Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast
Entrepreneurship on the RISE, hosted by RISE Collaborative, tells the story of change-makers to advance the knowledge for rural ecosystem building. In each episode of this limited series, co-hosts Lauren Mathena and Jacob Dolence speak with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and small-business owners, and change-makers for rural ecosystem building in Southern Virginia and across the country to hear how they are building up their local communities.
Featured Guests
Michael Scales
Longwood SBDC Business Consultant
Taylor Sanders Grande & Margaret Hedderman
Startup Colorado
Natalie Hodge
Founder and Owner of Rudy’s Girl Media
Tad Deriso
MBC & SOVA Innovation Hub
Recent Episodes
Sheri McGuire on The Ever-Evolving Nature of Rural Ecosystem Building
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Sheri McGuire of Longwood UniversityYou can't control an entrepreneurial ecosystem. It has its own form, its own life. It's the magic that happens when certain things and people come together. On episode 10 of the Entrepreneurship on...
Baylie Evans on Generating Investment in Rural Entrepreneurs
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Baylie Evans, gBETA Managing Director at gener8torWhat every ecosystem needs is a connector that builds this vast network of open doors for more and more people to access different people and resources they were never able to before....
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....
Tad Deriso on Getting Connected within your Region
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Tad Deriso of Mid-Atlantic Broadband & SOVA Innovation Hub Connectivity is a key consideration when it comes to bringing new people, businesses, and job markets to the region and MBC works to do just that. That’s why episode...
Bret Carpenter on Bridging the Resource Gaps in Rural Communities
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Bret Carpenter of Reinventing Rural Rural communities are so often left behind, but if we work to bridge the resource gap and empower these communities to work together for the common good, we can change the region as a whole. This...
Michael Scales on A Lifetime of Ecosystem Building
Ecosystem Builder Interview with Michael Scales, Small Business ConsultantOne of the most important considerations in economic development is securing those opportunities for generational wealth and development. Today’s guest is a perfect example of someone that not...
About the Hosts
Our podcast is a real-time reflection of the behind-the-scenes and everyday conversations happening among entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, and small-business resource providers in our region and around the country. Hosts Lauren Mathena and Jacob Dolence interview interesting people leading equity-driven entrepreneurship and innovation movements in small towns in Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming, and Minnesota. Stay tuned – we have been completing lots of interviews and can’t wait to share our guests’ stories and expertise with you!
HOST | Lauren Mathena
Growing up in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Lauren has lived in Danville, Charlottesville, and Richmond, Virginia and in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Today she develops entrepreneurship and digital skills programs for the SOVA Innovation Hub in her role at Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation. She brings experience as an entrepreneurial project manager, knowledge of the region, and 15+ years in community engagement to her work as an ecosystem builder with RISE Collaborative.
HOST | Jacob Dolence
A native of Wyoming, Jacob worked in higher education entrepreneurship centers in Flagstaff, Arizona and at West Virginia University before joining the faculty at Longwood University in the Cormier Honors College for Citizen Scholars. In addition to teaching freshman and senior level honors courses in social entrepreneurship, Jacob is a lead facilitator for CO.STARTERS powered by RISE Collaborative. Still relatively new to Virginia, Jacob Dolence brings fresh eyes and an abundance of experience to his role as an ecosystem builder with RISE Collaborative.