{"id":85,"date":"2021-02-17T23:40:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T23:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/?page_id=85"},"modified":"2024-10-21T16:32:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T16:32:33","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Verge (formerly Valleys Innovation Council), which includes alliance members <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbtc.tech\/\">Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC)<\/a>\u00a0 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/ramprb.com\/\">Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP)<\/a>, helps facilitate regional connection, communication, and collaboration by identifying regional priorities and funding to advance tech and biotech projects and solutions across the Roanoke and New River Valleys, and Lynchburg.\u00a0 <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verge serves GO Virginia Region 2 and works to form collaborations with government, business, academia, and other organizations to advance the region and grow a thriving innovation economy. Verge has been a grateful recipient of several state-, federal-, and private-funded grants through the years to drive regional priorities and projects in the innovation ecosystem forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Regional Innovation Ecosystem Tracking:<\/strong> The Roanoke-Blacksburg region provides an environment where innovation-driven businesses can launch, grow, and thrive. Whether you sketched out your business idea on a napkin at a coffee shop or packed up and moved cross-country, this region offers the place, people, and resources for success. Learn more about our <a href=\"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/innovation-dashboard\/\">Innovation Ecosystem and review key metrics<\/a> that Verge has tracked through the years related to the startup community and entrepreneurial landscape of GO Virginia Region 2 of Virginia, and why you should make a home for your business here!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ramprb.com\/on-ramp\/\">On RAMP<\/a> supports early-stage companies in the technology and health &amp; life science industries with a pre-accelerator program.<a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/bookonramp\/30min?month=2024-07\"> Book a meeting today<\/a> with the RAMP team to discuss your business idea, get connected with subject-matter experts and business resources, and\/or find out more about the RAMP 12-week In-Residence cohort experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Staff<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Updated-5_3_2024-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7419\" src=\"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Updated-5_3_2024-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vergeva.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Updated-5_3_2024-3.png 1024w, https:\/\/vergeva.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Updated-5_3_2024-3-980x735.png 980w, https:\/\/vergeva.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Updated-5_3_2024-3-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h5><strong>Verge Board: Executive Officers &amp; Committee Members<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Amy Ankrum<\/strong>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.impactconsulting-llc.com\">Impact Consulting LLC<\/a>, Verge Board Co-Chair<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jeff Smith<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fortifyleadershipgroup.com\/\">Fortify Leadership Group<\/a>, Verge Board Co-Chair<\/li>\n<li><strong>Justin Yalung,<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ivlabs.com\">IV Labs,<\/a> Verge Board Treasurer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Daniel Summerlin<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/wrvblaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black,<\/a> Verge Board Secretary<\/li>\n<li><strong>Micah Almond<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.morebetter.technology\">More Better Technology<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Kevin Bloomfield<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bloomfield-partners.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bloomfield Partners, LLC\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Harvey Brookins<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/nbbank.com\/\">Roanoke Market at National Bank<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>David Catalano<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ozmo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ozmo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Kathy Claytor<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.corvesta.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Corvesta<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Russ Ellis<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/commonwealthgrowth.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Commonwealth Growth Group<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Angela Joyner<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radford.edu\/content\/radfordcore\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Radford University<\/a><\/li>\n<li><b>Jeff Merritt, <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.coxbusiness.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cox Business\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Marty Muscatello<\/strong>, Retired,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/foxguardsolutions.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FoxGuard Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Patrick Patterson<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/foxguardsolutions.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FoxGuard Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><strong>Verge Board of Directors<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eddie Amos<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Henry Bass<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aciwebs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Automation Creations, Inc.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Joseph Benevento\/Conaway Haskins<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaipc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (<\/a>VIPC)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Grant Brewer<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/vt.edu\/link\/license.html\">LICENSE-Center for Technology Commercialization, Virginia Tech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>John Capps<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/centralvirginia.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Central Virginia Community College<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Nick Conte<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carilionclinic.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carilion Clinic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Steve Critchfield<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/movatechnologies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mova Technologies, LLC<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Rob Day<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techlab.com\/\">TechLab, Inc.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><b>Art Espey, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lighthouselabsrva.com\/\">Lighthouse Labs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>W. Heywood Fralin<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rui.net\/\">Retirement Unlimited<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Michael Friedlander<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fbri.vtc.vt.edu\/\"><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech-Carlion, Virginia Tech&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:14337,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:1},&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;16&quot;:12}\">Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech-Carlion, Virginia Tech\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Cheryl Giggetts<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/innovatelynchburg.com\/\">Innovate Lynchburg<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Aileen Helsel,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carilionclinic.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carilion Clinic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pat Huber<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nr.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New River Community College<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Elizabeth McClanahan<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtf.org\/\">Virginia Tech Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>John Newby<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vabio.org\/\">Virginia Biotechnology Association<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>John Rainone<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dslcc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dabney S. Lancaster Community College<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>James Ramey,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtcventures.com\/\">VTC Ventures<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.middlelandcapital.com\/\">Middleland Capital<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Rob Sanchez<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northwindstech.com\/\">NorthWinds Technology Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Robert Sandel<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/virginiawestern.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia Western Community College<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Brian Soller<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lunainc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Luna Innovations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Kim Snyder<\/strong>,<a href=\"https:\/\/klarivis.com\/\"> KlariVis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Marjorie Tenzer<\/strong>, Retired, IBM<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clark Worthy<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gentrylocke.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gentry Locke<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Verge (formerly Valleys Innovation Council), which includes alliance members Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC)\u00a0 and the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP), helps facilitate regional connection, communication, and collaboration by identifying regional priorities and funding to advance tech and biotech projects and solutions across the Roanoke and New River Valleys, and Lynchburg.\u00a0 Verge serves GO Virginia [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-85","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - 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