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Wheeling Heritage and Bridgeway Capital Celebrate Local Creative Entrepreneurship with ACRE Wheeling Graduation Event

Wheeling Heritage invites the community to celebrate the accomplishments of the inaugural cohort of the Alliance for Creative Rural Economies (ACRE) program. The event will be held on Thursday, April 18 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Wheeling Artisan Center Gallery (1400 Main Street, Wheeling, WV).

The ACRE program, brought to Wheeling by Bridgeway Capital, has been instrumental in fostering creativity-driven economic development throughout Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia. Over the past year, fourteen dedicated individuals participated in intensive training and mentorship, honing their business skills and charting pathways to greater success and sustainability.

“Working with these creative entrepreneurs and Wheeling Heritage has been a pleasure,” states Adam Kenney, managing director of programs at Bridgeway. “They all have solid plans for the future, and want to grow in ways that support Wheeling’s revitalization.”

At the ACRE Wheeling Graduation event, nine top participants who completed the program will reflect on their experience and share how their businesses have evolved as a result of the program. Those individuals include:

  • Tina Rush, North Fork Jewelry Design
  • Becky Cochran, Becky’s Custom Sewing and Alterations
  • Natalie Kovacs, Shapelessflame
  • Emily Rouse, Edgington Studio
  • Mindi Yarbrough, Wild Heart Arts
  • Jes Reger Davis, The Painters Nest
  • Amanda Carney, Cats Paw Art Studio
  • Beth and Adam Bedway, East Wheeling Clayworks

Wheeling ACRE was supported by Wheeling Heritage and the Regional Economic Development Partnership, who helped recruit and assemble the initial cohort and provided meeting space throughout the program’s duration. The program was funded by the Community Foundation of the Ohio Valley and The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

“As an organization dedicated to both entrepreneurship and the arts, supporting the ACRE program in Wheeling was an easy decision,” said Alex Panas, director of heritage programming for Wheeling Heritage. “We have been so impressed with the caliber and quality of resources that Bridgeway Capital has made available to the ACRE Wheeling cohort. We are so proud of all of the participants and cannot wait to see how their businesses continue to grow and make a positive impact on our community by using the skills gained through this program.”

The ACRE Wheeling Graduation event provides an opportunity for the community to meet and celebrate with the program participants and learn more about the products and services they offer. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.

For more information about the creative entrepreneurs and the ACRE Wheeling cohort, visit https://www.acrepartners.org/wheeling/. Attendees are asked to RSVP and can do so by visiting https://www.acrepartners.org/the-events/.

About Wheeling Heritage:

Wheeling Heritage is a catalyst for the revitalization of Wheeling. Through historic preservation, community development, and the arts, we help to tell Wheeling’s story and shape its future. We seek to improve the quality of life in Wheeling by preserving and investing in our city, collaborating with others, and engaging the citizens of Wheeling in our work.

About Bridgeway Capital:

Bridgeway Capital is a mission-driven lender, a nonprofit alternative to banks that lends to small businesses, nonprofits and real estate projects that have a positive community impact. As a Community Development Financial institution (CDFI), Bridgeway is certified by the U.S. Treasury. Since 1990, Bridgeway has invested more than $250 million in communities across the region, with over 90% of the funding provided to low-income communities. As a social impact investor, Bridgeway focuses on equitable economic growth in underserved areas by providing impact-driven lending and programs to grow businesses and revitalize places. For more information, visit www.bridgewaycapital.org.

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