ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, Dec. 21, 2021 – Valleys Innovation Council (VIC), an affiliate of Verge, announced today that it has received a $200,000 grant from Truist Foundation to offer new educational programming and support structures through its PitchPlus program that will help regional entrepreneurs and founders understand the fundamentals of angel and venture capital finance, how to access capital and build connections between startups and sources of capital in Southside, Southwest, and West Central Virginia. The program will be delivered in coordination with project partners Blue Ridge PBS, The Launch Place, Appalachian Council for Innovation, Eddy Alexander, and fellow Verge affiliate, Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council.
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Verge (formerly Valleys Innovation Council), which includes alliance members Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) and the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP), helps facilitate regional connection, communication, and collaboration by identifying regional priorities and funding to advance tech and biotech projects and solutions across the Roanoke and New River Valleys, and Lynchburg. Verge serves GO Virginia Region 2 and works to form collaborations with government, business, academia, and other organizations to advance the region and grow a thriving innovation economy.
Verge Board: Executive Officers & Committee Members
- Amy Ankrum, Impact Consulting LLC, Co-Chair
- Jeff Smith, Fortify Leadership Group, Co-Chair
- Justin Yalung, IV Labs & Treasurer
- Daniel Summerlin, Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black & Secretary
- Kevin Bloomfield, Bloomfield Partners, LLC
- Erin Burcham, Verge
- David Catalano, Ozmo
- Kathy Claytor, Corvesta
- Russ Ellis, Commonwealth Growth Group
- Marty Muscatello, Retired, FoxGuard Solutions
- Patrick Patterson, FoxGuard Solutions
- Marjorie Tenzer, Retired, IBM
Verge Board of Directors
- Eddie Amos
- Henry Bass, Automation Creations, Inc.
- Grant Brewer, LICENSE-Center for Technology Commercialization, Virginia Tech
- Harvey Brookins, Roanoke Market at National Bank
- John Capps, Central Virginia Community College
- Nick Conte, Carilion Clinic
- Steve Critchfield, Mova Technologies, LLC
- Rob Day, TechLab, Inc.
- Katherin Elam, Retired, Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia
- William Fralin, Retirement Unlimited
- Michael Friedlander, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech-Carlion, Virginia Tech
- Cheryl Giggetts, Innovate Lynchburg
- Aileen Helsel, Carilion Clinic
- Pat Huber, New River Community College
- Angela Joyner, Radford University
- Elizabeth McClanahan, Virginia Tech Foundation
- Jeff Merritt, Cox Business
- John Newby, Virginia Biotechnology Association
- John Rainone, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
- James Ramey, VTC Ventures & Middleland Capital
- Rob Sanchez, NorthWinds Technology Solutions
- Robert Sandel, Virginia Western Community College
- Brian Soller, Luna Innovations
- Bob Stolle, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
- Clark Worthy, Gentry Locke