What to expect at the upcoming Startup Champions Network Summit
By Anika Horn, Spring Summit Co-Host
I have been attending Startup Champions Network (SCN) Summits for eight years, and when asked what’s best about them, my answer is always the same: The People.
Entrepreneurial ecosystem building is still an emerging field and there’s a lot to learn; yet, I have found over the last eight years that the best way to learn is through talking with peers. Startup Champions Network is a grassroots network of 90+ entrepreneurial ecosystem builders from all around the U.S. who wake up everyday to help entrepreneurs and innovators in their communities thrive. Twice a year we convene to exchange ideas, feedback and advice on how to better support the dreamers and doers in the places we call home.
When we were selected to host the Spring 2024 Summit for SCN, we knew what we wanted to put at the center of this event: the people. We’ve all been to conferences with long-winded panel discussions in windowless conference rooms that made us leave exhausted. For this Summit, we’re committing to the SCN model, minimizing panels and maximizing conversations.
We know from previous SCN Summits that the best knowledge transfer typically happens around the water cooler. We catch up over breaks and learn from each other while huddled around a cup of coffee. From April 30 through May 2, 2024, that is the atmosphere we’re going to create for ecosystem builders in the Shenandoah Valley along with our peers who are visiting from around the country.
A showcase of placemaking and innovation in rural America
An ongoing challenge for us at the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, and within our ecosystem at large, is fighting the widespread misconception that technology is synonymous with innovation.
We are going to introduce Summit attendees to local entrepreneurs with innovative products, services, and business models—some of which are strictly non-tech and others tech-enabled. Innovation in rural America is more than technology, and we are excited to showcase entrepreneurs who have not only successfully built but also scaled these innovative companies right here in the Shenandoah Valley.
On day one of the Summit, we will head to the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace, an icon of the rich history of craftsmanship in the Shenandoah Valley. Through an ambitious plan and belief in the power of place, the formerly dilapidated building complex on the outskirts of Waynesboro has been turned into the new home of small businesses, putting the town of 25,000 people back on the map.
Day one will also give participants a chance to visit the Staunton Innovation Hub and learn about the expansion plans of their co-working model into other parts of the Valley.
On day two, attendees will tour the brand new Manufactory Collective in Harrisonburg, a manufacturing incubator that provides entrepreneurs with the tools, space, and ecosystem to prototype and scale their innovative products and services.
The idea of placemaking in and redevelopment of neglected parts of town is one of the main threads throughout the event. Our main Summit location, Liberty Street Loft, is a great example of economic revitalization and placemaking in northwest Harrisonburg. We are proud to welcome Summit attendees to this vibrant hub of small businesses and startups testing their products through short-term rental kiosks, accompanied by locally roasted coffee and baked goods.
A deep dive into local sub-ecosystems
As Director of Ecosystem Development for the Shenandoah Valley, I have deep insight into what’s working and what isn’t in our entrepreneurial ecosystem. With 100+ experts from around the country, we are sharing experiences and expertise to solve some of our collective most pressing challenges.
The morning of day two is entirely devoted to getting us unstuck and learning best practices from our peers all in an effort to help entrepreneurs thrive.
Since we are spotlighting Shenandoah Valley, we have asked local ecosystem accomplices to submit their most intractable challenges so that we can dissect the issue and find novel approaches to solve them in collaboration with Summit attendees who have experienced similar challenges. We believe that none of the challenges we face in the Valley are entirely unique to our region. We hope that by pooling knowledge and facilitating meaningful conversations, we can develop new perspectives and solutions for all that help move our entrepreneurs and our ecosystems forward.
Rather than presentations and panel discussions, we will be hosting 10-12 challenges to workshop possible solutions. Some of them include:
Re-launching rural tech ecosystems
How to grant more equitable access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs
Building the Black Business Ecosystem in Staunton - Augusta - Waynesboro
The role of higher education in innovation ecosystems
Seeding a micro tech and manufacturing ecosystem in a small town
Building meaningful relationships
The central theme of this Summit is It Takes a Valley, a nod to the fact that helping our region's dreamers and doers thrive requires close collaboration among all accomplices in our ecosystem. And that collaboration cannot happen without a strong foundation of trust.
Several elements throughout the Summit are intentionally designed to facilitate meaningful conversations among attendees.
On Day one, all attendees will learn to question power structures and hierarchies in ecosystems through a mass-game of Cohado, developed by SCN’s own Paulo Gregory.
Following the Innovation Tour (see above), day one concludes with a Dinner with Locals in Staunton: In groups of 40, attendees have three dinner experiences to choose from. Each is hosted by an organization that is key to the local community in terms of the arts, social issues and placemaking. Local hosts have a chance to share what they’re passionate about and challenge their dinner guests with one compelling question to guide their conversation throughout dinner.
On day 2, attendees will have the opportunity to share the Roses & Thorns of their work with each other. Through facilitated conversation circles (and local picnic baskets!) these sessions are a staple at each SCN Summit that create a safe space for attendees to talk openly about their personal hopes and challenges surrounding their ecosystem efforts.
At registration, each attendee will receive not only their name tag but a traditional dance card to schedule 1:1 time with others throughout the Summit. We intentionally planned generous breaks to leave room for deeper individual conversations among attendees. We will equip each visitor with local downtown maps so they can explore local coffee shops, parks and other local hotspots.
A Taste of the Valley
We are excited to show off the Shenandoah Valley not only in terms of our ecosystem but by giving attendees a taste of our region.
Culturally, visitors can explore downtown Harrisonburg through a self-guided art walk or Duckling Hunt and discover Staunton through the Dragon Quest - organized by the Dragon Preservation Society of Staunton that will open their doors for SCN visitors on day one of the Summit (here’s a little preview).
We are proud that all meals and provisions will be catered by local chefs and restaurants to reflect our commitment to supporting our local economy. We are especially excited to host SCN’s 10-Year Anniversary Party on the evening of day two, catered by Kirsten Moore, host of the Sub Rosa Supper Club, and her team.
You can preview the full agenda here and familiarize yourself with the Shenandoah Valley ecosystem here.