Verge will be launching an innovation studio and new programming to support our region’s early-stage biotech and digital health start-ups. The innovation studio is part of a highly collaborative regional biotech hub project: the City of Roanoke, in partnership with Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, Verge, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and Virginia Western Community College, and several public and private organizations are working together. Verge will be located in the new biotech incubator, which is a 40,000 sq ft facility with shared wet labs and coworking space, providing business incubation programming in the Roanoke innovation corridor. More than a building, this space will be designed as a connector for the biotech community with multiple resources in one place and a location central to Carilion, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Virginia Western Community College.

Access to Capital is an educational series exploring financial pathways for startupcompanies, especially early-stage companies in the technology space. The Access To Capital Educational Series: The Fundamentals of Startup Financing is made possible by the generous financial support of the Truist Foundation, and is a program of Verge and its affiliates: RAMP the regional accelerator, Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council, and its partners The Launch Place, the Appalachian Council For Innovation, and Blue Ridge PBS.

PROJECT SCOPE: A Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development project primarily focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. Since early 2014, The Dan River Region (DRR) has been intentionally building its entrepreneurial ecosystem, in order to create pathways to push momentum forward, break down silos and facilitate opportunities for entrepreneurs across the region to collide in new and innovative ways. The highly collaborative project includes a consortium of 12 resource provider organizations in the Dan River Region that help entrepreneurs and small businesses: Danville Community College, Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, Longwood Small Business Development Center, River District Association, The Launch Place, The Institute for Advanced Learning, Pittsylvania County Economic Development, Averett University, Black BRAND Dan River Region, Products Works, and the City of Danville Economic Development Office.

PROJECT SCOPE: Established in 2017, the Alaska Ocean Cluster (AOC) initiative was a program funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency (EDA) Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) i6 grant. AOC was formed to identify and implement a vision for maximizing the value of Alaska’s vast ocean resources and growing the state's blue economy. To learn more visit: alaskaoceancluster.com Globally the Blue Economy is emerging as the last economic frontier. With a projected 3 Trillion in the "Ocean Economy" by 2030, there are more than 50 blue growth initiatives underway around the world and clusters are the engines behind these economic development strategies.

PROJECT SCOPE: NEST Dubai is one of the first fully integrated coworking spaces within a major internationally branded hotel. The 3,000 sq ft space is located inside the world's largest TRYP by Wyndham hotel. NEST perfectly pairs office and hospitality to enhance the modern workplace experience.

PROJECT SCOPE: Tri-Main Center is Buffalo’s leading mixed-use business center. A 575,000 sq ft revitalized industrial factory with over 100 companies and growing. Cultivating Buffalo's creative community. Website: https://trimaincenter.com/

PROJECT SCOPE: dig (design innovation garage) is one of the first coworking spaces in Buffalo, New York which quickly became the epicenter for entrepreneurial activity in the city. A 6,000 sq ft space, inside a 4-story Business incubator on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The Medical Campus is a 120-acre campus.

Contributed new and intriguing stories to online magazine by actively seeking out positive catalysts and entrepreneuril activity in the community.