AdvantageWest Economic Summit
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An initiative of the AdvantageWest Economic Development Group, the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council is a nurturing organization for entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina, creating homegrown jobs and growing the region's economy.

BREC supports entrepreneurs through the following four focus areas: education, mentoring and networking, communications and capital formation. BREC meets monthly, and provides quarterly opportunities for qualified entrepreneurial businesses to present plans before a group of local investors, the Blue Ridge Angel Investors Network.

Blue Ridge Biofuels wins break-through business competition
Blue Ridge Biofuels won first place and $5,000 in the first Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council Break-Through Business Challenge.

Yancey County earns status as the tenth Certified Entrepreneurial Community in the country
Unique program recognizes documented commitment to encourage and support entrepreneurship

Poland puts entrepreneurs through their paces
Steve Poland Director of Technology Commercialization Center at AB Tech Enka Campus looks for entrepreneurs who are passionate about a technology or a service or a product and about building a business.