Hampton Roads Business Ecosystem Revolution: HR BIZWHEEL Partnership

October 15, 2022

HR BIZWHEEL is a new, multi-part regional business program enabled through a collaborative effort of the Hampton Roads Innovation Collaborative and STARTWHEEL. HR BIZWHEEL will offer a full-function regional business (tech and non-tech) ecosystem web portal with supporting business activities. HR BIZWHEEL leverages an enhanced STARTWHEEL system to help put Hampton Roads on the state, country, and international maps.

Goal 1: HR BIZWHEEL will be a one-stop resource to learn about the Hampton Roads Business Ecosystem and will be offered as an available asset for any/all regional groups who wish to leverage it. These could be intra-regional entities seeking to maximize their business potential, but equally important, those extra-regional entities who are evaluating our region as a location for their business.

Goal 2: Showcase and market the presence, depth, and breadth of our regional assets (companies, resources, education, science, industry, all) for lead generation and business development purposes.

Goal 3: Create easy access for the world economy to do business with Hampton Roads while demonstrating the breadth and depth of our regional business ecosystem.

Dan Bell, Chairman of HRIC, stated, “Working with the STARTWHEEL Team has been an excellent experience and one that provides for expanded collaboration and new idea generation. The STARTWHEEL web portal was already a successful platform which translated to less effort and cost needed to take the project to the desired HR BIZWHEEL level. The end result will be a tremendous new and re-defined asset for the region’s economic interests.”

Tim Ryan, Executive Director of STARTWHEEL, added: “The partnership between STARTWHEEL and HRIC is a natural fit. Many of the startups within our various ecosystems are looking for connections to the more established businesses in our region. HR BIZWHEEL is the platform to make those connections a reality.”

The larger HR BIZWHEEL program will officially launch in Q4/2022. However, a part of the program has already been launched as of Q3/2022. HR BIZWHEEL Quarterly is a new quarterly business expo and networking series. It will provide an opportunity to gather, celebrate business successes, learn more about the regional business strength, and make new contacts. HR BIZWHEEL Quarterly is all-region and will alternate between the Peninsula and South Hampton Roads in the region’s various localities.

• Launched in Q3/22 at 757 Makerspace located at Fort Monroe in Hampton, seventy people were in attendance to learn more about that business, as well as to network and meet new business contacts.
• The next event will be in Q4/22 and will showcase DroneUp in VA Beach to celebrate their success and network for new business contacts. Register to attend here.
• 2023 program planning is already underway with four planned events (alternating two on the Peninsula and two on the Southside).

Press Release

Contact Dan Bell to learn more about all the HR BIZWHEEL activities and how to participate.