Charleston, WV – May 21, 2025 – Advantage Valley, Inc., a regional economic development organization serving the nine-county Charleston-Huntington Metro Region, will host a free Business Certification Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM at the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO), located at 916 5th Ave, Suite 400, Huntington, WV.
Titled “Opportunity Unlock,” the event is designed to help women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses understand how business certifications can open doors to new market opportunities—including exclusive government and corporate contracts, supplier diversity programs, and expanded customer bases. The event will showcase the program which offers up to 10 hours of free one-on-one coaching sessions with our certification expert, who will navigate the application process for each business and help them fully leverage the new designation for business growth.
“We know the certification process can be time-consuming, costly, and complex, so Advantage Valley is simplifying it,” said Terrell Ellis, President & CEO of Advantage Valley. “If you’re a woman, person of color, or veteran business owner looking to grow your business, this workshop is an excellent starting point.”
The featured speaker is Samantha (Sammi) Williams, founder and CEO of 628 Digital Design, a certified minority-, woman-, and Black-owned small business—and a B Corp—specializing in helping businesses earn and leverage certifications. Williams will provide a comprehensive introduction to the different certification types and how they can position small businesses for growth.
“My goal is to help small businesses use certifications to market themselves to federal agencies and corporate buyers,” said Williams. “The government and corporations buy everything—you just need to know how to get in the door. If you’re a small, minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned business, I encourage you to come and learn how certification can help grow your business.”
This Lunch & Learn is the second in a series of certification events made possible by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER Grant awarded to Advantage Valley in support of its Expanding Markets program. This three-year initiative is designed to increase business resilience and drive growth in the manufacturing and business services sectors by helping small businesses access new customers and strengthen their supply chain potential.
Contact Advantage Valley at (304) 352-1165 for more information. Register for Advantage Valley’s Lunch & Learn here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=MGw0Zg_k0UeTdJ34XUWZ_Wq2A4mGWo1IgNLkawgYO6xUNTQyVE44UDI4VDIySlFZOUFSUVkzSFZIOS4u
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Advantage Valley, Inc. is a regional economic development organization whose mission is to grow economic opportunity in the Charleston-Huntington Metro Area by increasing investment in the region, leveraging resources, and building collaboration among community stakeholders.
CONTACT:
Terrell Ellis, President & CEO, Advantage Valley (304) 546-7323
Marjorie Cooke, Director of Marketing & Communications, Advantage Valley (304) 541-9657
