Megan proposes a solution to revitalize rural communities in North Dakota by returning to the small-scale farming roots the state was built on and repurposing vacant or idle farmsteads to spur a modern homesteading movement. Megan is the Founder & ED of Strengthen ND. A graduate of Minot State University with a B.A. in Mathematics and has obtained a Certificate in Fundraising through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Her areas of expertise include board and staff development, fundraising planning, grant writing, strategic planning, organizational action planning, program design and evaluation, succession planning, and meeting facilitation. Megan is a 2014 Bush Foundation Fellow and has participated in professional development activities through the Harvard-Kennedy School of Government, Midwest Academy for Social Justice, Independent Sector & TED.

Megan is active in the community and across ND by serving in leadership positions with ND Rural Development Council, ND EDC, ND Local Foods Development Alliance, Minot YP, Visit Minot, Minot Family YMCA, and Magic Day of Giving. Through her experiences, she has been able to refine her approaches to rural community fundraising, organizing, and advocacy. 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