DANVILLE, Va. (March 1, 2020) – The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, the River
District Association, Danville Community College and Longwood Small Business Development Center,
with management and infrastructure support from The Launch Place, today announce the appointment of Jessica Edwards as principal coordinator. With a robust experience in ecosystem building, Edwards most recently served as director of outreach and engagement for the Alaska Ocean Cluster Initiative, where her work focused on cultivating strategic partnerships, developing innovative programming and creating a statewide leadership summit, all in an effort to accelerate Alaska’s ocean economy development.
Prior to working in Alaska, Edwards held related positions with TRYP by Wyndham Dubai and Buffalo
Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Edwards holds
a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is a Kauffman Foundation “ESHIP Summit” scholarship
recipient, a WNY BETA finalist for “Best Buffalo Community Tech Contribution of the Year” and “Best
Woman in Technology”. She has served as a panelist or guest speaker at events all over the world,
including the Nigeria Social Media Summit, the Dubai Lynx – International Festival of Creativity and
MaRS Toronto.
Her position within the Entrepreneur Ecosystem will focus on convening, communicating and coordinating regional and hyperlocal stakeholders. The Dan River Region (DRR) Ecosystem has been intentionally building its ecosystem since early 2014, in order to create pathways to push momentum forward, break down silos and facilitate opportunities for entrepreneurs across our region to collide in new and innovative ways.
“We are thrilled to bring Jessica to the Dan River Region in this capacity,” said Eva Doss, president and
CEO of The Launch Place. “She brings with her focused expertise on ecosystem building in different
parts of the world. We look forward to her building on existing partnerships and engaging with
entrepreneurs throughout the Dan River Region.”
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The Launch Place
The Launch Place, funded through grants by the Danville Regional Foundation, provides new and earlystage business support services and equity investments through its Seed and Pre-Seed Funds for the
Danville City and Pittsylvania County region of Virginia and Caswell County in North Carolina. As an
entrepreneurship development organization with the purpose to plan, fund, launch and grow businesses,
TLP helps companies to get started or to expand their operations by providing business consulting
services, office space, and by investing in them through its investment funds.
Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce
The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce accelerates business growth by connecting its
members to dynamic resources and networks. Its 600 members understand that a strong Chamber is a
critical component of an innovative, profitable business community. The Chamber’s number one goal is to help area businesses of all sizes to grow and prosper.
River District Association
The mission of the RDA is to ensure the long-term viability of Danville’s River District as a center of
business and civic life and a source of community pride. RDA carries out this mission through activities to attract and retain businesses, residents and visitors while promoting Danville’s high quality of life,
preserving its historic and cultural assets, and capitalizing on its unique location along the Dan River.
