What does it really take to help families move out of poverty—especially in places that don't have big cities, big budgets, or big spotlights? In this episode of Rural Builds, host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down with Mark Farley of Empower Upper Cumberland to talk about what's working in rural Middle Tennessee—and why it matters.

Recorded on location at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, this conversation dives into how a 14-county, fully rural region serving more than 370,000 people is taking a proactive approach to poverty alleviation. Farley explains how Empower Upper Cumberland secured $25 million in state funding to pilot innovative programs aimed at helping 800 families—most of them single mothers—reach long-term economic stability.

A major focus of the episode is the "benefit cliff," a policy challenge that often leaves families worse off when they earn just a little more income. Farley shares how his team is working around these barriers while also pushing for smarter policy, all while helping families build skills, confidence, and a path toward better-paying work.

The results are powerful: early program graduates have increased household income by millions of dollars, with some families moving from poverty to six-figure earnings. More than statistics, this episode is about restoring belief, overcoming past trauma, and proving that when rural communities invest in people, real change is possible.

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