STARTUP VIRGINIA EDUCATON

Entrepreneurs face unique challenges daily. Our education programs are designed to cover an array of topics relevant to current issues.

To view upcoming virtual events, visit our Virtual Resource Guide.

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Entrepreneur Certificate Course

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Idea Factory

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Workshops

(members only)

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Mentor Network

(members only)

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Leadership Training

(members only)

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Founders Roundtables

(members only)

Entrepreneur Certificate Course

A comprehensive 9-class series designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully start or grow your business.

The Entrepreneur Certificate Course is an online program developed in partnership with Startup Virginia mentors; industry experts who work closely with startups, and many of which are entrepreneurs themselves. Those who complete the course will receive an entrepreneur certificate to celebrate their achievement. In addition, registrants receive lifetime access to the course, plus any future updates and enhancements.

Cost:

The course is $395 for unlimited and lifelong access including any additions or enhancements made in the future.

Startup Virginia never wants cost to be a barrier to accessing this course, so we will extend scholarships to anyone needing financial assistance. Scholarships can be requested here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D587HBX

In order to receive the certificate, participants are required to complete the following classes:

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Define Your Idea

Develop the right business model and challenge your assumptions by completing a business model canvas.

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Establish Your Value Proposition

Identify the core value you provide your target customers which in turn will drive them to choose you over your competitors.

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Validate Your Customer Acquisition Strategy

Pinpoint your target customers – who they are, what they want, what drives their decisions – and create customer personas to drive your design process.

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Create Your Marketing Strategy

Take your product or service to market by gaining an understanding of the best practices and tools available to you.

Leverage the Startup Sales Playbook

Define your strategy and fine-tune your sales process so leads turn into customers.

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Understand Startup Finance

Dive into the importance of your numbers and learn financial concepts needed for a startup.

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Develop Legal Strategies

Get insight into key legal issues that startups often overlook. 

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Discover Funding Options in Virginia

Review which funding sources are available and optimal for your business.

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Design Your Pitch Deck

Learn how to present your business plan to potential partners, investors, and customers.

Idea Factory

A 6-week program where you’ll learn how to test, improve, and validate your idea and get ready to create a product experiment.

The Idea Factory exists to (1) lead aspiring founders through the process of testing, refining, and validating their ideas, (2) provide new opportunities for those who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19, and (3) enhance our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and economy by building a more diverse and equitable founder community.

The Idea Factory is for anyone in the Central Virginia area with a technology-driven or manufacturing-based business idea. The 6-week program provides training, resources, and support to test your idea and help you decide whether you are ready to take the next steps towards becoming an entrepreneur.

Cost:

The program fee is $500, with need-based scholarships available.

Visit our Idea Factory page for more details and to apply.

Workshops

Startup Virginia curates programs to meet the current business needs of our members.

Our member startups benefit from startup-focused programming, including workshops that address specific business needs and holistic programs that help founders develop leadership skills, work on company culture, practice mindfulness, and build community.

Examples of past workshops:

  • Be Your Own Publicist with Golden Word
  • Breaking Down Investor Funding with Kaleo Legal
  • Building the Right Tech Strategy with ThinkNimble
  • Fundraising 201: Raising a Seed Round Efficiently with AWS
  • Get to Know the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)
  • Grow and Get Investors Fired Up w/ Digital Marketing with Workshop Digital
  • Influencer Marketing Strategy
  • Opportunity Zones & Taxes
    with Williams Mullen
  • Pitch Deck Hothouse: Build or Revamp Your Presentation in One Day

Startup Virginia members benefit from the following:

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Sharing Knowledge & Expertise
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Getting Objective Feedback
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Exposure to Different Viewpoints
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Asking Questions
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Strategic Goal Setting

Cost:

Startup Virginia Members - Free
*This is available to Startup Virginia members only.

Mentor Network

Connecting members with knowledgeable professionals who provide guidance, one-on-one coaching and business know-how.

Startup Virginia’s Mentor Network includes an exceptional lineup of successful entrepreneurs, industry experts and discerning investors, who act as partners for each of our members on their startup journey. Building relationships with individuals who understand what it takes to launch and sustain a startup is an invaluable experience that is as meaningful as it is productive.

Startup Virginia mentors offer the following:

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Office Hours
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Roundtable Discussions
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Educational Workshops
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Leadership Coaching
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Strategic Goal Setting

Cost:

Startup Virginia Members - Free
*This is available to Startup Virginia members only.

Leadership Training

Equipping members with the self-awareness and self-confidence to build and lead a sustainable business.

Startup Virginia’s Values Based Leadership Development is an introduction to personal effectiveness training through the lens of emotional intelligence and business aptitude. After a thorough orientation, startup founders and their teams undergo an online assignment and quarterly workshops that help them increase self-understanding, enhance communication, and develop an intentional company culture.

Startup Virginia members are required to complete the following:

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Member Orientation
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Online Assignment
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Quarterly Workshops

Cost:

Startup Virginia Members - Free
*This is available to Startup Virginia members only.

Founders, EdTech + Sales Roundtables

Cultivating a way to bring members together to discuss the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Startup Virginia’s Founders Roundtable discussions are designed to encourage an open dialogue among members on the startup journey. Small groups of diverse founders meet monthly to participate in structured, confidential discussions about the professional and personal challenges of operating a startup.

Our EdTech and Sales Roundtable discussions provide members an opportunity to meet regularly with others in the community and leverage collective knowledge to help grow their startups.

Startup Virginia members benefit from the following:

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Sharing Knowledge & Expertise
Illustration for Viewpoints
Exposure to Different Viewpoints
Illustration for Asking Questions
Asking Questions
Illustration for Objective Feedback
Getting Objective Feedback
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Brainstorming & Problem Solving

Cost:

Startup Virginia Members - Free
*This is available to Startup Virginia members only.