“Wheeling is brewing more than coffee…”
You might have seen this tagline making its rounds across social media recently, and for good reason! Three local community development groups—Wheeling Heritage, the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, and RED Partnership—are working in collaboration to launch an exciting new coffee-hour roundtable tailored specifically to entrepreneurs and small-business owners in the Ohio Valley.
The hour-long gathering, held on the first Monday morning of each month in the upstairs loft of Table 304, will offer a space for local business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to connect and share in a fresh way. The inaugural meeting on Monday, May 4th drew in 16 attendees for a discussion touching on the wins, challenges, and lessons learned from building their businesses. Then, following the more structured roundtable conversation, attendees had time to mingle more personally with one another; Swapping stories, asking questions, working together towards solutions, and sharing insights on what has made them successful so far.
Valerie Piko, the Program Development Manager at RED, says “I often hear entrepreneurs say that they would love to have time to connect with other like-minded business owners. Someone who they can bounce ideas off of, someone to refer resources, someone to help navigate challenges, etc. That’s exactly what Brewing Business is all about!”
Wheeling Heritage’s Director of Programming Riley Carpenter added, “Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is a key part of Wheeling Heritage’s mission and our Main Street approach to community revitalization. Programs like Brewing Business help create the kind of collaborative business community that strengthens our downtowns and neighborhoods. We’re excited to bring people together in a relaxed, welcoming space where partnerships can form and entrepreneurs can get to know each other and support one another, too! It’s exciting to think about how this initiative could continue to grow and help spark new energy throughout Wheeling. ”
Looking ahead, organizers of the event plan to bring in local speakers and business resources to help the attendees make connections, scale their businesses, and learn about the opportunities, allies, and support that exist in our local business sphere. So, if you run an established small business, or are looking to begin one, Brewing Business is an event worth showing up to. We hope to see you at the next one!
