RISE Collaborative connects entrepreneurs with resources to start and grow businesses
RISE offers the following to Southern Virginia entrepreneurs and innovators
Entrepreneur Resources
Find resources in your locality for entrepreneurs and small businesses
Meetups & Events
Grow your network and build your business at RISE meetups and events
Programs for New & Growing Businesses
Programs to help guide your entrepreneurship journey towards your business goals
Student & Educator Programs
Programs for students and educators to help build entrepreneurial mindset
If you are starting or growing a business in Southern Virginia, we welcome you to become a part of RISE Collaborative, a connected, vibrant ecosystem where EVERY entrepreneur can find resources, access capital, and succeed.
RISE Collaborative brings together makers, entrepreneurs, and innovators of all backgrounds, interests, and experiences from across our region to support the growth of entrepreneurship and innovation in Southern Virginia. Through our programs, events, and network, you’ll gain a supportive community of peers, direct access to business resource providers, dynamic training and skill-building content, and value-added networking opportunities.
Learn more about RISE Collaborative, its mission, resources, and events by visiting the website
Founding and Supporting Partners
The SOVA Innovation Hub Corporation serves as a coordinating entity for the Regional Entrepreneurship & Innovation Initiative for GO Virginia Region 3.
RISE Collaborative is the Regional E&I Initiative for GO Virginia Region 3.
Background
In 2019, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) secured a grant in partnership with Longwood University’s Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) to develop a regional entrepreneurship and innovation (REI) investment strategy for GO Virginia Region 3 in Southern Virginia. The resulting strategy, shaped by community engagement and best practices, was officially adopted by the GO Virginia Region 3 Council in October 2020. Concurrently, MBC, in collaboration with Microsoft TechSpark, established the SOVA Innovation Hub to foster digital skills and entrepreneurship in the region. In November 2020, MBC partnered with Longwood’s OCED again, this time through the SOVA Innovation Hub, to apply for an implementation grant, which was approved by the GO Virginia State Board in March 2021. The SOVA Innovation Hub’s mission to cultivate digital skills and entrepreneurship in Southern Virginia made it an ideal partner for the implementation project. The implementation, which began in April 2021 and is ongoing, aims to create training pipelines, increase capital access, and convene Southern Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster an innovation-driven economy.