Strome Entrepreneurial Center Event to Kickoff Growth4VA Regional Campaign

October 13, 2017

A company expo at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center

Old Dominion University will host the Growth4VA Regional Campaign Kickoff on Oct. 18 at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center. The campaign was recently launched by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council to promote reform and reinvestment in Virginia's nationally-acclaimed higher education system as a way to help improve the state's economy.

The 9:30 a.m. program, which is being held in the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, will include remarks by Old Dominion President John R. Broderick; Del. Matthew James; Nancy Grden, executive director of the University's Strome Entrepreneurial Center; and G. Gilmer "Gil" Minor, III, chairman of the Growth4VA board of directors. Kay Brown, an ODU alumna and veteran entrepreneur, will also speak on the benefits she received from coaching and other services at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center. A student expo will allow program attendees to learn more about the products and services developed by students, faculty and staff entrepreneurs at the Strome Entrepreneurial Center.

The Strome Entrepreneurial Center is located in the University's Visual Arts building, directly across 49th Street from the stadium garage, on ODU's Norfolk campus.

Growth4VA is comprised of a broad-based bipartisan coalition of business, education and political leaders as well as Virginians from all walks of life who believe higher education is a crucial economic engine for the Commonwealth. It is supported by all 16 public colleges and universities in Virginia as well as the Virginia Community College System.

During the 100-day Growth4VA campaign, the coalition will highlight economic and educational opportunities across the Commonwealth while offering practical policy ideas and creative ways to achieve Growth4VA's strategic goals:

• Making Virginia the top state for talent;
• Becoming recognized as the home of innovators and entrepreneurs;
• Preparing Virginians for great jobs and great lives; and
• Providing affordable access for all Virginians.

Virginia Secretary of Education Dietra Trent joined George Mason University President Angel Cabrera, chair of the state's public colleges Council of Presidents, in endorsing the Growth4VA initiative.

"A major reason for our current educational excellence in Virginia is bipartisan collaboration by our political leaders and a strong partnership between the business and higher education communities," Trent and Cabrera said in a joint statement. "By setting bold goals and working together, we have successfully launched major initiatives over the past four years that will benefit our students and our economy, such as increasing the number of Virginians with industry-recognized workforce credentials through the New Virginia Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program, promoting academic research through the Virginia Research Investment Fund and improving affordability through the largest-ever increase in need-based financial aid."

For more information about the campaign, visit the Growth4VA website.