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MADE X MTNS Announces First Awardees of the Building Outdoor Communities “Planning and Capacity Building” Grants

Funds six outdoor community and economic development projects that catalyze rural development across Western North Carolina.   WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA — SEPTEMBER 8, 2023—The MADE X MTNS (Made By Mountains) Partnership is thrilled to announce the first round of grant recipients in its Building Outdoor Communities Program. The six grantees in this initial round of…

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“Connecting the Ecosystem” Takes Center Stage at 2023 Outdoor Economy Conference, September 18-21

The largest national convening of outdoor economy stakeholders returns to Cherokee, NC.   WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA — SEPTEMBER 6, 2023—The highly anticipated 5th Annual Outdoor Economy Conference kicks off in Western North Carolina from September 18-21. Industry leaders, trailblazers, and visionaries from across the nation will gather at the Cherokee Convention Center in Cherokee, NC,…

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2023 Local Business Impact Survey: Insights from 400+ WNC Small Businesses

Entrepreneurial Perspectives on Real Estate, B2B Connections, and Succession Planning in Western North Carolina Every summer, Mountain BizWorks conducts the Local Business Impact Survey to better understand the current state of small businesses in our region and to assess the impact of our programs. We began conducting this survey in 2016 in order to recognize…

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Mountain BizWorks Awarded Over $4 Million through CDFI Equitable Recovery Program Grant

Mountain BizWorks has been awarded a $4,015,719 Equitable Recovery Program Grant from the US Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). The CDFI Equitable Recovery Program is designed to provide funding to CDFIs to expand lending, grant making and investment activities in low- to moderate-income communities and borrowers that have experienced…

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Mountain BizWorks Welcomes 11 Outdoor-Focused Businesses into Fourth Cohort of its Waypoint Accelerator Program

The east-coast’s first outdoor accelerator welcomes its biggest cohort to date, providing mentorship and growth in its highly competitive program. WESTERN NC – OCTOBER 27, 2022 – Mountain BizWorks announces the 4th cohort of its annual Waypoint Accelerator Program, launching November 3rd, 2022 and continuing through March, 2023. The first of its kind on the…

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From Surviving to Thriving: Local Businesses Continue Steady, Albeit Uneven, Recovery From Pandemic

Summarized findings from the 2022 Local Business Impact Survey reflecting input from over 500 WNC small business owners Every summer, Mountain BizWorks conducts the WNC Local Business Impact Survey to better understand the current state of small business and to assess the impacts of our programs. This year’s survey again carried increased significance as local…

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