Brian manages the FASTER West Virginia program at Advantage Valley, overseeing three business coaches serving nine counties in the metro Charleston and Huntington area. They don’t hand out money to start a business — they work one-on-one with aspiring entrepreneurs, connecting them to the resources that actually move the needle: technical assistance dollars that pay for a website build or a professional consultation, a revolving loan fund that reloaded and kept going after a paddleboard rental operator paid back his $5,000 equipment loan, and twelve new online business fundamentals courses through Marshall University, available free to program clients and backed by the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.
Marjorie comes at it from a travel and hospitality background, and her read on the opportunity is pointed: the demand for small-scale, high-yield outdoor experiences is growing, and West Virginia has a competitive advantage in that space that most states don’t. A kayak guide, a mountain bike shuttle service, a backcountry hiking outfitter — those are the businesses that own tourism in the right way. Getting someone from idea to operating takes a coach who understands both the passion and the business fundamentals. FASTER WV is built for exactly that gap, and Brian says the influx of new clients every quarter shows the demand is already there.
Learn more about: Advantage Valley / FASTER WV Program / Elk River Trail Foundation / Marshall University
About the Author
