A quick rejection reflection

We're coming up on six years ago that CivicLex was turned down for a major investment from the Knight Cities Challenge. For nostalgia's sake I went back to find the rejection email. We staked a lot on that application - we thought it was basically the only way we could get up and going. And, when we were rejected, we were all pretty devastated. I was positive CivicLex couldn't happen.

Fast forward six years and next week, I'm presenting about CivicLex at the Knight Foundation's Media Forum as a case study for radical engagement in local news and civic media.

It's been a wild six years building this organization. I can promise you, startup nonprofit media organizations with non-traditional models aren't easy to build in Central Kentucky. In the first year or two there were so many times that we weren't sure we'd make it, but our community here in Lexington stuck by us, supported us, and helped us grow. Particularly Lisa Adkins, J.D. and the Blue Grass Community Foundation. We quite simply wouldn't exist without them.

Building CivicLex has been such a good lesson in perseverance. It's hard to dust yourself off after a major rejection, but if you believe deeply in your mission and are committed to your place, you don't really have another choice, do you?