July is a great time to pause, reflect, and refocus on your business goals for the second half of the year. Across Southern Virginia, entrepreneurs are building momentum, exploring new opportunities, and finding innovative ways to grow and adapt. Whether you’re launching a new venture or strengthening an existing business, investing in your knowledge, network, and strategy can help position you for long-term success.
This month, RISE continues to offer opportunities to learn, connect, and grow through workshops, networking events, and business resources designed to support entrepreneurs at every stage. Wherever you are on your journey, we’re here to help you take the next step forward.
Startup Playbook: Idea to Income
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 5:30pm – 6:30pm | Dalton Idea Center
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Dalton Idea Center
Have a business idea but not sure what comes next? The Startup Playbook: Idea to Income helps aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into a clear, actionable path toward business ownership. Through an interactive workshop and optional one-on-one follow-up support, participants will refine their business concept, explore key startup fundamentals, and connect with resources available across Southern Virginia. Whether you’re starting from scratch or building on an early idea, this series is designed to help you move forward with confidence.
RISE Grapevine Virtual Meetup for Entrepreneurs
Thursday, July 16 , 2026 | 12pm-1pm | Zoom
The RISE Grapevine Monthly Virtual Meetup brings together entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders from across Southern Virginia for connection and resource sharing.
Mecklenburg Entrepreneur Meetup
Thursday, July 24, 2026 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | TBD
Connect with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, farmers, and aspiring entrepreneurs at the Mecklenburg Entrepreneur Meetup. Hosted by RISE and Marilynn Cabiness, these informal gatherings provide an opportunity to build relationships, share ideas, and learn about local and regional resources that support business growth. Whether you’re just getting started or have been in business for years, you’re invited to join the conversation. No registration is required.
Brunswick Entrepreneur Meetups
Friday, July 24, 2026 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | The Story Cafe
Connect with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, farmers, and aspiring entrepreneurs at the Brunswick Entrepreneur Meetup. Hosted by RISE and Marilynn Cabiness, these informal gatherings provide an opportunity to build relationships, share ideas, and learn about local and regional resources that support business growth. Whether you’re launching a new venture, growing an existing business, or simply looking to expand your network, you’re invited to join the conversation. No registration is required. Stop by, grab a coffee or a bite to eat from The Story Cafe, and connect with others in the local business community.
RISE Summit
Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 9:00am – 4:30pm | The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
The third annual RISE Summit brings together entrepreneurs for a full day of inspiration, skill-building workshops, and high-impact networking. This year’s focus is Innovation in Business, Manufacturing, and Agriculture, making it a must-attend event for entrepreneurs across industries. Super Early Bird tickets are available now for $45 through June 30, with Early Bird and Regular rates available as the event approaches.
Upcoming Events Hosted by State Agencies
Intro to Selling to Virginia – Workshop #1
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 and July 15, 2026| 10am – 11:30am | 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, July 8, 2026 and July 22, 2026| 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.
Upcoming Events Hosted by the Longwood Small Business Development Center & Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
How to Manage your WordPress Website
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 12pm – 1:30pm | Online
Do you want to create or improve your business website? This workshop will introduce the basics of WordPress and Elementor, helping participants learn how to build, update, and manage a professional website, including pages, media, plugins, social media links, and more.
Protecting Customer Information in a Digital Business
Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm | Online
Your business data is one of your most valuable assets and one of the biggest targets for cybercriminals. A cybersecurity breach can disrupt operations, damage customer trust, and create costly legal and financial consequences. Learn practical steps to protect your business, reduce risk, and strengthen your cybersecurity readiness before
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 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.