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ARC NEWS ROUNDUP | NOVEMBER 9, 2017 | VOLUME 2, ISSUE 45
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Owners of Elevate Elixirs, an organic Kombucha company based in West Virginia, showcase their products at the WV Good Jobs Conference. The company won first place in the manufacturing category at the conference’s business plan pitch competition.
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Good Jobs in West Virginia
“Entrepreneurship isn't just for Silicon Valley. It's for Appalachia," said Earl Gohl, speaking this week at the first annual WV Good Jobs Conference. More than 200 entrepreneurs, funders, business accelerators, local community leaders, and government agencies came together in Beckley, West Virginia to trade ideas, recognize leading entrepreneurs, and to provide mentorship and support to local entrepreneurs. Hosted by Strong Mountain Communities, a branch of the Coalfield Development Corporation, the conference built on the group’s work to nurture job creation, sustainable economic development, and diversification in the southern coalfields of West Virginia.
A highlight of the conference was The WV Good Jobs Business Plan Competition, which offered an opportunity for small business owners or budding entrepreneurs interested in growing or starting a business to earn seed funding. The competition started with 90 applications from a wide range of sectors. Those were whittled down to 15 entrepreneurs who pitched their ideas to conference attendees in five business categories likely to play a role in the future of southern West Virginia’s economic future. Solar Wind Storage LLC won in the STEM category; Roadside Farms won in the Agriculture and Natural Resources category; Elevate Elixirs won in the Manufacturing category; Homeward Bound Books won in the Lifestyle and Innovation category; and Stages Music School won in the Community Impact category. Winners in each category received awards of $10,000, with second and third place entrepreneurs taking home $5,000 and $2,000, respectively, to fund their business idea.
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During a dedication event for The Meen Center for Science and Math, visitors had the opportunity to look into a biology class in the new academic building at Tusculum College.
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Science and Math Education Has New Home in Tennessee
Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee, recently dedicated its new Meen Center for Science and Math. The 100,000 square foot building features laboratory and learning spaces for multiple academic programs across the sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, and health sciences. ARC, with support from the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD), assisted the College in purchasing instructional equipment, like computers, freezers, a distilled water system, calorimeters, and ophthalmoscopes, to enhance these academic programs. This new equipment will expose students to resources and technical skills in industry. ARC funds were also used to purchase state-of-the-art distance learning equipment that will enable courses at the main campus in Greeneville to be broadcast to satellite campuses in Knoxville and Morristown, opening up these learning opportunities to more students across eastern Tennessee. Tusculum College's vision and mission to graduate students and meet workforce demands fits into TNECD’s Drive to 55 and Tennessee Promise initiatives.
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Angel Fund For Helping Early Stage, High Growth Firms In Area Announced, Wilkes Journal-Patriot, Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Career Tech Receives ARC Money, Times Daily, Florence, Alabama
MSU Receives Nearly $400,000 For SOAR STEM, The Morehead News, Morehead, Kentucky
Leader Hired To Coach Southern Entrepreneurs, Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, West Virginia
Giving Kentucky’s Young People a Reason to Stay, Yes! Magazine
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The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) is now accepting session proposals for its 2018 Annual Conference and for its 2018 Annual Professional Development Conference. The deadline in December 1st. Learn more
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