The West Virginia Center for Employee Ownership (“WVCEO”) was created in 2024 to help promote employee ownership in West Virginia through outreach and education. Located in the University of Charleston downtown Innovation Hub, The WVCEO is the 15th state center in the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (“EOX”) and the 23rd...
With the recent opening of the West Virginia Center for Employee Ownership (WVCEO), the network of State Centers for Employee Ownership now numbers 23. That makes fifteen new state centers EOX has helped launch since they were founded in 2019. See the map of State Centers...
A new $2.1 million opportunity through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions, called the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) Open Voucher Call, is making $100,000 vouchers available to the public. A select number of vouchers, which are redeemable at one of eight National Laboratories and...
The start-up business picture in West Virginia became even brighter today with the announcement from Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN) that it was naming Morgantown businessman Frank Vitale as its president. Recognized as the Mountain State’s first accredited angel network, CRAN was launched in late 2019, and now will have Vitale...
Starting a small business can be an exciting and fulfilling journey for many entrepreneurs. However, it comes with a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to finances. One crucial aspect of financial stability that can make or break your business is having a good credit score. A good credit...
Access to capital is a critical factor for the success of entrepreneurs, but traditional funding avenues have often presented challenges for many aspiring business owners, particularly those from marginalized communities. Fortunately, the Kauffman Foundation's recent report, "Access to Capital: Removing Barriers for Entrepreneurs 2023," offers insights into the current landscape...
The WV Small Business Development Center (SBDC) would like to remind any business who recently received federal SBIR/STTR funding that July 1st – 31st is one of only two windows of time annually to apply for potential State matching funds. This matching fund program is through the WV Entrepreneurship & Innovation...
Today's blog was submitted by Edgington Studio Co-Founder, Keegan Zacharie. Edgington Studio is a cut-and-sew apparel manufacturing studio based in Wheeling, WV. For most people starting a new business, there is one key question on their minds: how am I going to afford all of this? Costs, both expected and unexpected,...
We’ve all endured a high school award ceremony in a crowded gymnasium, where it seems that the same small group of whiz kids rake in all the trophies, certificates, and scholarships. Students at the Monongalia County Fair Supporting the Jumpstart Savings Program But as a former high school teacher, I often looked...
