CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC), a division of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, is excited to announce William J. “Bill” Woodrum as the new coordinator of the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Network.

William J. “Bill” Woodrum, West Virginia Entrepreneurship Network coordinator

In this position, Woodrum will be overseeing a new initiative known as the West Virginia BusinessLink, which will soon be a one-stop, online location for resources in the state available to entrepreneurs and business owners, including existing businesses, start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Before joining the West Virginia Department of Economic Development with WV SBDC, Woodrum served as director of entrepreneurship at the Robert C. Byrd Institute of Marshall University. He supported a range of programs in agriculture, the maker movement, entrepreneurship and economic development. Woodrum worked with service providers to enhance the entrepreneurship ecosystem in West Virginia and Central Appalachia.

He has been active in working with higher education and non-profits in areas such as event management, fundraising and social media access. Woodrum has presented seminars on best practices in development, management, leadership and volunteerism at the local, state, national and international level.

A native of West Virginia, Woodrum earned his Bachelor of Arts from Marshall University and received his Master of Science from Ohio State University in Human and Community Resource Development with a minor in Higher Education Administration.

“We’re excited to be a founding partner in this initiative being led by the West Virginia Department of Economic Development,” said WV SBDC Director Debra Martin. “West Virginia has many programs and services to support entrepreneurship, innovation and business development. Finding those resources can be a challenge for a busy business owner. West Virginia BusinessLink will provide a web-based infrastructure that helps entrepreneurs locate the right resources at the right time.”