Founding Partners
A partnership between Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke City, and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council.
3rd Annual RAMP-in-Residence Demo Day – September 9
Join us for our third annual Demo Day on Monday, September 9th. This event is designed to showcase the 2019 RAMP cohort companies. Event Details When: Monday, September 9, 2019 Where: Virginia Western Community College - Whitman Theater | 3095 Colonial Ave SW,...
2nd Annual RAMP-in-Residence Demo Day
Join us for our second annual Demo Day on Wednesday, October 3rd. This event is designed to showcase the RAMP cohort companies. When: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Where: Virginia Western Community College - Whitman Theater 3095 Colonial Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24015 Event...
Pitch & Polish
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council and RAMP are pleased to present Pitch & Polish sessions for area Technology Start-Ups. Pitch & Polish clinics provide a valuable opportunity to pitch your business idea to a team of regional experts who want to help...
RAMP Wrap Party – January 4
You are invited to join us as we celebrate the conclusion of our first cohort with a RAMP Wrap Party! Drop by to congratulate the cohort and stick around to network with the companies. Help us wrap up our time with the first RAMP cohort in the New Year! Date:...
RAMP Helps Promising Startups Focus on the Business Side of Doing Business
RAMP held its first “Demo Day” at Virginia Western Community College last week, with each business given a few minutes to share what it’s been doing. The event drew about 120 people from the business community, a mix of professionals involved with RAMP, economic...
RAMP Demo Day – Sept. 11
A first-of-its kind Demo Day and reception is being hosted by the Roanoke-Blacksburg, Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program (RAMP) on September 11. This event is designed to showcase the the inaugural RAMP program cohort companies. When: Monday, September 11,...
Ask the Cohort: Volatia
Volatia is a full-service language service company, providing on-site, over the telephone, and remote video interpretation and translation services in more than 280 languages. Volatia is led by Baraka Kasongo, recently recognized with the Regional Entrepreneur award...
Ask the Cohort: Flex Metrics
Flex Metrics by SoftSolutions is led by Jay Foster. The company has been providing real-time production visibility technology for print, packaging, and manufacturing industries for almost 20 years. What are you working on now/next? Jay Foster: We are focused upon...
Ask the Cohort: DESA
DESA is a health care analytics and Telehealth company led by Jonathan Briganti, Dr. Anne Brown, Brian Elliott and David Trinkle, MD. They are developing a way for assessments, that are normally done inside a doctor’s office, to be done remotely on a digital medium in...
Ask the Cohort: Autonomous Flight Technologies, Inc.
Autonomous Flight Technologies, Inc. (AFT) focuses on the advancement of small commercial aircraft related to the UAV/UAS industry. AFT, led by Josh May, is licensed to use drones for commercial purposes. What motivated and inspired you to start your company? Josh...
RAMP Business Accelerator to Foster Growth of Region’s High-potential Startups
(PRESS RELEASE) June 29, 2016
Propelling high-potential startups to expand and create jobs is the goal of RAMP, a new technology business accelerator program set to launch in early 2017 in downtown Roanoke.
Entrepreneurs who seek to scale up their companies will apply to participate in RAMP, which stands for “Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program”. The program will be housed in the historic Gill Memorial Hospital building at 709 S. Jefferson St., along the recently announced downtown Health Sciences and Technology Innovation District. Support for RAMP comes from a broad public/private partnership that draws on leaders in higher education, government, and the region’s growing technology community. RAMP founding partners include:
- The City of Roanoke, which won a $600,000 state grant approved by Gov. Terry McAuliffe to renovate the Gill building as an accelerator;
- Virginia Western Community College, which will provide business education classes and faculty support;
- The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, whose members lead the RAMP Advisory Board and will develop the accelerator’s mentorship and networking initiatives;
“The breadth of this partnership demonstrates that many people recognize the need for a business accelerator in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region,” said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western Community College and a Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation Network (RBIN) director. “We believe we can grow and keep our talent, whether it’s in information technology, advanced manufacturing, biosciences or other entrepreneurial efforts.”
Woods Rogers law firm pledges $50,000 to support new
RAMP business accelerator
(PRESS RELEASE) February 15, 2017
The Virginia law firm of Wood Rogers PLC will donate $50,000 to the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation in support of the new RAMP technology business accelerator opening in downtown Roanoke. Under a five year agreement, Woods Rogers will contribute $10,000 per year to RAMP beginning in 2017 and concluding in 2021.
The Educational Foundation is a nonprofit organization associated with Virginia Western Community College, which will provide business education programming at RAMP, located in the old Gill Memorial Hospital building at 709 S. Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke.
“The Educational Foundation is proud to support the RAMP initiative and its mission to create jobs in Roanoke,” said Dr. Angela M. Garcia Falconetti, Executive Director of the Educational Foundation and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Virginia Western Community College. “RAMP provides an example of the direct role that institutions of higher education can play in economic development.”
RAMP’s mission is to propel high-potential startups to expand and create jobs in the STEM-H (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health) fields. Other partners in the initiative include the City of Roanoke, which won a state grant to complete renovations on the historical Gill Memorial site; and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, which will recruit RAMP participants and provide them mentorship and networking opportunities.
RAMP: IN THE NEWS
New business accelerator could ramp up Roanoke, New River valleys
– The Roanoke Times | June 29, 2016
Roanoke RAMP program aims to foster technology startups
WSLS 10 | June 29, 2016
RAMP business accelerator to foster growth of region’s high-potential startups
– The Roanoke Times | July 8, 2016
Whitt: Ramping up tech entrepreneurs
– The Roanoke Times | August 28, 2016
RAMP startup accelerator lands $40,000 grant to train entrepreneurs
– The Roanoke Times | November 16, 2016
Startup accelerator opens application window for first entrepreneurs
– The Roanoke Times | February 2, 2017
RAMP offices opening Roanoke’s Gill Memorial building
– VirginiaFirst.com | February 3, 2017
STEM-H business accelerator receives money to help start-up businesses
– WSLS10 | February 15, 2017
Woods Rogers pledges $50,000 to accelerator
– Virginia Business Magazine | February 15, 2017
RAMP: Renovations Began | June 29, 2016
RAMP Sponsors
