News & Stories for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Carl Bassfield Jr.
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Carl Bassfield Jr. From Freelance Photography to Full-Fledged Production CompanyCarl Bassfield Jr. established In-Depth Productions in 2019 with an iPhone and a wedding gig. “This isn’t the first business I’ve attempted to start,” said...
Natalie Hodge on Representation of Small Town Stories
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Entrepreneur Natalie K. Hodge, Founder of Rudy's Girl Media and HometownHustle.tvWhen you think of television and film, your brain automatically connects to the big stories coming out of LA, but it’s the small town stories that are the...
Amelia High Students Propose Entrepreneurial Solutions
Motivation, bonding, and satisfaction were all words used by students in Mrs. Dana Knott’s classroom this semester. This spring students participated in the CO.STARTERS Generator program offered through RISE Collaborative. Winning Team: Jacob...
Four entrepreneurs win $50,000 in the 2022 Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania Program
Four businesses in Danville and Pittsylvania County received funding for expansion(Danville, VA) The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) awarded four existing businesses with a total of $50,000 to assist in the expansion of their services. The...
Juneteenth celebrations growing in Southern Virginia
What is Juneteenth? “Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with...
Bridge to Recovery has Funding for Businesses in Southern Virginia
Was your business impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s hard to imagine a business owner who could answer that question with “no.” The Bridge to Recovery program was created in 2020 to help businesses in GO Virginia Region 3, which includes the following localities:...
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Michelle Walters on Scaling Small Business and Adapting to Opportunity
Michelle Walters, CEO of Island Glow, LLC, epitomizes the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship and innovation. Hers is the story of an entrepreneur who says yes, persisting and pivoting to scale her business incrementally. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs,...
Dan River Region Black Chamber of Commerce Hosts Inaugural Event as Stand Alone Organization SWaM Strong Spring Procurement Fair
Dan River Region Black Chamber of Commerce Hosts Inaugural Event as Stand Alone Organization SWaM Strong Spring Procurement Fair Danville, VA - The Dan River Region Black Chamber of Commerce (dba Black Business Collaborative-Dan River Region) launched with SWaM Strong...
RISE Collaborative Hosts Inaugural Collegiate Business Plan Competition Pitch Event
RISE Collaborative Hosts Inaugural Collegiate Business Plan Competition Pitch Event College students throughout Southern Virginia presented their business ideas for a chance at funding for their startupsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 29, 2022 SOUTH BOSTON, Va. – RISE...
Swimming through the SWaM Certification Process
SWaM (Small, Women, and Minority owned firms) certification is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use to grow your sales among state agencies, public colleges and universities, local municipalities. Even large, private sector firms like Dominion utilize...
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Morgan Clark’s Entrepreneurial Venture into Nonprofit Consulting
Morgan Epstein Clark is the founder and lead consultant of Epstein Clark Consulting, a professional services firm headquartered in Danville, Va., with customers in the Southern Virginia region. Epstein Clark Consulting offers customized consulting services to fit...
From Seed to Startup: Mikita Smith’s RISE to Business Owner
Our latest Rise & Shine virtual meetup featured entrepreneur and CO.STARTERS completer Mikita Smith, who learned later in her professional career the value of hitting “pause.” She now runs a business helping fellow professionals do just that. The founder of...
The big talent need for small business: How to attract and retain top talent
By Anne Jones, Co-Founder of District CI have a front row seat to meet, work with, and learn from some of the most talented young people I have ever met. This diverse group is ready to go and wants to be part of something, now. I also get to meet so many amazing small...
Inaugural SOVA Collegiate Business Plan Competition Brings Together Rising Leaders
By Jacob Dolence, Faculty at Longwood University Cormier Honors College What if an entire region came together to support its aspiring entrepreneurs? In its inaugural year, the SOVA Collegiate Business Plan Competition has accomplished just that. The atmosphere...
The Power of Opportunity Recognition with Rhett Weiss
From his first bulk mailing business in junior high to founding DEALTEK, Ltd. in 1999, Rhett Weiss has always been an entrepreneur. In fact, his journey has literally taken him around the globe. Now a seasoned executive and consultant, Weiss attributes much of his...
2022 Brunswick Business Innovation Initiative Kicks Off
This article written by Sylvia Allen was originally published on the Brunswick County Economic development website here. LAWRENCEVILLE – The 2022 Business Innovation Initiative was held recently for small business owners to launch the Merchant Assistance Program. The...
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities: How SERCAP Can Assist You with Your Small Business
In RISE Collaborative’s latest RISE & SHINE virtual meetup, Brian Brown from Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. (SERCAP) shared how his organization provides entrepreneurs technical assistance to start and grow their businesses. Founded in 1969,...
From CO.STARTERS to Grand Opening: Liberty Hollow Sweets’ Recipe for Success in Downtown Blackstone
On December 15, 2021, Nottoway County celebrated its newest Main Street business with a ribbon cutting event for Liberty Hollow Sweets in downtown Blackstone. Jeannie Nelson, owner, completed our CO.STARTERS Core program earlier in 2021 as part of the Downtown...
From Ideas to Implementation: How GENEDGE Partnerships Can Support the RISE Collaborative Network
Not sure about marketing strategy? Wondering about technological solutions or creative ways to attract and retain employees? Small businesses owners face complex questions on a daily basis. Enter GENEDGE, a resource enabling Virginia companies to innovate, compete,...
RISE Collaborative Collegiate Business Plan Competition Launches with Local Support
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Rebecca Stimson: (434) 533-5136 or hello@sovarise.com RISE Collaborative Collegiate Business Plan Competition Launches with Local Support College students with a desire to start a business in Southern Virginia will compete for $10,000 in prize...
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.
