ROANOKE, Va. – As Roanoke’s economy continues to expand, city officials are bringing small business owners and entrepreneurs together for a comprehensive business summit aimed at fostering growth in the Star City.
“Local businesses, whether they are brick and mortar or fully online, drive our economy forward and help create Roanoke’s unique culture,” Cobb said. “The Mayor’s Summit reflects our commitment to providing small businesses and nonprofits with the resources they need to shine.”
Beverly Amsler, owner of The Well-Trained Dog & Pet Care, emphasized the importance of small businesses to the local economy. “Small business is the engine driver of the community and the more small businesses we have, the more people we can hire, and everyone benefits,” she said.
The summit featured dual tracks for nonprofit and for-profit businesses, covering topics such as AI integration, business scaling, grant funding, and workforce development. The city also had a workshop to help new business with licensing, zoning guidance, and permit information.
Joseph Brozovsky, founder of Urban Reblokd, found the workforce development workshops particularly valuable. “It can be challenging sometimes to take that risk and hire somebody new,” he noted. While appreciating the city’s increased focus on small businesses, Brozovsky expressed concerns about potential impacts from larger developments. “With the data centers and the bigger industries that are coming in, those are obviously heavy hitters.”
The inclusion of nonprofits in the summit highlighted their role in the local economy. “We’re still a business, we’re still an economic driver, even though we’re more of a social impact organization than economic driver,” said Alex Barge, director of development at Brain Injury Solutions.
Marc Nelson, Director of Economic Development, views the summit as a demonstration of local government’s commitment to business success. “The Mayor’s Business Summit is a fantastic event that showcases what local government can do to help local businesses and nonprofits succeed,” Nelson said. “We hope that many organizations will attend to network and learn more about what Roanoke has to offer.”