With nearly two decades under its belt, NEXT’s efforts to support an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greenville have paid dividends. But to push that ecosystem to new levels of success will require the organization to tighten its focus, says Executive Director Eric Weissmann.
Since its founding in 2006, NEXT has made progress in developing a suite of services to support startups to help them grow and succeed. It has also worked diligently to connect those entrepreneurs to the capital they need to grow through events like the NEXT Venture Summit, now entering its eighth year.
Weissmann says NEXT has done a good job “widening the funnel” to attract the broadest possible pool of entrepreneurs and provide them the tools they need to get started. The next phase for the organization will likely involve tightening the focus and targeting resources on companies and company leaders who have the greatest potential for growth and success.
“What we want to be is the ‘finishing school’ for entrepreneurs who’ve shown they can grow and succeed,” Weissmann says.
One of the tools developed to help toward that goal is the NEXT Founders Forum, a monthly educational series addressing topics common to all startups, taught by subject-matter experts.
Weissmann says the NEXT team will look at increasing the number of regional investors who take part in the Venture Summit and the time those and other investors spend with entrepreneurs at the summit.
Other NEXT current or upcoming programs include:
- Startup accelerator program — This will offer a concentrated 10-week curriculum for tech-oriented companies, to be taught by successful local founders and business leaders
- #StartupGVL Launchpad — Coming in early April, this event will showcase and help launch a selection of early-stage businesses
- NEXT Venture Summit — This signature fall event connects growing startups with investors and a variety of business leaders and experts
