– News from the River District Association –

News Release

Contact: Diana Schwartz, Executive Director
352-895-8898

For Immediate Release: August 22, 2022

 

River District Association hosts second “Start-Up Slam”, giving locals the opportunity to crowdfund money for great ideas

DANVILLE VA –

The River District Association (RDA) is excited to be hosting another session of “Start-Up Slam.” Modeled after a poetry slam, it is a fun community-oriented event where people share a meal, share creative business ideas, make new friends, and network with both creative people and people who support creative people!

The second Start-Up Slam will be on September 27th, 6 pm to 8 pm at The River District Event Center (136 S. Ridge Street).

Anyone in the community is invited to attend (reservation required, limit 100 people). For just $10 per person (cash only at the door), you can join other members of the community to have a simple meal – and share some of those great ideas that you keep thinking up. Anyone age 5 and up can share their good business idea. Children under 5 can attend at no cost but will not get to vote for their favorite idea.

Up to 15 participants at the event are welcome to share their ideas with the crowd (3-minute limit), and attendees will be able to vote on their favorite at the end of the evening. The top vote-getter takes home all the cash collected at the door – no strings attached! No business plans and no requirements, just you and your next great idea!

Those who wish to share their idea have the following guidelines:

• Ideas must be new business ideas (not yet established).
• Those who wish to share their idea will put their name in at the door.
• Up to 15 names will be drawn randomly to present (if more than 15 people put their name in, not all may be
able to present).
• Each presenter has 3 minutes to share one idea.

We encourage those planning to present to spread the word, bring friends and family, and be open to new connections!

“We want to make sure we have the tools in place to ‘grow our own’ business owners from inside our community” says Diana Schwartz, Executive Director of the River District Association, “and giving people an incentive to spend time thinking of – and sharing – good ideas will help people latch on to something that could one day turn into a very successful business. But the underlying purpose of the event is to connect community and give people real resources to see first-hand that they can create change in their lives right here in Danville.”

To reserve a seat, call the RDA office at 434-791-0210 or email alyssa@riverdistrictassociation.com and let us know you are coming. We look forward to hearing your great ideas!

The River District Association (RDA), formerly Downtown Danville Association, was formed in 1999 to coordinate efforts to revitalize the downtown Danville, Virginia community, now called the River District. Since 2016, RDA and the City of Danville have enjoyed accredited status under the National and Virginia Main Street Programs; the program and accreditation are recognized nationally as one of the most successful formulas for downtown revitalization.

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