December is full of exciting events for entrepreneurs, small business owners and innovators in Southern Virginia.
PUMP: Pull Up Mentoring Program
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | 12pm – 4:00pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | 9am – 1:00pm | P&HCC Patrick County Fab Lab
Hosted by the RISE Navigators, PUMP (Pull Up Mentor Program) is a free, drop-in event designed to connect entrepreneurs with valuable resources to support your business journey.
Whether you’re a business owner looking to grow, an aspiring entrepreneur with a new idea, or an innovator with a fresh product or service, PUMP (Pull Up Mentor Program) offers a chance to discuss your ideas with a member of the RISE Navigator team. The RISE Navigators are knowledgeable about local, regional, and national resources to support your business journey.
Don’t miss this chance to strengthen your entrepreneurial journey with personalized support.
1-on-1 Consulting on Government Contracting
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | SOVA Innovation Hub
Southern Virginia businesses interested in government contracting have a new opportunity close to home. The Crater APEX Accelerator is offering free, 1-on-1 consulting sessions at the SOVA Innovation Hub, located at 715 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston, VA. The goal of this service is to make it easier than ever for Southern Virginia businesses to access expert guidance on navigating the government contracting process. Learn More >
Unlocking ChatGPT’s Potential
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | 10am-12pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Discover the power of AI in this engaging workshop designed to take you beyond the basics. Learn how to use ChatGPT as a partner in your business and personal life for things like brainstorming, problem-solving, content creation, and customer engagement. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, this session will guide you through impactful use cases and hands-on examples to unlock ChatGPT’s full potential for business and everyday tasks. Join us and explore the future of AI!
RISE Grapevine Monthly Virtual Meetup
Thursday, December 19, 2024 | 12:00-1:00pm | Zoom
The RISE Grapevine Monthly Virtual Meetup is a virtual gathering of diverse, creative, and inclusive entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders from across Southern Virginia. During each monthly meeting, we share updates from local and regional entrepreneurs support organizations.
Upcoming Events Hosted by State Agencies
Intro to Selling to Virginia - Workshop #1
Wednesday, December 4 | 10am-12pm | Online
This session will provide a high level overview of the Commonwealth’s purchasing process, including purchasing policies that affect how buyers use the eVA system to “shop” and the eVA tools used by our buying community. You’ll also get a guided tour of the eVA website as we discuss the publicly accessible tools & resources every business should know about if they’re interested in selling to Virginia. And if you’re not already an eVA registered Vendor, you’ll learn how to get signed-up, as well as where to go for help at any time!
Hosted by the eVA outreach team with the Virginia Division Small Business & Supplier Diversity.
Generating Leads Using eVA - Workshop #2
Wednesday, December 11 | 10am-12pm | Online
This advanced workshop is the 2nd in the eVA series & focuses on lead generation. This hands-on session explores the public transparency tools available on the eVA website, including the Report & Resource Center and the new “power” search. You’ll learn how to identify buyers who are buying what you sell, determine prices being paid for goods/services, identify who’s getting business (is it you or your competition). We'll also walk through the Virginia Business Opportunities public posting page – featuring collaboration tools like B2B Connect & VIBE – as we discuss how & when eVA builds a lead list for you and why rating your leads is important.
Hosted by the eVA outreach team with the Virginia Division Small Business & Supplier Diversity.
Customer Discovery: Creating a Solid Foundation for your Startup to get Funded
Tuesday, December 10 | 11am - 12:30pm | Online
- What is customer discovery?
- How is customer discovery connected to getting funded?
- What is the difference between customer discovery and sales?
- How to effectively conduct customer discovery interviews.
- What working with ICAP looks like and how it supports startups long-term.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement between VIPC and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Upcoming Events by Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Longwood SBDC
Live and On-Demand Webinars
Multiple Dates | Online
No matter where you are in the state of Virginia, you can access virtual training programs and seminars on a variety of topics including business planning, marketing, management, legal considerations, accounting and bookkeeping, financial analysis, technology, access to capital, and business basics.
Hosted by the Virginia SBDCs (Small Business Development Centers)
Upcoming Noon Knowledge Events
The Noon Knowledge Series is a free, virtual program offering small business and professional training, presented by Locus, Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, and Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Noon Knowledge – Digital Advertising – What’s New with Meta and Google?
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 I 12:00-1:00pm I Zoom
Stay ahead of the curve with the latest updates in digital advertising! This workshop will dive into the newest features and strategies in Meta (Facebook & Instagram) and Google advertising. Learn how to leverage these platforms’ most recent tools and trends to optimize your ad campaigns, reach your target audience more effectively, and maximize your ROI. Whether you’re new to digital advertising or looking to refine your approach, this session will provide valuable insights into the ever-evolving landscape.
PRESENTED BY: Letterpress Communications
Upcoming Chamber of Commerce Events
Chamber of Commerce Events
Multiple Dates | Various Locations
Many of Chamber of Commerce organizations host monthly networking events and ongoing training opportunities for businesses of all sizes and types.
Stay up to date on RISE Events
Find out what’s happening in the RISE Southern Virginia ecosystem on the RISE Meetups page.