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Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia Ecosystem Development Case Studies September 2018 EntreWorks Consulting with the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness 1 About This Report This report was prepared under contract to the Appalachian Regional Commission on a project entitled Documenting and Strengthening Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia (CO-18608-2016). The project was led by EntreWorks Consulting, in partnership with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. www.arc.gov The case studies and related analysis were written by Erik R. Pages (EntreWorks Consulting), Deborah Markley (Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness’ Cathy Katona and Lindsay Johnson. We are grateful to our partners at the Appalachian Regional Commission and the many committed ecosystem builders around Appalachia who helped with this research, but more importantly are working to nurture Appalachia’s entrepreneurs. This report is part of larger project entitled Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia. Additional project materials can be accessed at www.arc.gov, as well as the project’s website at: http://arceco.creconline.org. 2 Contents About This Report ..............................................................................................................................2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................6 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Asheville, North Carolina .......................... 13 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 13 Asheville: A Data Snapshot .................................................................................................................... 14 Asheville’s History of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development ........................................................... 14 Assessment of Asheville’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ........................................................................... 16 Asheville: A Summary Assessment ........................................................................................................ 22 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 24 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Athens, Ohio ........................................... 27 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 27 Athens: A Data Snapshot ........................................................................................................................ 28 Athens: A History of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development ............................................................ 28 Assessment of Athens’ Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ............................................................................... 31 Summary Assessment of the Athens Ohio Ecosystem............................................................................ 38 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 39 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Cattaraugus County, NY ............................ 41 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 41 Cattaraugus County: An Entrepreneurship Data Snapshot ................................................................... 42 Cattaraugus County: A History of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development ....................................... 42 Assessment of Cattaraugus County’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ......................................................... 45 The Cattaraugus County Ecosystem: A Summary Assessment .............................................................. 52 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 52 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Chattanooga, Tennessee .......................... 54 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 54 Chattanooga: A Data Snapshot .............................................................................................................. 55 History of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development ............................................................................. 55 Assessment of Chattanooga’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem .................................................................... 59 Chattanooga: A Summary Assessment ................................................................................................... 65 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 68 3 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of New River Gorge/Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia ............................................................................................................................................ 70 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 70 New River Gorge/Greenbrier Valley: A Data Snapshot .......................................................................... 71 New River Gorge/Greenbrier Valley West Virginia: Entrepreneurial Legacies ...................................... 72 The New River Gorge/Greenbrier Valley Ecosystem in 2017 ................................................................. 73 New River Gorge/Greenbrier Valley: An Ecosystem Assessment .......................................................... 81 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 82 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of The Shoals Region of Alabama .................. 84 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 84 The Shoals Region: A Data Snapshot ..................................................................................................... 85 Shoals Region Entrepreneurial Legacies ................................................................................................. 86 The Shoals Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in 2017 ...................................................................................... 90 The Shoals Region: An Ecosystem Assessment ....................................................................................... 93 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ........................................................................... 94 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Garrett County, Maryland ........................ 97 Description of the Place .......................................................................................................................... 97 Garrett County: A Data Snapshot........................................................................................................... 98 History of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development in Western Maryland .......................................... 98 Assessment of the Mountain Maryland Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ................................................... 101 The Garrett County Ecosystem: A Summary Assessment .................................................................... 104 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ......................................................................... 105 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia: Case Study of Southwest Virginia ................................. 106 Description of the Place ........................................................................................................................ 106 Southwest Virginia: A Data Snapshot .................................................................................................. 107 Southwest Virginia’s Entrepreneurial Legacies ..................................................................................... 107 Building Southwest Virginia’s Regional Ecosystem: A History ............................................................. 108 Southwest Virginia’s Ecosystem: A Summary Assessment .................................................................. 114 Lessons Learned for Other Communities and Regions ......................................................................... 116 4 5 Introduction The news media and others regularly speak of Appalachia as a singular place, but local people and more informed observers know that Appalachia is a diverse and complex region that does not easily lend itself to a single
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