Hinton resident Diana Woods is the new director of the Beckley LaunchLab at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) in collaboration with the WV Hive.
Working with the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) and its entrepreneurship program, the WV Hive, Woods will administer the Beckley LaunchLab, connecting and utilizing services within WVU, WVU Tech and WV Hive to provide entrepreneurship support to the WVU Tech campus and community and throughout southern West Virginia.
“This position continues our collaboration with the WV Hive and the NRGRDA and allows us to continue to maximize resources and produce results for economic development in the region, and we are very optimistic about the substantial growth that we’ll see,” says Carolyn Long, WVU Tech Campus President.
Judy Moore, Executive Director of WV Hive, says, “Diana’s diverse experiences and knowledge of the state and region are winning combinations for both WVU Tech and WV Hive. The convergence of business development, higher education and workforce development come together in entrepreneurial start-ups, existing businesses, and robust job creation and retention.”
Woods, a Marshall University business administration graduate with a concentration in accounting and management, most recently worked for the West Virginia Conservation Agency. Prior to that, she held managerial, tax and accounting positions at WorkForce West Virginia, the REACHH 411 Family Resource Center, Choicepoint, Inc., and USF&G Insurance. Woods is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Long said the director of the Beckley LaunchLab will have the primary responsibility of further developing a collegiate entrepreneurship program on the WVU Tech campus designed to retain and prepare West Virginia talent to become successful business owners. “Diana will manage the daily operations of the LaunchLab and work to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship for the campus and community of WVU Tech,” she says. The Beckley LaunchLab director will also serve as the coordinator of resources between WVU’s Morgantown campus, the WVU Tech campus, NRGRDA/WV Hive and community-based partners in the area to ensure that entrepreneurs emerging from WVU Tech’s campus are poised for success and support of the entire ecosystem long after their career at WVU Tech is complete.
