Bridging Innovation: Where Entrepreneurs Belong
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I stumbled across Bridging Innovation after Googling “entrepreneur events near me.”
Here are 4 takeaways from the event:
1) In-person events aren’t going anywhere.
Listen, I use ZOOM and watch YouTube as much as the next guy. They’re incredible tools. It’s never been easier to meet with someone or learn just about anything, but nothing beats sitting down in the same room as a real person to have a meaningful conversation or the energy of an auditorium filled with likeminded people.
Amanda Arthur Krill's breakout facilitated some incredible conversation between Robby Moore, Todd Crump and I on the value of a unique perspective, our personal experiences, and how we might use them to help others.
On my way out, Robby asked if I was planning to stay for the next session with West Virginia Creative Network. I said no, I have another session planned. After meandering the halls for a few minutes, I turned back so I could get to know what Robby was up to and grabbed a seat at a table with a few guys I’d never met, one of which turned out to be none other than Bridging Innovation co-creator Bill Woodrum. Later I met Ben Berry who, of all the places in the world, happens to also be from Kirksville, MO. And would it even be a West Virginia event if we didn't end the day standing shoulder to shoulder belting:
"Country roads, take me home to the place I belong..." (John Denver)
I suspect we’re going to see a huge influx of opportunities for people to get together in the real world. People are hungry for that kind of connection.
2) Fortune favors those who try.
As fortune would have it, by the time I made it to lunch, Robby was standing right across from me at the buffet. He invited me to join him where I had the pleasure of chatting with WVCN Executive Director Renee Margocee (Photo: Raphel Barker, WV Living)
Renée told me about how she started her ceramics studio at Taylor Books. She shared her first “big break” was when a client, I believe the Tamarack, asked for a catalogue of her products:
"Sure thing, I'll send that right over."
Renée told me she didn't have anything to send over. No one had asked for a catalogue before. So she threw something together 70 or so products that she knew she could make, assuming they may want a few, and was shocked when they ordered all of them. And not just one of each, thousands.
What started as the boldness to try turned into a multi-month, career-defining moment for her. All because she tried. Most people never dare to put themselves out there, myself included, let alone make a promise outside your comfort zone–and deliver. This was an incredible lightbulb moment of encouragement for me as an entrepreneur early in my journey.
3) AI is coming (or already here?)
If I had $1 for every time AI was mentioned, I’d have…a lot of dollars. It felt like every conversation tied back to AI. From passing comments on ChatGPT and agents to in-depth tech stacks and how-to’s, AI is quickly becoming the norm for the next generation of entrepreneurs rather than the exception.
After the event, I met Jacob Burcham, founder of Storefront, an AI that helps businesses stand out to AI agents with a simple promise: “Sell where AI shops.” You’ve heard of SEO, right? Search Engine Optimization. How to win on Google. Well, we’re entering the age of AIO: Artificial Intelligence Optimization.
The same question of discoverability came up in “Vibecoding for Beginners” with Cortina Jenelle Caldwell, MAML, where someone asked if websites built by AI were deprioritized by AI platforms and agents. The short answer was no, but your site needs to be optimized for AI to read.
Funny enough, I later found out that Storefront made it to the final round of the Ignite WV business competition…and won.
4) West Virginia is changing, for good.
From WVCN’s heart for community “by artists, for artists,” the official launch of West Virginia's Office of Entrepreneurship, countless founders I met like Sonia Gonzales, Ph. D. at Callie Baby, and Bridging Innovation itself, it’s clear that West Virginia is cultivating a rich ecosystem for the next generation of small businesses.
One moment during the lunch and learn was particularly gripping. As Amber Ravenscroft interviewed Bill Woodrum and Tara St. Clair about the genesis of the event, Tara said something remarkable:
“I want to leave West Virginia better than I found it.”
At face value, a kind sentiment. For me, it mirrored the exact language of my own ambitious purpose to help people do good work, leaving the world better than I found it.
In a world so driven by profit and a “what’s in it for me," purpose can be a lonely place at times. I know it’s work that matters, but progress can feel slow, solitary, sometimes hopeless. Tara reminded me that there are people like me out there, generous people who are driven by a purpose bigger than themselves. There are leaders, founders, and entrepreneurs just like me right here in my backyard.
I felt at home in a room filled with people who shared the same spirit of community, optimism, and generosity. As it turns out, I wasn’t looking for another networking event; I was looking for this, for my people, a place to belong.
So thank you to all who are mentioned, many others that aren’t, and for everyone who made Bridging Innovation possible.
It’s real, right here in West Virginia, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.