RISE Business Navigator Program
The RISE Business Navigators connect entrepreneurs and existing businesses to specific resources and sectors of the entrepreneurial community to provide assistance on topics important to starting and running your business.
Keep reading to learn how your business can benefit from the RISE Business Navigators!
How can I meet with a RISE Business Navigator?
The RISE Business Navigators will be available to meet with you, however is best for you:
- By phone, video call, or in-person
- One-on-one for Introductory Meetings and ongoing Check-Ins
- One-on-one and small group mentoring through PUMP: Pull Up Mentoring Program
- Small groups for peer networking and camaraderie during RISE Office Hours and Industry Sector Groups
- Entrepreneur Workshops to build your skills to access capital, including key topics like financial operations, marketing, and digital technology
- Guidance on navigating the Regional Ecosystem Resource Map
Enroll Today
To receive free services from the RISE Business Navigator program, there is an easy enrollment process. Just email navigator@sovarise.com to get started!
Meet the RISE Business Navigators
Laura Coleman
RISE Business Navigator & Program Manager - Central/Southern Virginia
Office located at the SOVA Innovation Hub | Available to meet with entrepreneurs wherever you are in Halifax, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Amelia, Cumberland, Prince Edward, Buckingham, or Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville.
Fritz Amspacher
RISE Business Navigator - Central/Southern Virginia
Office located at the SOVA Innovation Hub | Available to meet with entrepreneurs wherever you are in Halifax, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Amelia, Cumberland, Prince Edward, or Buckingham Counties.
Le'Bryan Patterson
RISE Business Navigator - Western Region
Office located at the Dalton IDEA Center | Available to meet with entrepreneurs wherever you are in Patrick County, Henry County, or the City of Martinsville.
What is the RISE Business Navigator Program? Who will benefit from this program?
The RISE Business Navigator Program is designed to support entrepreneurs and businesses. “RISE” stands for Regional Investment in Startups and Entrepreneurs. Through this program, RISE partners will hire community-based Navigators, who understand the challenges and opportunities that exist for entrepreneurs across Southern Virginia. Each Navigator will focus on increasing access to capital for the entrepreneurs who are enrolled in the Navigator program.
Who will benefit from this program?
- You have an idea for a new business
- You own an existing business and are seeking to grow
- You are in need of sustainability or succession planning
- You have an innovative product with potential to scale
What type of support will RISE Regional Navigators provide?
The RISE Business Navigators will identify and build relationships with community organizations – trusted, culturally knowledgeable local groups and individuals – and will connect entrepreneurs and existing businesses to specific resources and sectors of the entrepreneurial community to provide assistance on topics including:
- financial assistance and access to capital
- contracting and procurement
- marketing, operations, business development, and exporting
- industry-specific training
- traded sector opportunity awareness
How is the RISE Business Navigator program different than the services provided by the SBDC?
Throughout Southern Virginia, entrepreneurs have access to Technical Assistance (TA) through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) through the Virginia SBDC and the Longwood SBDC. The Longwood SBDC’s Technical Assistance services include 1:1 consulting, presentations and outreach events, and live and on-demand training workshops, such as the monthly “Business Foundations” webinar offered as prerequisite to receive 1:1 business consulting. Access to a significant number of live and on-demand webinars is available through the Virginia SBDC. Through RISE, the LSBDC consultants will collaborate with the new RISE Regional Navigators through monthly RISE meetings.
The new Regional Navigator roles will provide entrepreneurs with individualized support throughout their business journey. They will focus on outreach networking and relationship building with 1) traded sector entrepreneurs and innovators and 2) collaboration with local and regional economic developers.
The Navigators will coordinate and collaborate with their local/regional LSBDC consultants, Chambers of Commerce, Main Street organizations, and economic developers to help increase the flow of resources to entrepreneurs. The Navigators will help support the twice a year gathering led by RISE of regional economic developers (January and June).
The Navigators will be responsible for grassroots relationship building and resource development through ecosystem mapping, i.e. finding innovators, entrepreneurs, resources, and sources of capital, and ecosystem building, i.e. connecting those entrepreneurs and innovators with each other and with the resources and capital needed to start, grow, and scaleup businesses.
Who should enroll in the RISE Business Navigator Program?
The RISE Business Navigator Program is intended to serve entrepreneurs and existing business owners in Southern Virginia localities included in GO Virginia Region 3: Halifax County, Mecklenburg County, Brunswick County, Lunenburg County, Charlotte County, Prince Edward County, Cumberland County, Buckingham County, Nottoway County, Amelia County, Pittsylvania County, Henry County, Patrick County, City of Danville, and City Martinsville.
Serving Growth-Oriented Entrepreneurs & Businesses in Southern Virginia
This program is intended to serve entrepreneurs and existing businesses in Southern Virginia localities included in GO Virginia Region 3: Halifax County, Mecklenburg County, Brunswick County, Lunenburg County, Charlotte County, Prince Edward County, Cumberland County, Buckingham County, Nottoway County, Amelia County, Pittsylvania County, Henry County, Patrick County, City of Danville, and City of Martinsville.
Thanks to our sponsors, RISE Collaborative’s Regional Navigator program is offered at no cost to entrepreneurs in Southern Virginia localities included in GO Virginia Region 3. The RISE Regional Navigator program is funded in part through a grant to the SOVA Innovation Hub made by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that strengthens and diversifies Virginia’s economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries.
