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce with a First Friday Coffee, a networking breakfast for business professionals in southern Rhode Island. The group was able to learn about the various businesses engaged with the Chamber, as well as have the opportunity to form their own connections. After the networking event, the group joined a group discussion with the Southern Chamber staff to learn and discuss strategies for building up local businesses through community collaboration. The group concluded their visit to Rhode Island at the University of Rhode Island, where faculty and students presented ongoing projects with the university’s Innovation Lab and RIHub– a hub facilitated by the university to offer startup help, workshops, and working space for small business development.
This project with Moldova demonstrated the importance of international cross-knowledge exchange and the importance of using adaptive strategies to promote small business development. WACRI is grateful to Global Ties U.S. and to the many organizations and institutions that contributed their expertise, and we look forward to seeing how these shared insights continue to shape entrepreneurship and innovation both in Rhode Island and abroad.
