The West Virginia Hive and its parent, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA), celebrated the opening of its new offices, business hub and coworking space in downtown Beckley with an active agenda – remarks of appreciation, ribbon cutting, awards presentations, a Facebook Live session and limited tours of the new space.
Kris Warner, State Director for Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was the keynote speaker at the 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting for the newly-renovated facility, which is in a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act designated Opportunity Zone. “We are pleased to be able to help the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority as they work towards connecting businesses and communities in the New River Gorge region with the resources they need to thrive,” said Warner. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has continued to work untiringly as a strong partner to the Mountain State, because we know that when rural West Virginia thrives, all of America thrives.”
Judy Moore, Director of the West Virginia Hive, said her focus at the Hive has been on working closely with business leaders on new start-ups, growth and innovation with an emphasis on learning where barriers to success exist. “This expansive facility offers our staff and our clients first-class space, technology, and resources to create more jobs and grow the local and regional economies.” Two USDA grants and a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant were catalysts for the new business development accelerator.
Members of the West Virginia Congressional delegation were effusive in their praise of the West Virginia Hive and its mission.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said, “The West Virginia Hive Business Hub provides southern West Virginia entrepreneurs a space to work, collaborate, and foster new ideas to spur economic development in the region. The Hub will support innovation and job growth through small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area, helping to revitalize the coalfields and boost the regional economy. Today is a great day for Beckley and southern West Virginia as the Hive opens its doors to West Virginians. I greatly appreciate the investment made by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and all those who made today a reality. I look forward to seeing the benefits of this center in the years to come.”
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, also a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, underscored the federal role in economic development. “As our state continues to diversify our economy, we need the tools to support this growth. The Beckley Hive is a perfect example of a support network that helps to foster the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation we are seeing throughout the state and continue to promote. I have been a longtime supporter of this facility—advocating and securing funding for the Hive, as well as hosting Appalachian Regional Commission Co-Chair Tim Thomas at the original facility recently to see the good work happening there. I’m thrilled to see the Hive expanding, allowing even more opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners the chance to hone their business plan and accelerate their visions to reality. I will continue supporting economic growth and diversity by advocating for resources at the federal level, which will give aspiring entrepreneurs a better chance at achieving the American Dream. EDA and USDA investments in West Virginia are making a difference, and I’m proud to continue working so that projects like the Hive receive the funding it deserves.”
U.S. Rep. Carol Miller added, “I am thrilled to see the West Virginia Hive Network expand and open new offices today. The WV Hive Network plays a crucial role in supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs in our community. I thank the Trump Administration for providing the funds for this project and investing in rural America.”
The West Virginia Hive has served 306 businesses and helped launch 44 businesses in its service area. It is currently assisting 79 clients with business advising and technical assistance support on business modeling, financing, human resources, marketing and other services.
The new facility is nearly 4,000 square feet of space, strategically located in downtown Beckley and within walking distance to the West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) Campus. The business hub includes multiple flex/coworking space options (rentable by the day, week, or month) and overhead (utilities, wi-fi, and access to shared administrative services); shared space, including kitchenette, sitting areas, small and large conference areas; and a staffed reception area. Other services are accessible, including one-on-one business advising and access to technical assistance funds; trainings and networking events, designed with the needs of the tenants and Beckley’s business community involved; specialized technology and software for clients; video conferencing; copier access; and printer access. Not only will this space address a need for the business owner — a professional space with little to no overhead as well as professional services — but it will provide a place for entrepreneurs to network on an organic basis and instill a water cooler culture in southern West Virginia so business collaboration can lead innovation.
The NRGRDA led efforts to secure another EDA grant to offer angel investment opportunities statewide through the Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN). “Supporting entrepreneurs in West Virginia, CRAN provides accredited investors the opportunity to invest in and, where beneficial, mentor West Virginia based start-ups,” Moore said. “The network’s purpose is to provide opportunities for investors to create financial returns, while providing a much needed, missing piece of the entrepreneurial financing ecosystem in West Virginia.”
Specific information about the West Virginia Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/. The Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and the administrator of the Country Roads Angel Network.
The West Virginia Community Development Hub (The Hub) is proud to announce that Executive Director Stephanie Tyree is a steering committee member for the newly launched Green Bank for Appalachia, Energy Communities, and Underserved Rural America (Green Bank for Rural America).
Cultivate WV focuses on helping communities build sustainable models of engagement through workshops, project-planning, and more.
The Hub is excited to announce Cohort 2 of the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Action Challenge.
Our work is made possible thanks to incredible partnerships with other community development organizations across the state. From local economic development authorities (EDAs) to state level nonprofits working to uplift communities, all of our partners are crucial in making West Virginia the best it can possibly be by working together.One partner that made our work truly profound this year is Coalfield Development. For years, Coalfield Development has worked to rebuild Appalachian communities by inspiring the courage to grow, activating the creativity to innovate, and cultivating communities of opportunity in central Appalachia.We are proud to be part of Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition, a broad network of organizations working hand-in-hand to uplift communities throughout Southern West Virginia. The ACT Now Coalition is infusing more than $63 million into programs to help communities using business development, building revitalization, and so much more.The Hub is leading the Community and Business Resilience Initiative as part of the larger ACT Now Coalition to bring other partners with us to build up community and business resilience in the Coalition’s footprint.“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development, said about the ACT Now Coalition. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”Our partnership with Coalfield Development is giving us a chance to take our work to new communities and to build upon our years of experience. Working alongside Coalfield Development in this large undertaking to bring $63.8 million to communities in Southern West Virginia is validation that the work happening to uplift West Virginia communities continues to grow.
The Hub works alongside communities across West Virginia coaching community teams as they come together to make transformative changes in their towns. In 2022, one town stands out for its continued work and unwavering commitment to making its community a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit.Petersburg, located in Grant County at the northernmost point of the Mon Forest, is filled with community members who want to make their town a destination. Not only have businesses opened, and stayed open, the town has transformed the way they present to the world through rebranding and outdoor recreational development.As part of the HubCAP IV program, Petersburg utilized its technical assistance to push forward with projects to bring transformative change to its community. Part of the work Petersburg worked towards was creating plans to pave a hike and bike trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles along the Petersburg dike and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The group secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000.This year, Petersburg witnessed a major upgrade to one of the town’s most iconic and historic structures: The Hermitage Inn. The hotel, which dates back to 1841, has been renovated and once again welcomes guests to stay the night and have a nice dinner in the restaurant.The Hermitage Inn is the first project initiated and completed as part of the Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) program. Seeing the old hotel returned to its majesty has been an incredible development for Petersburg adding another jewel to the downtown area.Seeing Hub communities come together to create transformative change thrills us. Community members are the subject matter experts on what their towns need. Our commitment to accompaniment and walking alongside communities as they do the hard work guides us in our work. Celebrating their victories with them gives us a moment to uplift those making the work happen.
Since 2018, The Hub has been working diligently to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our work. For years, the organization has been working internally to expand on one of our core values: “We believe diversity creates strength.”We believe that now is a time when we must work from the ground up to commit to long-term efforts to build power through leadership development, programmatic strategies, and partnerships that commit to building power and advancing racial equity.Looking back at our organizational history, we acknowledge that our work in rural communities with populations of less than 15,000 has not reached a diverse cross-section of people in West Virginia. Because of this, we began to ask, “Who isn’t here?” when examining our involvement in communities. The social unrest in 2020 led us to examine our role in white supremacy, ableism, classism, and gender discrimination, and the ways we have perpetuated unjust systems in our communities and across West Virginia.Since 2020, our equity journey has included a staff racial equity learning series, making internal commitments to increasing our hiring and retainment of diverse staff including creating full-time Racial Equity Fellowship and VISTA positions, committing to increased coaching for rural communities of color across the state, and tackling the inherent challenges of advancing equity across the community development field within a highly rural, majority white state where Black and brown leadership has been historically marginalized and under-invested.Our belief in the power of local people to see the value and the potential of their place, and of each other, is at the core of our belief in the potential we have to build power in West Virginia to advance racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility while disrupting systems that have historically excluded some communities.We are committed to engaging in conversations to uplift communities and leaders of color to move from talk to action on why race matters in West Virginia as we work to disrupt these systems. We will support investment in Black-led organizations and rural Black leadership. And we are committed to driving public and private investments into these spaces, both organizational and geographic.
A core team led by Unleash Tygart, Inc participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Core teams led by Thundercloud, Inc. and the City of Huntington participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support community development projects located in Opportunity Zones.
A core team led by Crawford Holdings, LLC participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.
A core team led by Woodlands Development Group also participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.
Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.
It has been a year of abundant opportunities and partnerships across the state, and a year that has pushed all of us to work harder, faster, and smarter – together.At The Hub, we say that “the work works when you put in the work.” This means that our approach to community-based development, and individual leadership development, really does transform local communities, especially when we all work together for the same goal, and stay committed to working together for the long haul.In 2023, we continued to be amazed at the local leadership, drive and innovation we saw in communities throughout the state that are building locally-driven development from the ground up. Our network of community leaders, partners and opportunities keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing in 2024!
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for being part of the larger Hub community as we reflect on this year’s deep impact in West Virginia communities through our work. We are thrilled to have champions who believe in our mission that every community in West Virginia can achieve economic growth when they are supported with the tools and training they need to lead and spark positive change.
We believe strongly in the fact that putting in the work yourself to improve your neighborhood, your town, and our state is where true transformational change happens. With strategic partners and thought leaders like you in the work with us, we continue to be able to walk alongside community teams as they do the work to uplift their communities.Thank you to all of the community teams and leaders who are brave enough to keep showing up every day, and putting in thousands of hours of volunteer time to support your communities and the entire state. Your determination in the face of difficult work and far-off successes is something to applaud yourself for – and to celebrate.Whether you’re volunteering on the ground in your community, sharing our stories of hope with your friends and neighbors, or attending a virtual event with The Hub, your participation in our work is what keeps it going. Thank you for all your work and support this past year, and we are excited to continue in the work with you in 2024!In Continued Accompaniment,
