Celebrating 5 Years of Community & Coworking
On February 1, 2021, the SOVA Innovation Hub officially opened its doors at 715 Wilborn Avenue. In February 2026, we are celebrating five years of community, connection, and the people who have made this space feel like more than just a place to work.
The SOVA Innovation Hub was created to be a place to learn, work, and grow. Over time, it has become a place where people build businesses, try new ideas, host meetings, learn skills, and form real relationships. It is where work feels less isolating and community feels natural.
Located in downtown South Boston, Virginia, the Hub is a 15,000 square foot facility in Halifax County built on the site of the former Planters Warehouse, which burned down in 2002. What was once an empty space is now part of downtown revitalization and community innovation. Alongside partners like the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, The Prizery, and ProductWorks@SVHEC, the SOVA Innovation Hub helps make downtown South Boston a rural technology hub focused on learning, creativity, and opportunity.
The idea for the Hub began with a feasibility study in 2018, followed by groundbreaking in 2019. Construction wrapped up in late 2020, and in early 2021, the doors officially opened. The Hub was established through a partnership between Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation and Microsoft, with support from GO Virginia and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, all with the shared goal of creating new opportunities for people in Southern Virginia.
Our mission is to spark economic transformation in Southern Virginia by inspiring people to pursue entrepreneurship and digital skills. In real life, that mission shows up in conversations in the coworking space, introductions made between members, meetings that turn into partnerships, gatherings that inspire action, and people realizing they do not have to build businesses or careers alone.
That sense of community is what keeps people coming back. As coworking member and founder of CAREfully Anchored, Tiffany Ferrell, shared in a recent interview with WDBJ7,“Being in this rural area, I live way out in the county, so I don’t have access to high-speed internet. So that was what brought me here. But what kept me here was the people and how much of a community we built just in this space. We’re a community, and then we go out into the community together. So, I love that togetherness,”
Since opening, more than 3,000 people have walked through the doors of the SOVA Innovation Hub. Our first Community Manager, Rebecca Stimson, coordinated the building opening and established a community even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when connection mattered more than ever. When Rebecca transitioned to an occupational safety role with Presto, the SOVA Innovation Hub searched for its new Community Manager. In June 2022, Mallory Lawter stepped into the role and continues to focus on making the Hub a welcoming, relationship-centered space.
“We are truly building a community here for business owners, remote workers, innovators, and doers,” Mallory shares. “I love getting to know our coworkers, hearing about their work, and learning about their lives. Even when people relocate, change jobs, or retire, many of those relationships last. I have met some of the best people through the Hub, and I would not have had those connections without this space.”
Today, the SOVA Innovation Hub is a coworking space with daily passes and monthly memberships. It is also a meeting and training space used for everything from business meetings and workshops to baby showers, holiday ornament exchanges, and garden club gatherings. The Spark meeting room is often used for small off-site meetings and team conversations. Above all, it is a space that belongs to the community and grows with the people who use it.
To celebrate five years as a coworking community, we would truly love to see you at one of our anniversary events this month.
On Tuesday, February 24, join us for Pancakes and Productivity. Help us celebrate with pancakes and a free daily coworking pass. Short-stacked mini pancakes will be available for purchase from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with free coworking beginning at 8:30 AM. You can also enter to win a free month of coworking. This event is open to the public and is a great way to get a feel for the space.
On Wednesday, February 25, stop by for our 5-Year Anniversary Open House from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Enjoy a free day of coworking beginning at 8:30 AM, take a tour of the Hub, preview renderings of our new building, connect with members and staff, and enjoy giveaways throughout the day.
Whether you stay for a few minutes, an hour, or the whole day, we would genuinely love to welcome you. If you have ever been curious about coworking, wondered what happens inside the SOVA Innovation Hub, or simply want to help us celebrate five years, this is the perfect time to stop by.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. We cannot wait to celebrate with you and continue building what comes next, together.