Chris Lassiter
Staunton Black Business Collective
A group of community stakeholders has organized to help grow Black business in Staunton. The Staunton Black Business Collective was...
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SCCF Blog
Anika Horn
Apr 9
The Shenandoah Valley Ecosystem: Addressing key issues to entrepreneurial success
Four insights from the first Regional Coalition work session of 2024 Twice a year, the SCCF Ecosystem team convenes the Regional...
Ashley Wenger
Mar 17
The marketing dilemma for small business owners
With ever-changing trends and AI technology coming onto the scene, it’s increasingly more difficult for business owners to learn...
Anika Horn
Jan 15
Building the ecosystem for underserved entrepreneurs in the Valley
Reviewing two years of the Community Navigator Pilot Program From December 2021 to November 2023, a consortium of six entrepreneurial...
Anika Horn
Nov 13, 2023
Beyond networking: Engaging the Shenandoah Valley ecosystem
The Shenandoah Valley is not short of networking events for business owners. Thanks to a robust network of Chambers of Commerce and...
Nick Koger
Nov 13, 2023
Marketing, farms, and AI, oh my! Field notes from the ecosystem
What the Ecosystem team has been up to During the month of October Anika and Nick were busy gathering entrepreneurs and attending...
Katie Overfield-Zook
Nov 6, 2023
Why Entrepreneurship Summit?
The value of convening entrepreneurs The second annual Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit was a dynamic gathering of business...
Anika Horn
Oct 13, 2023
Suggesting solutions: Field notes from the ecosystem
What the Ecosystem team has been up to Now that summer is over our Ecosystem team - Nick and Anika - have been zipping across the Valley...
Jessica Bond
Oct 2, 2023
Teaming up with the NAACP
This past summer, SCCF partnered with the NAACP and People Inc. to facilitate our Business Bootcamp entrepreneurship program for Black...
Anika Horn
Sep 11, 2023
Continuing conversations: Field notes from the ecosystem
As summer came to a close, the Ecosystem team continued their conversations around access to capital in the Shenandoah Valley and caught...
Katie Overfield-Zook
Sep 5, 2023
Are you ready for Capacitor?
Introducing SCCF’s newest program: Capacitor. The Capacitor Incubator Program is a hybrid incubation model for entrepreneurs with...
Katie Overfield-Zook
Aug 30, 2023
What does it mean to be 'scalable?'
In the entrepreneur world, you hear a lot of buzzwords thrown around. Words like "scalable, high-growth, venture capital, accelerator,...
Anika Horn
Aug 14, 2023
Simplifying the landscape: Field notes from the ecosystem
Amidst the warmth of July, our Ecosystem Team remained relentless in their pursuit of finding funding avenues for entrepreneurs, while...
Anika Horn
Jul 13, 2023
Finding funding: Field notes from the ecosystem
Throughout June, the SCCF ecosystem builders connected with the Shenandoah Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem in different ways: SCCF...
Katie Overfield-Zook
Jul 7, 2023
The Power of Partnerships
Sometimes the best partnerships come from completely random interactions. Last fall, after registering for SCCF’s Business Bootcamp, one...
Anika Horn
Jun 13, 2023
Listening and learning: Field notes from the ecosystem
In May, here’s what our Ecosystem Team got up to: 9 meetings with ecosystem accomplices 10 conversations with entrepreneurs 2 trainings...
Ashley Wenger
May 31, 2023
PRIDE 2023: Resources and Events for LGBTQIA+ Founders
Happy PRIDE Month! In June of 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, NYC. The brutal raid...
Anika Horn
May 10, 2023
Creating community for entrepreneurs: Field notes from the ecosystem
During the month of April, the Ecosystem Team toured the Valley to find out what’s happening for entrepreneurs in some of the Valley’s...
Anika Horn
Apr 13, 2023
Keeping an ear to the ground: Field notes from the ecosystem
Over the course of March 2023, the Ecosystem team was out and about: We like to keep our ear to the ground so we know at all times what...
Anika Horn
Jan 31, 2023
Building an Ecosystem for Black Business Support: Year 1 of Community Navigator Pilot Program
“In order for there to be a great America, there must be a great Black America. In order for there to be a great Black America, we need...
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