Entrepreneurship is the backbone of West Virginia’s economy, fueling innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of our communities.
As we celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week from February 15-22, we recognize the hard-working entrepreneurs and small business owners who take risks, bring ideas to life, and drive our state forward. National Entrepreneurship Week is the perfect time to celebrate and recognize the resilience and ingenuity of our business owners and to further our commitment to building an environment that helps new businesses emerge and thrive.
Chartered by Congress in 2006 and relaunched by West Virginia natives Joe Kapp and Amber Ravenscroft, National Entrepreneurship Week is intended to educate and promote entrepreneurship resources, funding, and tools. It fills me with pride that this important initiative has been championed since 2017 by two of our state’s very own at the national level.
West Virginia’s entrepreneurial strength is built on many key factors. Chief among them are access to funding solutions, the availability of a skilled workforce, simplified business regulations, physical infrastructure, and creative approaches. West Virginia must continue our efforts in these areas to foster a stronger entrepreneurial environment.
For any entrepreneur, access to capital is critical. West Virginia has expanded loan and grant opportunities, but we can do more to connect entrepreneurs with investment opportunities and encourage public-private partnerships. West Virginia programs hosted by the Secretary of State’s Office, such as the Boots to Business and Young Entrepreneur Fee Waivers, help offset business startup costs by waiving registration and filing fees for those who qualify for the programs.
A strong workforce is essential to entrepreneurship and our economy. West Virginia is making strides in this area through apprenticeships, STEM education initiatives, and workforce retraining programs. I want to work with West Virginia leaders to continue the state’s investment in education and job training to ensure that we meet the needs of tomorrow’s businesses.
Equally critical to a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem is a culture of innovation and sustainability. Entrepreneurship fundamentally depends on innovation. We must create and maintain conditions that allow businesses to scale and sustain their competitiveness over time. When we invest in sustainability, entrepreneurs find future planning easier because they know the government will support economic growth through time.
Startup businesses benefit greatly from business-friendly policies which include quick licensing procedures and decreased regulatory requirements together with tax benefits. West Virginia has come a long way, and we are well on our way to becoming one of the most entrepreneur-friendly states in the nation. By learning from top-performing states, improving access to capital, investing in workforce development, promoting sustainability and innovation, and supporting small businesses, we can surely continue this momentum.
I also want to take this opportunity to recognize the importance of the WV Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (WVEE). The WV Secretary of State’s Office is proud to have been a founding member of the WVEE that now boasts more than 160 members statewide – all working together to encourage and support small business owners and entrepreneurs.
This National Entrepreneurship Week, let’s celebrate our entrepreneurs, recognize our progress, and commit to making West Virginia an even stronger hub for innovation, economic growth, and business success.
Kris Warner
WV Secretary of State
WV Secretary of State Kris Warner is a small business owner and entrepreneur that developed enterprise centers in Monongalia, Preston and Barbour counties. Prior to being elected the state’s 31st Secretary of State in 2024, he served as WV State Director of the USDA Rural Development and Executive Director of the WV Economic Development Authority. Secretary Warner and his wife, Joyce, are residents of Kanawha County. They are the parents of five children – two sons and three daughters – all of whom attended or are attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. They have four grandchildren.
