News & Stories for Entrepreneurs
RISE Collaborative Opens Registration for March 2023 Business Pitch Competition
$15,000 in prizes available for competition winners FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (January 23, 2022) – Cash prizes, feedback from business consultants and networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs await participants in the RISE Collaborative 2023...
Entrepreneurial Energy: Revisiting the Inaugural CO.STARTERS Cohort in Blackstone, Virginia
Entrepreneurial Energy: Revisiting the Inaugural CO.STARTERS Cohort in Blackstone, Virginia Historic Southern Virginia Town Reaping Benefits of Entrepreneurship Training Program In April 2021, an entrepreneurial movement started in Blackstone, Virginia. That spring,...
CO.STARTERS Business Bootcamp Application Closes December 13
RISE Collaborative CO.STARTERS Business Bootcamp Application Closes December 13 RISE Collaborative offers free business training program for aspiring & existing entrepreneurs SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (December 8, 2022) – Registration is currently open for the Winter 2023...
A New Era of Entrepreneurship Emerges in Brunswick County, Virginia
Businesses in Brunswick County are gaining momentum. Over the past several years, partnerships with RISE Collaborative, the SOVA Innovation Hub and the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) have spurred entrepreneurship and development in a county that had...
Startup & Grow Martinsville-Henry County Business Bootcamp Applications Available for Winter/Spring 2023
MARTINSVILLE, VA (December 2, 2022) - The Martinsville-Henry County of Chamber of Commerce's ("The Chamber") Chamber Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) is launching its application process for Startup and Grow Martinsville-Henry County (Startup MHC and Grow MHC)...
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Learn How to Apply for Community Investment Collaborative Loan Funds
On November 30, 2022, Stephen Davis of the Community Investment Collaborative joined our RISE Collaborative online meetup. He shared his expertise on how to prepare for loan applications and how to apply for loan funds from the Community Investment Collaborative. The...
Virginia Enterprise Zone Grants and How to Apply
On October 19, 2022, Kate Pickett Irving of Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development joined our RISE Collaborative online meetup to share her expertise on Virginia Enterprise Zone job creation and real property investment grants. Watch the video or...
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2022 Recap from Southern Virginia
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is celebrated annually with events hosted across the United States and around the world. This year, GEW was the week of November 14-20, 2022. Below is a summary of events held to celebrate entrepreneurship throughout the Southern...
Registration Opens for CO.STARTERS Business Bootcamp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brandon HennesseyLongwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC)434-395-2752hello@sovarise.com Lauren Mathena SOVA Innovation Hub434-570-1305hello@sovarise.com Registration opens for CO.STARTERS Business Bootcamp RISE...
Global Entrepreneurship Week in Southern Virginia
Contact: Jessica Edwards, Dan River Region Entrepreneur EcosystemEmail: jess@danriverecosystem.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK IN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA Southern Virginia to showcase our entrepreneurial ecosystem. Dan River Region, Va....
Lake Country Development Loan Funds and How to Apply
Deborah Gosney, Executive Director of the Southside Planning District Commission, joined RISE to tell the RISE community about the Lake Country Development Corporation's loan funds and what organizations need to apply. Watch the video or read below for more...
River District Association hosts second “Start-Up Slam”
- News from the River District Association -News Release Contact: Diana Schwartz, Executive Director352-895-8898 For Immediate Release: August 22, 2022 River District Association hosts second “Start-Up Slam”, giving locals the opportunity to crowdfund money for...
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Ally Barfield (RV Mom in Pink)
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Ally Barfield From Artist to Entrepreneur “It only takes one percent of action to start turning a dream into a reality,” Ally Barfield, the owner of RV Mom in Pink, explains as she reflects on her own growth over the last year. The...
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jan Daniel (Taa Daa the Bakery)
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jan Daniel Turning a Lifelong Passion into a Full-Fledged BusinessIf experience is the best teacher, Jan Daniel is well-schooled. The self-made entrepreneur and owner of Taa Daa the Bakery in Blackstone, Va., spent decades treating her passion...
Hometown Hustle returns
This article by Monique Holland was originally published on the Martinsville Bulletin here. MARTINSVILLE, VA – Natalie Hodge’s second season of “Hometown Hustle” is double what last year’s first season was, both in length of episodes and numbers of participants. The...
Kim King shares tips on building your business credit
On May 18, 2022, guest speaker Kim King of Benchmark Community Bank shared information about how your personal credit score impacts getting a small business loan. She shares tips on building, repairing, and monitoring your credit.It just takes time and effort,...
New Innovation Hub to cultivate entrepreneurship, bolster business development in Farmvillle region
Original article published August 24, 2022 by Longwood University at https://www.longwood.edu/news/2022/new-innovation-hub/ In the coming years, these scenes will become typical in Farmville: college students from Longwood, Hampden-Sydney and Southside Virginia...
Chandra Hurst shares how the Economic Equity Fund provides small business loans
On August 17, 2022, RISE Collaborative hosted a Rise& Shine Virtual Meetup with guest speaker Chandra Hurst of Virginia Community Capital. Hurst shared information about the Economic Equity Fund. Watch the video replay to learn more. Apply for Loan Funding...
Warren Reid on Present, Community-Centered Leadership
Interview with Warren Reid, Owner of The Reid Executive Group Not everyone has the privilege to travel the world so it is even more important for the ones that can to bring some of that knowledge and perspective back to their small towns for the greater benefit....
RISE Collaborative serves entrepreneurs in the following 15 localities in Virginia:
Patrick, Henry, Martinsville, Danville, Pittsylvania, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, Buckingham, Amelia, Nottoway, and Cumberland. Questions? Contact our team at hello@sovarise.com.
