CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A network of entrepreneurship support organizations will bring thinkers and doers from across the state under one roof to build connections and discuss innovative trends in promoting and supporting entrepreneurship in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders Conference will take place Wednesday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. The conference will feature national and state speakers who will share emerging trends that support a diversified economy.
“There is an abundance of entrepreneurial resources throughout West Virginia,” said Bill Woodrum, director of Entrepreneurship at the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI), one of the event organizers. “By bringing these resources and organizations together under one roof, we hope to create an intentional holistic process to support entrepreneurs.”
Keynote speaker for the conference is Andy Stoll with the Kauffman Foundation. Stoll also will join Joe Kapp with the National Center for Resource Development and Mary Hunt of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation for a panel discussion on building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. The conference will feature breakout sessions on entrepreneurship funding opportunities; community entrepreneurship; educational entrepreneurship (K-12 & higher ed) and government’s role in entrepreneurship.
The breakout sessions will be followed by a discussion on breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship led by West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and Michelle Christian, the National Director of the Office of Rural Affairs at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The conference is sponsored by the Entrepreneur Ecosystem Builders, a network of 25 entities including state and federal agencies, K-12 and higher education, regulatory entities, financial institutions and public and private support organizations.
Tickets to the conference are $20 for individuals and $100 for a display table and admission for five individuals. Tickets can be purchased by registering at www.rcbi.org/go/eship. For more information, contact Bill Woodrum at [email protected].
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Media Note:
The members of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders are:
WV Secretary of State’s Office
WV Small Business Development Center
Small Business Administration
The WV Development Office
WV Department of Education
Marshall University
West Virginia University
National Center for Resource Development
Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI)
Tech Connect WV
Innova WV
WV Jobs Investment Trust, Country Roads Angel Network
The HIVE
AHM Marketing
Eastern WV CTC
Advantage Valley
Vantage Venture
The HUB
United Bank
Entre Ed
WV Forward
Monica Miller Consultants
Unlimited Future, Inc.
Natural Capital Investment Fund
Woodlands Group
