November is all about celebrating entrepreneurship! With Global Entrepreneurship Week and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, it’s the perfect time to connect, learn, and celebrate the entrepreneurs who make our communities stronger.
RISE and our partners have a full week of events planned for Global Entrepreneurship Week, along with workshops, networking opportunities, and business resources throughout the month. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to grow your business, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved across Southern Virginia!
Coffee Chat
Friday, November 6, 2026 | 8am – 10am | Books & Beans
Are you thinking about starting a business or looking for ways to grow?
Join RISE and the Amelia County Chamber of Commerce for a casual Coffee Chat to connect with local entrepreneurs, share ideas, and learn about resources to support your business. Hosted by Laura Russell, RISE Business Navigator and fellow small business owner, this informal gathering is open to aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, side hustlers, and nonprofit leaders.
Stop by anytime between 8:00am – 10:00am, grab a coffee, and join the conversation! Free to attend, and no registration required.
Excel Basics: A Beginner’s Guide
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 9am – 12pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Whether you’re new to Microsoft Excel or just need a refresher, this beginner-friendly workshop is a great place to start!
Led by Wendy Toone, the session will cover Excel basics, including navigating the program, entering and formatting data, and creating simple charts and formulas.
Bring your computer so you can follow along and practice what you learn.
Startup Playbook: Idea to Income
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm | SOVA Innovation Hub (South Boston, VA)
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 5:30pm-7pm | Cabiness Coaching & Consulting (South Hill, VA)
Have a business idea but aren’t sure what comes next? This beginner-friendly workshop will help you refine your idea, understand your customer, explore costs and revenue, and identify practical next steps.
Participants can also schedule a free one-on-one follow-up with a RISE Business Navigator for personalized guidance, resource connections, and support turning their idea into action.
Brunswick Entrepreneur Meetups
Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm | SPC4Life
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.
Build a Marketing Plan You Will Actually Use
Monday, November 16 , 2026 | 6pm-7:30pm | Online
When you’re running a business, marketing can easily become a long list of things you “should” be doing. This two-hour workshop with Letterpress Communications will help you cut through the noise and focus on what matters most: who you’re trying to reach, what you want to accomplish, what you need to say and where you need to show up. You’ll identify audiences, goals, key messages and marketing channels, then map out a manageable 90-day marketing plan you can actually use.
AI for Business: Practical Prompting for Everyday Work
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 5:30pm-7pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Learn how to write clearer, more effective prompts and get more useful results from AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot.
This practical workshop will teach you how to give AI clear instructions, provide the right context, improve responses, and check AI-generated work for accuracy. You’ll also learn what information to avoid sharing with AI tools.
During the session, you’ll create a prompt for a real task from your own work and learn how to turn it into a reusable template.
Finance Your Business with CIC
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 12pm-1:30pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Finance Your Business (FYB) is a hands-on series that moves entrepreneurs from ideas to true financial readiness. Participants build their businesses the way lenders evaluate them: grounded in validation, clear numbers, and solid planning. FYB is not a shortcut to funding. It is a pathway to confidence, clarity, and stronger capital conversations.
Emerging Tech Conference
Thursday, November 19 – Friday, November 20, 2026 | Hotel Roanoke
The Emerging Technology Conference brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, investors, and industry leaders to explore emerging technologies and opportunities shaping the future of business and innovation. The conference features engaging speakers, networking opportunities, and discussions on artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, healthcare innovation, agriculture, energy, and entrepreneurship.
This year’s conference will also feature the RAMP Up Pitch Showcase, highlighting innovative startups from the Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Innovation Accelerator powered by RISE and hosted at the SOVA Innovation Hub.
RISE Grapevine Virtual Meetup for Entrepreneurs
Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 12pm-1pm | Zoom
The RISE Grapevine Monthly Virtual Meetup brings together entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders from across Southern Virginia to build connections, share resources, and support business growth. This month, we’re celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day by highlighting the achievements, contributions, and impact of women entrepreneurs who are driving innovation, creating opportunities, and strengthening our regional economy.
Focus Friday
Friday, November 20, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm | SOVA Innovation Hub
Join us at the SOVA Innovation Hub for a free day of coworking! Enjoy a comfortable workspace, high-speed Wi-Fi, and coffee and donuts to start your Friday.
Space is limited, and registration is required. Use discount code SOVAIHDFP when booking to reserve your free day.
Upcoming Events Hosted by State Agencies
Intro to Selling to Virginia – Workshop #1
Wednesday, November 4, 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
Tuesday, November 10, 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)
Startup Strategies
Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 9am – 10am | Online
Learn the essentials of starting and building a successful business with Lin Hite, Longwood SBDC Western Region Director. This session will cover evaluating your entrepreneurial readiness, marketing, financial resources, business structure, business planning, and cybersecurity to help you build a strong foundation for your new venture.
How Mental Health Impacts the Bottom Line in the F&B Industry
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | 11am – 12pm | Online
The craft beverage industry can be rewarding, but long hours, demanding customers, and financial pressures can take a toll on mental health, affecting both employees and businesses.
Join Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden and Amber Smith, founder of Mise en Place Mental Health, for a conversation about mental health challenges in the industry and practical strategies businesses can use to support employee well-being and long-term success.
Featured Speaker: Amber Smith
Amber Smith is the founder of Mise en Place Mental Health and a Supervisee in Social Work. A former restaurant manager, she understands the pressures of working in the food and beverage industry. She holds a Master of Social Work and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and now helps service industry professionals manage anxiety, navigate challenges, and prioritize mental wellness.
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.