A New Year’s Message from New CBIC Chair
I hope that you have all had a successful and restful finish to your 2022, and are now ready to seize the most from this new year.
As the new chair of the CBIC board, I write to briefly introduce myself, share my impressions of our local startup/innovation ecosystem, and suggest how CBIC plays a vital role therein.
A local business lawyer in the Charlottesville region, I represent a wide variety of startups and traditional/lifestyle businesses. I’ve met all sorts of founders, key employees, and investors along the way and have had a range of good and not so good experiences. I am grateful for my practice, relationships and experiences, and have a profound sense of admiration for the individuals who regularly display the courage necessary to do what it takes to start and/or run a business.
I see business client struggles, gains, setbacks, pivots and perseverance, which gives me great appreciation for the startup/innovation ecosystem that we have here in Central Virginia. I vow to never take it for granted. The various entrepreneur support organizations, business trade associations, local angel groups and individual investors, combined with the varying backgrounds of our business owners, founders and key employees, makes our “small” town rich in positive energy with robust support systems. In short, I have never seen a town our size with as much talent and support as we have right here in our region.
In my opinion, one of the center pieces of this positive energy is and has been for several decades, the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council, formerly known as the Virginia Piedmont Technology Council. Among other attributes, I believe CBIC’s elasticity largely contributes to its historical and continued greatness. CBIC bends and evolves with the times, being what it needs to be to deliver value to an ever-changing ecosystem.
Consider CBIC if you are trying to find: a co-founder, investors, employees, consultants, advisors, or companies in which to invest. Also consider us if you are trying to better understand a new and emerging industry or technology or if you want to mentor or advise the next generation of entrepreneurs. I have witnessed CBIC provide countless members, including myself in part, all of these benefits, both direct and indirect.
Despite my anecdotal observations and those of hundreds of other members, CBIC does not and should not guarantee any particular benefits to its members. You will never know for certain how CBIC will specifically serve you. But, being a part of CBIC, and wrestling with that unknown, allowing yourself to be vulnerable with other members, is the key toward finding your value in CBIC; and from my observation, you never know from where that value will come. It is my sincerest hope that you will be pleasantly surprised in time, if you have not already.
As we enter this new year, with so much news about the direction of our economy, now is as good of a time as any to connect or reconnect with CBIC. As many of our members know, our ecosystem and our work evolves rapidly. It is good to have a community of like-minded people in your corner and to be kept up-to-date as to emerging trends, insights, and opportunities. Please consider joining us at CBIC this year. Find your value from our organization. Opt-in to our newsletter to learn more about upcoming CBIC and ecosystem events scheduled throughout the year.
Happy new year and all the best to you and the work you do.
Justin A. Ritter
Chairman, CBIC Board of Directors