2026 CEC Keynote and Capnote

Find Your Courtland

Robin Carlson is a Courtland native who recently moved back from Panama City, Panama, and is the daughter of Robert and Jan Carlson. As a Paramedic, Nurse Practitioner, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor/Social Work, and Certified Nutritionist, it is apparent Robin has been actively involved in the healthcare industry and “helping people” ever since she left the farm.

Robin was a majority partner in Professional Healthcare Inc., a private-duty nursing and home health company in Knightdale, NC. She has also founded multiple companies and nonprofit organizations, including Focus Health and Consulting, Focus Staffing, and The Quality of Life Foundation. Robin has also served as Courtland's mayor from 2024 to the present.

In Robin’s spare time, she has also been active with the ALS Association, a past president of Rotary International, and a Harris Fellow. She has enjoyed her time volunteering for nonprofit organizations and rare disease support groups over the last several years.

For those closest to Robin, it is obvious that Pivotal Health & Wellness is affording her the chance to fulfill a dream of bringing her experience in acute care, home health, and case management to her hometown community.

The Unsexy, Totally Unglamorous Art of Writing a Book

Kate Benz has a love affair with everyday people and their everyday stories. Her book, “NothingBut the Dirt: Stories from an American Farm Town,” was named a 2023 Kansas Notable Bookby the State Library of Kansas. When not writing, she likes taking romantic strolls down themakeup aisle.

In 2013, a solo cross-country road trip landed me in Courtland, population 298: no cute boutiques, no brewery. But I was hooked. For five years, I boomeranged back to visit, traveling 1,400 miles multiple times a year. Flying, driving, and spending all my PTO. I knew I wanted to write about this town. The problem? I barely knew anyone. “Go to Pinky’s Bar & Grill at 5:30 a.m. Start by talking to the farmers,” I was told. So at the crack of dawn in August 2018, that’s exactly what I did. But would they even talk to me?

Facilitator and audience driven questions to two local businesses that include questions about growth, challenges and a look to the future.

The Beef Shop: The Beef Shop by Creekside Land & Cattle is a family-owned market rooted in a multi-generational farm and ranch in North Central Kansas. Built to connect consumers with locally raised beef, the business reflects rural entrepreneurship—diversifying agriculture, building community, and creating new opportunities while doing business in rural America.

Irrigation Ales: Luke Mahin, a proud Courtlandnite with a Communications degree from FHSU, spent over a decade in rural economic development before co-owning Irrigation Ales with his wife, Jennifer. He now brews beer in retrofitted dairy tanks in the smallest brewery town in Kansas (Courtland).

Big Dreams In a Little Town

"Big Dreams in a Little Town" is a heartfelt and honest look at what it really means to build a business in a rural community. Through personal stories of starting multiple businesses - and learning from the ones that didn't work - Cami shares how big goals can grow from small places. Using social media to reach beyond your zip code, the power of community support, and why failure is often the greatest teacher. Dreamers and doers should see the unique advantages of rural life and why success doesn't require a big city - just the courage, persistence and a willingness to start.

Cami SanRomani is the founder of Cami's Cake Co., a rural entrepreneur who has built a growing brand from her small Kansas community. Through resilience, creativity, and grassroots marketing, she encourages others to pursue big dreams, embrace failure as part of the journey, and recognize the unique opportunities small rural communities provide.