August 22, 2025 – Small Nation Founder and CEO Jason Duff will be a featured presenter at Marketing Unleashed: Sharing Your Story and Measuring What Matters, a one-day marketing conference designed for small business owners across Southern Illinois. The event, hosted by the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, takes place Monday, August 25, 2025, at the Gower Translational Research Center in Carbondale.

The annual conference equips entrepreneurs with fresh strategies and practical tools to compete in today’s fast-changing business environment. Attendees will gain insights on branding, social media, artificial intelligence, storytelling, and more from a diverse lineup of marketing and business experts.

Duff will present The Power of Place: Investing in People, Properties and Purpose, a session focused on how small towns can drive long-term value by strategically activating their spaces and supporting entrepreneurs. Drawing from his work revitalizing Downtown Bellefontaine, Ohio, and consulting in communities nationwide, Duff will share case studies on turning underutilized buildings into thriving destinations that attract both locals and visitors.

“Too often, communities think they need to recruit a big outside investor to succeed, when the real magic happens when you invest in your own people and your own spaces,” said Duff. “When you combine the right properties, entrepreneurs with great ideas, and a clear sense of purpose, you create places where businesses and communities can thrive together.”

In addition to Duff’s session, the conference will feature presentations on consistent storytelling for social media, integrating artificial intelligence into small business operations, techniques for effective brand storytelling, lessons learned from AI adoption, and the role of personal branding in business growth. Each session is designed to give small business owners practical strategies and actionable insights they can take home and put into practice.

Duff’s presentation complements the conference’s focus on innovative marketing strategies by showing how investing in people and place-based storytelling can create lasting economic and community impact.

About Small Nation:

Small Nation develops places, spaces, and dreams for small towns and entrepreneurs across the country. Based in Bellefontaine, Ohio, the team invests in real estate, creates business solutions, and provides resources for small-town success. Small Nation has been recognized nationally for its work in downtown revitalization, business incubation, and rural economic development.

To learn more about Small Nation, visit www.smallnation.com or follow them on social media at @smallnationstrong.