Venture Central Board Announces Alex Andrew Selected for Key Leadership Role
Following a nationwide search, Venture Central, a long-envisioned collaborative project to support regional entrepreneurship, announced the selection of Alex Andrew to lead the organization as its first Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builder. Andrew will assist the board in developing and executing the strategies and goals of this innovative new 501c3 non-profit organization.
Sarah Rumbaugh, Chair of the Board of Directors, expressed her appreciation for the many individuals who applied for this position. “We were fortunate to engage with a broad range of talented ecosystem builders, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders to discuss this critical role. It was clear to the hiring committee that one candidate had the ideal blend of experience for the project at this time, and it was Alex. We are delighted he has agreed to step into this role and look forward to his formal start date of January 3, 2022.”
The founding partners of Venture Central are Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Virginia. Chris Engel, Director of Economic Development for the City of Charlottesville, noted the selection of Andrew was unanimous. “We are excited to move forward with Alex at the helm in 2022, and because he is already based right here in Charlottesville, he has a terrific opportunity to build upon the relationships he has already fostered in the entrepreneur community.”
Andrew has a broad array of experience in community building and entrepreneurship. Most recently, he designed and implemented an accelerator program for entrepreneurs at the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, which exceeded its five-year benchmarks in year one.
A US Army veteran and Foreign Service Officer, Andrew is an expert in entrepreneurial support and investment to achieve economic development impact, with experience in emerging and frontier markets in Asia and Latin America.
Andrew received his BA in International Relations at American University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School.
“Venture Central is a visionary concept, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build on the efforts that others have committed over the years," Andrew said. "We will be focusing on adding value to our business community through connections, resources and networks that will drive business growth. I’m looking forward to bringing Venture Central to fruition quickly.”
Venture Central has received support from GO (Growth and Opportunity) Virginia (www.GOVirginia.org), a statewide economic development initiative driving regional economic growth by incentivizing collaboration between business, education and local government through grant opportunities identified in regional Growth & Diversification Plans.
The GO Virginia Region 9 (www.GOVirginia9.org) footprint includes: the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Rappahannock. Additional support for Venture Central is provided by the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, the University of Virginia, and the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
For further information about Venture Central, info@venturecentralva.com.