hosted Tech on Tour in South Boston, Virginia on Thursday, February 23, 2023. The event was co-hosted and sponsored by the SOVA Innovation Hub, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) and Microsoft. Themed

In celebration of February being National Career and Technical Education Month®, the event included a panel to share perspectives on career technical education. The panel consisted of Holly Elliott, Microsoft Data Center; Jerry Shelton, Microsoft Data Center; Ryland Clark, Hitachi and RCFlyBy; Dr. Scott Lowman, Institute and Advanced Learning Research; Rebecca Saunders, Halifax County Public Schools; Dr. Brian Jackson, Virginia Economic Development Partnership. 

The panel was moderated by Jeremy Satterfield, Microsoft TechSpark Program Manager and Board Member of the Southern Piedmont Technology Council.

Attendees were encouraged to bring their children, thanks to STEM activities being provided by Building Buddies.

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Southern Piedmont Technology Council is a member-based organization that advocates for the importance of the need for the region to invest in technology.

If you are interested in joining the SPTC and being a part of raising awareness to enable the region to accommodate the changing way of doing business and also to evolve please visit https://www.sptc-va.org/membership/.

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Links mentioned in this post:

• Southern Piedmont Technology Council
• Southern Virginia Education Center
• ProductWorks @ SVHEC
• SOVA Innovation Hub
• MBC
• Microsoft Experience Center
• Building Buddies
• Holly Elliott LinkedIn Profile
• Jerry Shelton LinkedIn Profile
• Ryland Clark LinkedIn Profile
• Dr. Scott Lowman LinkedIn Profile
• Rebecca Saunders LinkedIn Profile
• Dr. Brian Jackson LinkedIn Profile

The post Tech on Tour in South Boston appeared first on SOVA Innovation Hub.

Holley Lewis is a coworking member at the SOVA Innovation Hub.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Holley Lewis, who utilizes the coworking space at the SOVA Innovation Hub to work remotely when she is not traveling to her home office or visiting customers. Holley works for Trane Technologies as a Senior Systems Account Manager. She is an active member of the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Board of Directors and as a Halifax Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (HYPE) committee member. She most recently dedicated her time to conducting mock interviews with Halifax County High School seniors to prepare them for the business sector.

Holley uses her dedicated desk to get work done at the SOVA Innovation Hub.

Can you tell us about your reason(s) for seeking out our coworking space? What problems were you trying to solve? What was the solution like once you experienced the coworking space?

• HYPE (Halifax Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs)
• Board of Directors for the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce
• Community Strategic Plan Implementation Committee

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Tyler Nutter, Manager of NAPA Auto Parts South Boston and Clarksville Auto Supply

August 17, 2022

We hope you enjoy this interview with Tyler Nutter, who is currently using the SOVA Innovation Hub coworking space to focus on his work for the NAPA Store Technology Council. As a manager in his family-owned business that is part of a global auto parts distribution network, Tyler flexes his entrepreneurial mindset with the RISE Collaborative and is an active member of the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and the work that you do?

Answer:  I am a 24-year-old from Southside Virginia. During my free time, I like to vacation with my wife Hayli and spend time with friends and family. I am a manager involved in sales and operations for our family-owned NAPA AUTO PARTS group with stores in Clarksville and South Boston, Virginia. NAPA AUTO PARTS stores are independently owned, not franchises, which means we get the freedom of total ownership and the benefits of the NAPA brand. I am also a part of the NAPA Store Technology Council for NAPA headquarters and currently working on a technology project.

Tyler Nutter uses the coworking space for virtual meetings

What is your personal why for the work you do? Has your career path been surprising? 

Answer: Being a part of a business that my grandparents started in 1974 was always what I wanted to do. My career path has definitely been surprising. Even though I’ve worked for the business since high school, I didn’t necessarily anticipate becoming a manager so early in my career. As a teenager, I started as a warehouse associate and then worked in counter sales. I received my associates degree from Southside Virginia Community College through a dual enrollment program offered by my high school and started full-time with NAPA in 2016. We expanded to South Boston in 2017, and I became the manager of the new South Boston location in 2018. It has been challenging, but with a great team we have been able to succeed.

How do you use technology in your work?

Answer: I use technology every day, from our point-of-sale system, back office system, warehouse management system, delivery management system, RF scanners, etc. I am also involved in technology systems of the future for NAPA, which is very exciting.

Can you tell us about your experience with our coworking space?

Answer: The day-to-day environment at the store is very fast-paced with lots of energy and excitement, which is great. But the project I am working on with the NAPA Store Technology team requires a great deal of concentration with Microsoft Teams meetings, phone calls, research assignments, documenting processes, etc. The coworking space couldn’t have been a better solution. It is exactly what I needed. I will always recommend this space to others. It is very convenient with great amenities. The phone/video booths are great for extended conversations and meetings that require a lot of talking.

Tyler Nutter (bottom left) and the NAPA Richmond DC team helping with an inventory upgrade project at South Boston NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

If you could go back in time and share one piece of advice with younger you, what would it be?

Answer: When we first opened our South Boston store, I was worried about having other competitors in town. I’ve learned not to worry about the competition. Instead, we focus on what makes us different. We have really knowledgeable staff who serve our wholesale and retail customers, combined with the NAPA brand and distribution system.  When you shop at NAPA, you can actually talk to your local store owner, and that really matters to customers.

More Information

NAPA stocks over 6,000 stores with over 500,000 auto parts, tools and equipment, and many other items for heavy-duty trucks, marine, and farming equipment. Clarksville Auto Supply owns two NAPA AUTO PARTS stores – their original Clarksville Auto Supply store at 109 7th Street in Clarksville, VA and the South Boston NAPA Auto Parts store at 1407 Wilborn Ave, South Boston, VA, which can be found here on Facebook.

Connect with Tyler Nutter on LinkedIn.

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Meet Brian Rowland-Loftis

Brian Rowland-Loftis is a Halifax, Virginia native and a self-taught entrepreneur that has always dreamed of travelling and owning his own business. He travelled across the United States for years as a cellular tower technician; when he was laid off, he settled down in Florida and decided it was time to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. He spent a few years teaching himself about business, marketing, and advertising while working as a digital marketing director for several other marketing agencies. Brian says he noticed “most agencies had no idea how to get results from clients” which led to wasted money and frustrated clients who believed digital marketing just “doesn’t work” for their business. In 2011 he decided he could do things differently, and a whole lot better – it was time to start his own business.  

At the beginning, Brian would often work 16+ hours a day.  “It was rough,” Brian said. “However, I realized digital marketing was my calling in life…so I pushed through every day.” He is deeply passionate about his business and feels such a sense of accomplishment when his clients get the results their business deserves.  

When asked what he is most proud of, Brian describes how difficult and rewarding the entrepreneurial journey can be.  

“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Growing up in a hard-working, blue-collar family taught me a lot. It taught me that in order to get what you want out of life, you not only have to work for it, you have to be willing to be the hardest worker in the room. And then some. You often have to be willing to sacrifice precious time with family and friends, which I did a lot of unfortunately. And surprisingly, I managed to do all of this without a high school diploma or college degree (I do have a GED).” 

Luckily, he has a great support system in his wife, Shannon Rowland-Loftis, and lots of family to lean on in Halifax, Virginia. When he and his wife moved back to Halifax, Brian decided it was time to scale and grow Ad Nerds Media. He started by working only with a select group of larger, national clients, but has been developing relationships with small businesses as well. The goal is the same – “to help business grow and scale to a level beyond their wildest expectations” – and the motivation is still there, even after 10 years of being in business. Brian is a strong believer in going above and beyond to help clients and deliver results. This philosophy is one he shares with Tim VanAernem, his brother-in-law and Director of Sales for Ad Nerds Media.  

Meet Tim VanAernem

Tim VanAernem was born in Upstate New York and made his way to South Boston in 1998 to chase his career in law enforcement – he retired in early 2021 after 26 years of service to his community. In law enforcement Tim says he developed abilities that lend themselves well to working as Director of Sales for Ad Nerds Media – good communication skills, interview techniques, and his innate ability to relate with people and make them feel welcome. His entrepreneurial mindset has allowed him to switch career fields immediately start working with Brian.

Tim’s personal mission is to lead by example and always treat people the way he would want to be treated. When he needs help, he turns to God, his family, and close friends. His son Landon is what he is most proud of.  

Tim describes one of the great things about Ad Nerds as the fact that they are “not located in the corporate setting” elaborating that “with just Brian and I, we feel as though we bring a personal experience to our customers that can be lost in today’s business world. Each one of our customers are unique and have different challenges to make their business successful. We are willing and able to adapt to those needs.”  

A great entrepreneur, says Tim, is someone that is “willing to take a chance on another” and can look past society’s standard or perception. More importantly, his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to remember that honesty and integrity are everything, and that sometimes, the important thing is not what you know but who you go to for advice and answers.  

Learning Never Stops 

Both Brian and Tim acknowledge the importance of continuing to learn. Brian commits to reading books on a variety of topics (he’s read 200+ in the last few years), and Tim says it is important to take advice and constructive criticism on the way to becoming an entrepreneur! 

Contact Ad Nerds Media

A big “thank you” to Brian and Tim for sharing their journeys with us here on the blog.  If you want to check out Ad Nerds Media for yourself, visit their website: https://adnerdsmedia.com/ or give Tim a shout: tim@adnerdsmedia.com or (434) 333-6970. And, send hello@sovainnovationhub.com an email if you want to be Ad Nerds Media’s neighbor at the SOVA Innovation Hub.  

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