It is important to look at data for what it is and craft a narrative with the data and allow it to lead us toward innovation and growth. This week, season 2, episode 10 of Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast, is about leveraging data to support entrepreneurs!

RISE Collaborative is striving to create a more inclusive and vibrant regional economy in which makers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and service providers interact organically and collaboratively. Our mission is to enhance equity and access to entrepreneurship and innovation for people who have been underserved based on geographic location (anyone who lives, works, or owns a business in Southern Virginia), and for people who have been underrepresented based on race, gender, religion, or other factors. We are doing this by creating regionally-relevant incubator services and accelerator programs that can be accessed at many locations across our service area.

In this episode of Entrepreneurship on the RISE Podcast, Jacob and Lauren, joined by their guest Brandon Hennessey, share how we can take data and craft a story from the information it is giving us to grow as an ecosystem. We also discuss the intersection of the small business development center model with ecosystem building at a regional level in a rural landscape. 

Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• The ways in which Longwood’s Small Business Development Center operates differently than other SBDCs.
• How the idea for the Seed Innovation Hub has evolved over time to become what it is today. 
• Brandon’s background as a technical artist and educator and how this weaves into his role as an ecosystem builder. 
• The impact that the rise in AI will have on small business owners. 
• How we can use data points and KPIs to determine growth in our region. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about RISE Collaborative at https://sovarise.com/ 

CONNECT WITH BRANDON HENNESSEY:

LinkedIn

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

Longwood Small Business Development Center

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Mark Cuban