Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania Expands Entrepreneurship Funding in the Region
Danville, Va. (Apr. 26, 2021) – The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce has awarded four businesses a total of $50,000 to open or expand their businesses in Danville and Pittsylvania County.
Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania was built on the River District Association’s (RDA) Dream Launch Program, in partnership with the Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem (DRREE). Dream Launch is a multi-phase entrepreneur engagement program including a five-week boot camp, offered to the public at no cost. Those interested in locating or expanding their business in Pittsylvania County or in the City of Danville, outside of the River District, attended the Dream Launch boot camp, and participants who completed the boot camp were eligible to pitch for Rev Up grant funding.
RDA’s Dream Launch just completed its third year, and in 2021 had more than 100 participants in the boot camp. Twenty-six participants completed the boot camp, and six participants pitched in the first Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania competition on April 13.
Four businesses were awarded 2021 Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania funding:
BlueRidge Performance Factory, LLC – Anthony Adkins, Hurt $15,000
Funky Fleece Farm – Amanda Parks, Chatham $10,000
Hawthorne & Jade Design Studio – Rachel Covington and Shelly Switick, Danville $15,000
Manifest Your Vision Studio – Rashida Thomas, Danville $10,000
“One of our three focus areas at the Chamber is small business development and entrepreneurship, and we have been a proud partner in the DREEE since its inception in 2014,” said Varun Sadana, Vice-President of The Launch Place, Chamber board member and chair of the Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania Committee. “Modeling Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania after Dream Launch allowed us to work with our partners to capitalize on shared resources and provide capacity-building opportunities for our region’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. We are grateful to RDA, DREEE and our other ecosystem partners for their
support of this new, impactful program, and we are excited to see the growth of those businesses awarded funding this year.”
Funding for Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania was provided by the Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem ($25,000 for businesses in the City of Danville or Pittsylvania County) and the City of Danville’s Office of Economic Development ($25,000 for businesses in the city outside of the River District).
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 550 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.
Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem
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. To learn more, visit: https://www.entrepreneurecosystem.org/
