PRESS RELEASE FROM AHMdigital.
Charleston, WV…One of West Virginia’s newest tech companies, AHMdigital, is pleased to announce it has developed an online portal for connecting entrepreneurs with those who can render assistance on numerous levels. AHMdigital‘s Founder, Charleston attorney and entrepreneur Harry Bell, announced today, “After over 30 years of practicing law and also investing in various enterprises, I saw an opening in West Virginia to connect entrepreneurs, startups with consultants, angel and seed round investors, as well as numerous agencies and organizations spread across West Virginia who want to help” Bell notes there are more than 40 to 50 different groups in West Virginia from government agencies, educational organizations and numerous other groups, many nonprofit, that purport to provide assistance to entrepreneurs as well as existing businesses, but as he says, “Where does an entrepreneur start? It is a constant question which arises and to which brings about much confusion as to where to go. We want to solve that and help.”
Through his digital company Almost Heaven Media, Bell has taken the best insight from InPlace Impact in Charleston SC at the College of Charleston started by Stuart Williams and worked in connections and knowledge gained through working on numerous investments through the Founder Institute in Palo Alto CA to bring ImpactWV.org online.
“We have reached out to over 70 different organizations and groups which offer services to entrepreneurs and businesses and asked them to participate. We want these silos to share what it is they do best, from advanced manufacturing consulting, to business plan development, to marketing analysis, financing and legal to share so that we can properly connect the entrepreneurs with the right silo.” How it works: Every organization, group, school, government agency, nonprofit and for-profit that is purporting to help entrepreneurs in West Virginia needs to be listed here at www.impactWV.org. The aspiring entrepreneur should look at ImpactWV.org as a single point resource for information, but even more so, upon completing a simple inquiry, that inquiry gets routed to ImpactWV team and advisers who can help suggest and direct the entrepreneurs to the best possible resource.
We want to this be fast, efficient and very effective to get answers quickly. What is in it for the groups and organizations who already are helping? You get better candidates more particularly directed to the right group. A retail store, for example, may have no need for advanced 3D printing assistance, but a small aerospace startup may. So many of the silos, as Bell calls them, may be good in their “spaces” but not be good at others. We want to break that down. Last year AHMdigital hosted ImpactWV 1.0 conference at The Greenbrier with a small invited group of organizations and educational organizations. The featured speaker, Stuart Williams, gave a passionate explanation of making a difference while making a profit, something that Dean Javier Reyes of the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics heartily agreed with.
Recently back from a visit to the Founder Institute in Palo Alto, Bell emphasized the incredible worldwide diversity of investment opportunities brought forth thanks to the visionary leadership of Adeo Ressi. “I am very impressed with the vetting and educational process offered by startups going through the Founder Institute programs worldwide. Having invested in over 75 FI graduate companies I am excited by the passion these creative entrepreneurs bring to the business world.” Harry Bell also went on to say sadly the West Virginia entrepreneurship world is missing out by not adopting Impact investing models while focusing on solving problems in a sustainable and impactful fashion. “Between people like Stuart and Adeo, they are helping make businesses successful while being responsive to the communities and environment, all while making a profit.
“ImpactWV.org is one way I am giving back to the university and state which has given me such success over the last several decades. Advances in technology have lowered the bar to entry in many ways, and here this is one way we can help. Of course, as more and more people learn of this cloud-based enterprise and its parent www.ahmdigital.com, we hope more and more businesses will use the technology we bring to our clients.” Bell pointed out over the past year of learning of various West Virginia-based government agencies as well as for-profits, many of which are failing or who are in trouble yet are spending thousands and thousands of dollars with out-of-state groups when they could easily do better in West Virginia. “Don’t claim you support West Virginia businesses and people when you don’t put your money where your mouth is,” Bell said. “I am sick and tired of West Virginia companies missing out and West Virginians leaving because our own businesses and agencies won’t spend resources in a way which is impactful to our state. We cannot be sustaining for West Virginia if you send your dollars to others, most of whom never give back and who don’t employ West Virginians.” ImpactWV also wants to connect mentors, angel investors, family offices and consultants through the portal to better help entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs need help now, and West Virginia has a number of successful investors and mentors who are always looking for opportunities. Much like one might see on Shark Tank,” Bell sees the digital portal as an opportunity to bring people together to strike their own deals: “It’s all about connecting. It’s what we do incredibly well.” Bell also spoke highly of West Virginia State Auditor J.B. McCuskey and his team. “J.B. McCuskey is focusing on the money in West Virginia. We are looking at further opportunities to start a West Virginia crowdfunding portal following West Virginia state law, so that is something we hope to be able to announce in 2020.”
No one is going to help West Virginia unless we can help ourselves. ImpactWV.org is a start, but to be successful all the silos as well as entrepreneurs need to avail themselves of the portal.
For further information see :
Harry F. Bell, Jr. harry@ahmdigital.com
Kerri Barger kerri@ahmdigital.com
Background:
Harry Bell is a Charleston attorney. He has practiced more than 39 years and had been extensively involved in litigation before selling his firm in 2017. A serial entrepreneur and investor, he has invested through private equity and direct investment in dozens and dozens of companies. He is one of the founders of Almost Heaven Media, has served on numerous boards and is a proud graduate of the WVU College of Law and the WVU College of Business and Economics.
