About
About the SOVA
Innovation Hub
The SOVA Innovation Hub is a place to learn, work, and grow.
The SOVA Innovation Hub is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization driving collaboration and creating opportunities for people in Southern Virginia to learn new skills and discover new career pathways.
Located in downtown South Boston, Virginia, the SOVA Innovation Hub is a regional destination, offering a coworking space, meeting spaces, workshops, and events.
MISSION:
The mission of the SOVA Innovation Hub is to spark economic transformation in Southern Virginia by inspiring people to pursue entrepreneurship and digital skills.
Discover what the SOVA Innovation Hub offers:
Engage with Programs and Events
The SOVA Innovation Hub partners with local and global organizations to provide opportunities for you to start or grow your own business, grow your network at events, learn new skills, launch a new career, and make positive change in your community.
Visit Us in South Boston, Virginia
We offer multiple meeting spaces and a coworking space offering private offices and flex workspaces. Step into the Microsoft Experience Center to experience some of Microsoft’s latest technology.
LOCATION & HISTORY
The SOVA Innovation Hub is a vibrant, 15,000-square-foot facility in Halifax County, Virginia, designed to spark innovation and collaboration. Featuring modern meeting spaces, a coworking space, and the Microsoft Experience Center, the hub sits on the historic site of the former Planters Warehouse, which burned down in 2002. It’s part of a bold effort to revitalize downtown South Boston, Virginia, which is anchored by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC), The Prizery, and the SVHEC Innovation Center on one end, and the SOVA Innovation Hub on the other. The SOVA Innovation Hub began with a feasibility study in 2018, followed by groundbreaking and construction in 2019. Construction was completed in late 2020, and the coworking space officially opened in early 2021.
Founding Partners
The SOVA Innovation Hub was established through a collaborative effort by founding partners Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) and Microsoft, with critical support from GO Virginia.
In 2017, Microsoft Philanthropies launched the Microsoft TechSpark program to drive job creation and digital transformation, selecting Southern Virginia as a pilot region, including Mecklenburg, Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg, and Brunswick counties. In 2018, the SOVA Innovation Hub was designated as the Microsoft TechSpark Virginia Signature Project. Today, Microsoft is a lead partner for SOVA Innovation Hub programs and is an anchor tenant, with the Microsoft Experience Center and the Microsoft TechSpark Virginia office located at the SOVA Innovation Hub.
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) played a key role in creating the SOVA Innovation Hub by envisioning the project and leading its development, aligning with MBC’s mission to drive economic development and reinvest in the communities it serves. As an anchor tenant, MBC relocated its corporate headquarters to the SOVA Innovation Hub which has supported MBC’s growth, job creation, and talent retention. Additionally, MBC staff provide administrative and programmatic support to help the hub fulfill its mission.
GO Virginia Region 3 contributed to the early stages of the SOVA Innovation Hub’s development by funding a feasibility study for the project. This study brought together an advisory committee of leaders from across the TechSpark Virginia region, who collaborated to refine the building’s design and identify focus areas for its initial programs, ensuring alignment with regional needs and priorities.