WEGA (Wabash Economic Growth Alliance) is a private, 501c3 non-profit, formed to address the economic development needs of rural communities.  Although it serves in the traditional role of an economic development corporation (EDC), it also focuses on specific initiatives designed to solve challenges that are uniquely rural.  

Over the last 50 years rural communities have suffered from a flight to higher education and the urban workplace. They have also suffered from a reduced number of births and an aging population. In the previous decades, changes of this nature would have been offset by new investments and retooling. In the information age, however, new investments focus less on available natural resources and more on the availability of fiber networks and a specialized workforce. Given the freedom to choose where they work employers and employees often choose urban areas based on their “richness of amenities”.

This trend seems to be changing with the installation of rural fiber networks and an urban workforce that desires to live more simple lifestyles. We believe rural communities are the best places to live and work and could become attractive economic growth centers again. We also believe Indiana needs to unlock its great rural advantage to meet the workforce of tomorrow. After 50 years of decline rural communities require new investments. Revitalization also requires fresh ingenuity and innovation. WEGA serves to innovate solutions and to prepare rural communities for the next generation.