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    HomeInvestments in ActionEntrepreneurship and Business Development

      

	
	Entrepreneurship and Business Development



West Virginia    
    West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition: Growing Local Food Opportunities

          WVFFC provides statewide leadership in local food so farmers and agriculture businesses can thrive, ultimately nourishing and strengthening their communities.
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionWest Virginia    
    Sprouting Farms: Supporting the Future of Farming

          Sprouting Farms grows Southern West Virginia’s local food systems through education, resource sharing, land access, and food production.
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionKentucky    
    Community Farm Alliance: Making Farmers Markets Stronger

          In Kentucky, Community Farm Alliance has worked for 36 years to help Kentucky communities, farmers markets, and producers reap those important benefits.
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionOhio
							

																			Athens    
    Ohio University’s Innovation Center: Incubating Appalachia’s Biotech Startups

          Behind every thriving community is small business. Behind a lot of successful small businesses are incubators, which provide the support and resources startups need to succeed. For 38 years, Ohio University’s award-winning Innovation Center (IC) has offered much-needed space for Appalachian Ohio’s innovators, helping them bring...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionGeorgia    
    Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs: Supporting Businesses of All Backgrounds

          For over 20 years, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) has empowered entrepreneurship in Appalachian Georgia through small business loans to candidates who might otherwise be overlooked. ACE’s founder, Grace Fricks, is a former social worker, who made it the organization’s mission to target support to women, people of...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionWest Virginia
							

																			Boone    
    The Natural Capital Investment Fund: A Path To Success

          In 2016, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) partnered with the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) to drive recreational tourism development in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Through ARC POWER funding, the partners launched a revolving loan...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionWest Virginia
							

																			Calhoun    
    SWEEP: Training West Virginia’s Entrepreneurs

          “About 80% of West Virginia businesses have 20 or less employees,” said Alyssa Keedy, the Advanced Career Education Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Why is that the case? One reason is a disconnect between West Virginia workers and the skills needed by local employers. With many...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionVirginia
							

																			Montgomery    
    Appalachian Community Capital: Investing in the Investors

          With COVID-19 related funding from ARC, ACC was able to support the Parkway Theater’s renovation and survival through the pandemic. Access to capital is one of the biggest obstacles to small business and entrepreneurial growth in Appalachia. In 2013, with seed money from ARC and other partners, Appalachian Community...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionMaryland
							

																			Allegany    
    Allegany College of Maryland Manufacturing Training Program: Western Maryland Works

          Western Maryland Works is a full-service makerspace, small-business incubator project that provides access to technology and equipment, and training facility focusing on machining, welding, and industrial maintenance. With ARC support, Western Maryland Works purchased state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing equipment such as computers, electronic classroom systems, general furnishings, equipment for wood working,...
    
    
    
    
          Investment in ActionEntrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia

          This research effort examines entrepreneurship in Appalachia through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. It includes a detailed overview of the components that tend to support vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.
    
    
    
    
          ReportProgram Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Job Creation and Retention Projects

          This report presents an evaluation of 286 job creation and retention projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2004 and 2010.
    
    
    
    
          ReportAgriculture and Food System Trends in the Appalachian Region: 2007-2012

          This report examines trends in the 2007 and 2012 Censuses of Agriculture and related socioeconomic databases in order to assess, benchmark, and document food and farm activity and the local food economy in the Appalachian Region.
    
    
    
    
          ReportEntrepreneurial Appalachia: Case Studies in Evolving Economic Sectors

          This report summarizes entrepreneurial opportunities in the energy, health, manufacturing and local food sectors, and examines innovative projects that demonstrate multiple benefits to Appalachian communities.
    
    
    
    
          ReportAccess to Capital and Credit in Appalachia and the Impact of the Financial Crisis and Recession on Commercial Lending and Finance in the Region

          This study examines recent trends in the availability of capital and credit for small businesses in the Appalachian Region, compares financial conditions in 2010 with those in 2007, and assesses the impact of strategies to address capital gaps.
    
    
    
    
          ReportAssessing the Landscape of Local Food in Appalachia

          This report examines the burgeoning local food movement in the Appalachian Region, describes best practices, and analyzes gaps and opportunities for expanding this sector of the economy.
    
    
    
    
          ReportPagination
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