In a recent interview with Moves The Needle, Brad D. Smith shares his experience as…
Brad D. Smith Featured on Daily304
Brad D. Smith was recently featured on a segment of the daily304’s YouTube channel called Innovators and Entrepreneurs, a bi-weekly series that shares news and opportunities pertaining to West Virginia. Brad sat down with host Andy Malinoski to discuss the recent progress and success of Ascend West Virginia and the Wing 2 Wing Foundation. Throughout the segment, Brad expanded on Ascend WV’s growth thus far and the confidence he has in its future. The program’s unique benefits combined with the state’s breathtaking natural amenities have already attracted tens of thousands of applicants. Because of this demand, Brad projected that Ascend WV will bring in 1,000 remote workers and their families over the next five years.
Brad and Alys’ Wing 2 Wing Foundation provides support for Ascend WV and has continued to drive Appalachia’s growth through it’s sponsorship of educational, entrepreneurial and environmental initiatives. On the show, Brad discussed how the foundation has helped him and Alys focus their efforts in leveling the playing field of opportunities for Appalachians. He explained to Andy Malinoski, that he and Alys have invested in educational efforts by funding scholarships for first-generation college students attending Marshall University and The Ohio State University as well as funding WVU’s Science Adventure School, which introduces middle schoolers in the state to outdoor experiences.
Keeping with the segment’s title of Innovators and Entrepreneurs, Brad ended the interview by imparting some advice for local entrepreneurs to help them embrace the built-in grit and grace of West Virginians: “Fall in love with the problem. If you fail, get up, dust yourself off and keep going because we were born to be leaders.”