Dear Reader,

As my first year at TechConnect WV comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what this experience has taught me—and, just as importantly, what it has reaffirmed about the power of innovation in West Virginia. Stepping into this role has been both energizing and humbling. Every day, I see firsthand how much potential our state holds when talented people are given the networks, resources, and encouragement they need to bring bold ideas to life.

What’s surprised me most, though, is how much leading a nonprofit feels like building a startup. At its heart, this work requires the same entrepreneurial spirit: the ability to see an opportunity where others might overlook one, to bring people together around a vision, and to pursue that vision with both urgency and persistence.

That realization has shaped how I approach my role at TechConnect—and how I think about the work we’re doing to grow West Virginia’s tech economy.

The Nonprofit—Founder Parallel

Or, "Yes, We're Raising."

Solving real-world problems for customers.

Operating quickly and stealthily.

Building trust, risk, and capital.

Rallying stakeholders behind a mission.

And yes—raising.

Depending on which world you live or work in, I might be describing a nonprofit leader or a high-growth startup founder.

I’ve been both.

When I stepped into the role of Executive Director at TechConnect WV, I knew the job would require plenty of strategic thinking, some political savvy, a deep love for the work, and functional knowledge of technology and economic development. What I didn’t expect—but maybe I should have—is that I’d feel like a founder again.

I started 2025 building a mission and strategic plan nearly from scratch. I’ve spent the rest of the year rallying people around the vision that was developed as part of that strategic plan. And I’m actively raising funds to execute on it.

My work feels very entrepreneurial (which I love!)—I spend my days crafting strategy, storytelling about our work and the people it leads me to, and I am constantly pitching.

My nonprofit pitch sounds a little different, but when I reframed it in my head as a pitch instead of just chasing grants, everything changed.

I’m pitching to support a mission I care about with capital and to fund my own salary—just like I have as a founder, co-founder, and founding team member at for-profit startups.

Instead of “TechConnect WV is building an optimized workflow for West Virginia’s tech economy,” I say “TechConnect WV strengthens West Virginia’s tech ecosystem by empowering innovation and collaboration to create lasting economic opportunity.”

But it’s still a pitch.

I’m still selling the problem, why it matters, our solution, and what we can do if we have the resources. It still requires clarity of vision, evidence of traction, and a big ask.

There’s no IPO at the end of a nonprofit’s rainbow, but there is real impact.

In our case, there are founders who can finally stay in-state because there’s a support system for their company.

There are dreamers who can build their businesses here because they have the assistance to make that happen.

There are students who find a pathway into tech careers that didn’t exist five years ago.

There are policies that shift and funding that flows and doors the open, because someone built the connective tissue to make it possible.

At TechConnect West Virginia, our core mission is to advance innovation and technology-based economic development in West Virginia.

This year, we’ve done that by providing one-on-one entrepreneur support to dozens of founders around the state who have advanced their companies and products. We’ve advocated for a supportive environment for all entrepreneurs in the state and crafted a strategic plan that intentionally fills the gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and addresses barriers specific to those in tech. In partnership with Generation West Virginia, we’ve built the state’s first tech job board, which gives tech talent a place to look for jobs and WV companies a place to connect with skilled workers.

We have so much more to build in order to make WV a place where tech and innovation thrive.

And just like a scrappy startup—we’re raising.

We’re looking for funders who believe in what we’re doing, who see potential in a place like West Virginia, and who understand that innovation doesn’t only happen in coastal cities or perfect pitch decks.

Innovation happens in the hollers of Appalachia, in community colleges and county libraries, in makerspaces and mom-and-pop shops. It happens in coalfields and cloud servers and coffee shops where someone just started sketching a better idea for how to solve a decades-old problem.

West Virginia deserves innovation and, for so many reasons, is the right place to house it. We’re committed to making it happen by supporting tech entrepreneurs for years to come.

So yes—we’re raising. But more than that, we’re inviting you to help. If you want to become part of building something that will outlast all of us, let’s talk.