DANVILLE, Va. – Danville is taking steps to revitalize its business landscape through a pioneering partnership that makes it the first Virginia city selected for the Partnership for Innovation Regional Leadership Cohort (PIN).
The initiative is a collaboration between the Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism, Letterpress Communications and the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce. PIN is a Georgia-based program that’s recently been expanding its reach northward.
“It helps us create that roadmap of how we are going to get there. We have a plan. We know what we want to do. But this cohort will help us break it down,” said Samantha Bagbey, Danville Economic Development Project Manager.
The yearlong partnership will focus on establishing an entrepreneurial ecosystem pipeline through the Danville Office of Economic Development and Tourism.
The program will provide comprehensive support for new businesses and entrepreneurs, Bagbey explained. “It’s starting all the way from that incubation space where you’re having people work with you one-on-one to work through all the kinks all the way to launching it in a smaller place that’s safe for you to launch it.”
Beyond the business incubator program, city officials are exploring the creation of a financial institution focused on community development and real estate investments.
Anne Deboe, manager of River District Artisans on Main Street, hopes initiatives like this bring more businesses to the city. “I would love to see support for Main Street and some of the off streets here that just have so much rich history,” she said.
City officials estimate the complete implementation could take approximately five to seven years but emphasize that other resources are currently available for small business owners and entrepreneurs in Danville.