Thrive in Five with Thrive Community Partners

Building stronger communities starts with stronger strategy.

Thrive in Five is a quick, practical podcast for the people doing the important work of building, sustaining, and growing communities.

Hosted by Sarah Stephens Krupp and Renee Smith, founders of Thrive Community Partners, each episode delivers one actionable idea in five minutes or less for community leaders, economic developers, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and organizations working to create lasting impact.

Drawing from decades of experience in community development, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, grant strategy, and organizational capacity building, Sarah and Renee share honest conversations about what works, what doesn't, and how to move from ideas to implementation.

Whether you're leading a downtown revitalization effort, writing your next strategic plan, building partnerships, supporting entrepreneurs, or looking for funding strategies that create long-term success, Thrive in Five provides practical insights you can apply immediately.

New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Topics include:

Strategic Planning
Community Development
Economic Development
Entrepreneurship
Grant Strategy
Organizational Capacity
Leadership
Partnerships
Rural & Small Community Growth

Because thriving communities don't happen by accident—they happen through intentional leadership, practical strategy, and people willing to do the work together.

Contributors

Co-host

Renee Smith

Renee Smith is the co-founder of Thrive Community Partners and an experienced community and economic development professional dedicated to helping communities build capacity, strengthen local economies, and support entrepreneurship. With extensive experience in strategic planning, grant strategy, workforce development, leadership, and small business support, Renee has worked alongside community leaders, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and entrepreneurs to turn vision into action. She believes lasting community impact is built through strong partnerships, thoughtful strategy, and practical implementation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-smith-640356b0/

Co-host

Sarah Stephens Krupp

Sarah Stephens Krupp is the co-founder of Thrive Community Partners and a nationally recognized community development strategist with more than 20 years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, grant funding, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and organizational leadership. Throughout her career, she has helped communities secure millions of dollars in funding, led chambers of commerce, nonprofits, and economic development organizations, mentored entrepreneurs, and developed strategies that create measurable, lasting impact. Sarah is passionate about helping community leaders move from big ideas to successful implementation through practical, relationship-driven solutions.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-stephens-krupp-458683135/