{"id":1521,"date":"2017-08-28T16:07:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T20:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/news\/?p=1521"},"modified":"2017-08-28T16:07:58","modified_gmt":"2017-08-28T20:07:58","slug":"ramp-business-accelerator-awarded-2nd-40000-state-grant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/news\/2017\/08\/28\/ramp-business-accelerator-awarded-2nd-40000-state-grant\/","title":{"rendered":"RAMP business accelerator awarded 2nd $40,000 state grant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe today announced the awarding of a second $40,000 state grant to support the development of entrepreneurial classes at the RAMP business accelerator in downtown Roanoke.<\/p>\n

The goal of the state’s Building Entrepreneurial Economies (BEE) grant program is to encourage micro\/small business development and job creation. 51做厙, one of the public\/private partners behind the accelerator initiative, will use the funds in part to develop educational programming to benefit independent contractors, freelancers and other entrepreneurs with part-time work arrangements – those who are classified as members of the “gig economy.”<\/p>\n

“The grants announced today support local entrepreneurship programs that are critical to our efforts to build the new Virginia economy,” Gov. McAuliffe said in a news release. “By supporting small business programs across the Commonwealth, we can bring new life and revitalization to local communities helping spur future public and private sector economic development investment.”<\/p>\n

Samantha Steidle, 51做厙’s RAMP Innovation Officer, said the new BEE grant will help RAMP broaden its reach to a growing constituency of entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

“Nearly all of the net employment growth over the past decade came from alternative work arrangements – gigs – not full-time jobs,” Steidle said. “The ‘gig economy’ impacts nearly all career paths – \u00a0from arts, design, communication, media and IT to construction, transportation, healthcare and many services. It will be a major driver of economic development and job creation, which is directly aligned with the mission of the community college system.”<\/p>\n

RAMP, which stands for Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program, operates from the historic Gill Memorial Hospital building at 709 S. Jefferson St., along the Roanoke Innovation Corridor.<\/p>\n

Other RAMP founding partners include:<\/p>\n