The RISE Regional Innovation Summit for Entrepreneurs on Saturday, November 1, 2025 in Danville, VA will include networking opportunities and breakout sessions featuring amazing speakers to support entrepreneurs at each stage of business, from ideation to starting, growing, and scaling.

45 MINUTE WORKSHOP

TRACK: BUSINESS SKILLS

Learning objectives for this workshop include:

• Participants will be able to identify common flaws and gaps that weaken business plans
• Participants will be able to evaluate business plans from an investor’s or grantor’s perspective
• Participants will understand the connection between a strong plan and improved access to capital
• Participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen their own business plans

Description:

Step into the role of an investor in Tank Test: Would You Invest? In this interactive session, you’ll review sample business plans with common flaws, decide which one deserves funding and learn what separates a strong plan from a weak one. You’ll walk away with sharper insights into how investors and grantors think and practical tips to strengthen your own business plan for accessing capital.

Workshop Presenter: Natalie Hodge Davis, Founder, Rudy’s Girl Media, & Southern Virginia Market Lead, Locus

Prerequisites: None

Notes for Attendees: For all businesses

Beyond her work in media, Natalie serves as a Community Market Lead with Locus, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), where she champions place-based investment strategies to strengthen Southern Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. A founding member of the Martinsville-Henry County Minority Business Consortium and a key contributor to the RISE Collaborative’s strategic planning team, Natalie is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and creating pathways for inclusive growth.

A dynamic speaker, storyteller, and ecosystem builder, Natalie continues to inspire audiences with her vision of how creativity, entrepreneurship and community capital can spark transformation in small towns and beyond.