The Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism (DOEDT) hosted a Small Business Breakfast on July 25, bringing together local entrepreneurs, business owners, and community members to officially announce the launch of the city of Danville's new Small Business Network.
The event served as an opportunity to engage directly with the small business community, gather feedback from consumers, and discuss ways to strengthen Danville's entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than 100 attendees participated in the breakfast, sharing ideas and insights that will help shape future small business initiatives. Participants also enjoyed a complimentary breakfast provided by Frequency Sourdough Bagels and received branded promotional items while networking with fellow business owners and community members.
DOEDT summer interns Temilade Agboola, Cori Brown, Ellie Harvey, and Genesis Bond Hollingsworth led attendees through a series of interactive engagement boards, collecting valuable input that will help shape the future direction of the Small Business Network and its programs.
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"Saturday's event was a huge success,” said Agboola. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who came down to the Pepsi building to give us their insights and opinions on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Danville. We got to listen to a plethora of differing views and got some eye-opening feedback. All this information will go into helping the Small Business Network solidify its efforts in ensuring businesses in the county continue giving their best services to their consumers.”
“Volunteering at the public input event was a wonderful reminder of how much this community rallies around local business owners,” said Lauren Reynolds, Sage and Solstice Women’s Wellness Spa owner and Small Business Network member. “It was inspiring to hear directly from neighbors about what they want to see open next and how we can keep Danville thriving.”
The Small Business Network was created to better support and represent Danville's small business community. The network will help inform the development of future programs and resources to local small business ecosystem partners, create streamlined processes for access to information and education for entrepreneurs at all stages, and provide valuable feedback that can guide city policies affecting small businesses.
Samantha Bagbey, DOEDT project manager, remarked on the significance of the Small Business Network, “Danville has an incredible ecosystem for small businesses and entrepreneurs but that does not always translate to the small business community. Our goal with the Small Business Network is to ensure small businesses have a true seat at the table, create a ‘one stop shop' to access all the available small business resources, and foster a safe, collaborative community for entrepreneurs throughout their journey.”
Business owners and community members interested in learning more about the Small Business Network can visit www.discoverdanville.com for additional information and future engagement opportunities.
