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Nine Hampton Roads companies make list of state’s fastest growing

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From Inside Business

Kevin O’Connor, president of O’Connor Brewing Company. The business was No. 32 on the Fantastic 50 list of fastest growing businesses in Virginia. O’Connor also received the Virginia Vanguard award for manufacturing.The list is out and the fastest growing companies in Virginia have been revealed.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce had its 23rd annual awards banquet for the Fantastic 50 Awards on April 26 in Chantilly.

The program is the only annual statewide award recognizing Virginia’s fastest growing businesses.

Nominations were submitted by local chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and sponsor networks. Companies were also make submissions. [Read more…] about Nine Hampton Roads companies make list of state’s fastest growing

757 Accelerate continues to increase momentum for Hampton Roads entrepreneurship

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From Inside Business

Evans McMillion, executive director of 757 Accelerate, said they are looking forward to welcoming the program’s first cohort this fall.

Executive director of 757 Accelerate Evans McMillion called the program’s selection into GAN a game-changer.

GAN is a worldwide community of independent accelerators, partners and investors whose mission is to give startups the power to create and grow their businesses wherever they are, according to its website.

The two key elements to doing that are human and financial capital.

[Read more…] about 757 Accelerate continues to increase momentum for Hampton Roads entrepreneurship

RISE looks globally for solutions to Hampton Roads’ flooding issues

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From Inside Business

RISE, the nonprofit focused on seeking solutions to the problems coastal communities face with sea level rise and recurrent flooding, is rising to the occasion with a new challenge.

The Coastal Community Resilience Challenge is open to teams worldwide and seeks innovative technology-based solutions that address any of five resilience topics. Those include water management, data analytics, building viability, critical utility installation and disconnected communities.

The approaches must be applicable to Hampton Roads, but also be relevant to other similar communities throughout the world.

[Read more…] about RISE looks globally for solutions to Hampton Roads’ flooding issues

It’s Live! 757 Accelerate has opened applications for it’s inaugural cohort. Here’s what you need to know.

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757 Accelerate is a selective startup accelerator program providing founders with capital, connections, and customers.

APPLY NOW

Offering

  • $20,000 in seed capital, without taking equity
  • Connect to a mentor pool consisting of some of the region’s most experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders
  • Pitch to real investors at Demo Day

[Read more…] about It’s Live! 757 Accelerate has opened applications for it’s inaugural cohort. Here’s what you need to know.

Secret Hopper: From Ballparks to Breweries

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Andrew Coplon, Secret Hopper
Andrew Coplon, CEO and Founder of Secret Hopper

My name is Andrew Coplon and for the past 17 years I’ve sold cotton candy.

More accurately, I’ve managed a foodservice business that runs concessions operations at sports and entertainment venues all over the country. Through this job I spent thousands of hours understanding what goes into maximizing a customers’ experience and even more hours staffing for the events at hand. At the end of many of these long days, I would find myself sitting on my couch sipping a nice, cold beer. [Read more…] about Secret Hopper: From Ballparks to Breweries

Freshman Pitch Competition: ODU First Look Challenge

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More than 325 freshman students from Old Dominion University pitched their ideas to a panel of more than 60 judges on Tuesday, April 23, 2018. The event, dubbed “First Look Challenge Business Pitch Competition,” has been held every semester since Fall 2015. The First Look Challenge is sponsored by Wells Fargo and led by Dr. Ryan Klinger, Associate Professor of Management at ODU Strome College of Business. StartWheel’s executive director, Chris Shelton, was among the 60+ judges representing a range of entrepreneurs, regional business leaders, bankers, accountants, and university professors, to name a few. “I’ve been impressed with the consistent increase in quality and level of competition from semester to semester. It’s been fascinating to see how far ODU’s entrepreneurial programming and curriculum has come in such a short time,” Shelton said.

[Read more…] about Freshman Pitch Competition: ODU First Look Challenge

757 Launch: How We Earned Press Coverage

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Evans McMillion (right), Executive Director of 757 Accelerate interviews Monique Adams (left), Executive Director of 757 Angels about 757 Seed Fund

Some of you have asked how we got so much press coverage with 757 Launch. Well, we didn’t do it on our own. It was a combined effort from all the event’s co-organizers—StartWheel, ODU, 757 Angels, 757 Accelerate, and Pilot Media, among others—and it would not have happened if we didn’t find ways to align our initiatives toward a common goal.

[Read more…] about 757 Launch: How We Earned Press Coverage

Free Startup Bootcamp

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ODU & 757 Accelerate will be presenting a Free Startup Bootcamp for Hampton Roads entrepreneurs this May. They are looking for startups that are investable, are considering acceleration programs, and want to bring their business to market. Please note the application deadline is Friday, April 20th. If you know of any Hampton Roads based entrepreneurs that would be a good fit for this opportunity please share this information with them.
Visit http://bit.ly/leanstartupshortcourse for more information or to submit an application.

2018 NATO Innovation Challenge

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CAN YOU SOLVE IT?

The 2018 NATO Innovation Challenge is here!

Click here to find out more and/or submit your abstract. Simple Abstracts are due April 15th, 2018.

The purpose of the NATO Innovation Challenge is to tap into the minds of innovative people and teams to find more effective and efficient ways for NATO, and other response organizations, to ensure security and respond to crisis situations. NATO is seeking hardware, software and concept solutions supporting: Data gathering, filtering, fusing, visualization and predictive analytics.

The NATO Innovation Challenge is an open competition – with final selectees pitching in person or remotely to a Paris distinguished panel of judges and audience May 29th.

How long does the Challenge run?

Pre-selected teams will have from 28 Apr to 26 May to develop their solution proposal that they will present on 29 May.

Who can participate?

 Anyone! We want entrepreneurs, designers, marketers, thinkers, engineneers, coders ….

Online or Onsite Participation?

Attending the Pitch Day onsite in Paris is optional. Everything can be done online.

Where can I find the Participant’s Agreement?

By participating in the Challenge you agree on the Official Rules.