Onward New River Valley

What Onward New River Valley does

Onward New River Valley (legal name: New River Valley Economic Development Alliance; DBA Onward NRV) is a public/private regional economic development organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia. Operating under 501(c)(6) nonprofit status, it is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Katie Boswell, supported by a small staff of approximately 6-8 professionals across executive, marketing, business engagement, talent strategies, and investor relations functions. The organization's mission is to attract and retain world-class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia's New River Valley, a region of 180,000+ residents and 81,000+ employees spanning Montgomery, Pulaski, Floyd, and Giles counties and the City of Radford. It delivers free and confidential site-selection, workforce, and incentive-navigation services to companies considering relocation or expansion, and runs talent-attraction programs including NRV Experience (eight-week summer internship program), Elevate NRV (talent micro-conference), NRV Talent Network (newsletter), and NRV Talent Tours (student career exposure).

Onward NRV concentrates on four targeted industries — Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Unmanned Systems, and Food Processing & Agribusiness — leveraging three regional universities (Virginia Tech, Radford University, New River Community College) as a talent and research pipeline, with the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership serving as the anchor for the unmanned systems cluster alongside partners such as Aeroprobe and Wing (Alphabet). Its investor base of 120+ organizations includes county governments, healthcare systems (Carilion Clinic), educational institutions, and private businesses that fund operations through recurring contributions and periodic multi-year campaigns. The Onward 2023 campaign (closed 2019) raised $1,585,050 against a $1.5M goal, and the current Onward 2028 strategic plan was launched in July 2023.

The organization's business model is a nonprofit membership/investor-funded model rather than a commercial revenue model. Services are provided at no cost to prospective relocating companies, with funding drawn from investor contributions, government partners, and grant-funded initiatives (including GO Virginia Region 2). Marketing is event-driven and multi-channel: digital campaigns reaching 85,000+ people for tech recruitment, regional websites (onwardnrv.org, newrivervalleyva.org, thenrv.org) averaging 30,000+ annual visitors, an active presence at industry conferences (SelectUSA, AUVSI Xponential, VEDA), and quarterly investor events. The organization has received three consecutive IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Awards (Bronze 2018, Gold 2019, Silver 2020) and a 2024 Community Service Organization of the Year award, and reports cumulative outcomes of $792 million in corporate investments and 7,294 new jobs created in the region since 2000.

Name

Onward New River Valley

Legal name

New River Valley Economic Development Alliance

Website

https://onwardnrv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Onward New River Valley is a 501(c)(6) public/private regional economic development organization that has attracted $792M in corporate investment and 7,294 jobs to Virginia's New River Valley since 2000. It provides free site-selection, talent, and workforce services to relocating companies, funded by 120+ regional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Business attraction services
• Workforce development programs
• Talent attraction initiatives
• Site selection consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Blacksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor Contributions: Onward NRV is funded through investor contributions from businesses, organizations, and government entities. The organization has 120+ investors who provide financial support to advance the region's economic development mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Onward New River Valley is a public/private, nonprofit regional economic development organization delivering free and confidential services to companies considering relocating to or expanding within Virginia's New River Valley. Its core offerings include site selection assistance, workforce and talent development programs (NRV Experience internship, Elevate NRV conference, NRV Talent Network), targeted industry development across Advanced Manufacturing, IT, Unmanned Systems, and Food Processing/Agribusiness, and regional marketing campaigns to attract investment and talent.

Product overview

Onward New River Valley is a public/private regional economic development organization offering a suite of programs and services centered on talent attraction, retention, and regional economic growth. The core offerings include the NRV Experience (eight-week summer internship program), Elevate NRV (talent micro-conference), NRV Talent Network (newsletter), and NRV Talent Tours (student career exposure program). Supporting resources include the Business Services Guide (online directory for businesses) and NRV Livability Guide (regional lifestyle publication). The organization also provides Targeted Industries Support focusing on Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Uncrewed Systems, and Food Processing and Agribusiness sectors. These services work together to attract world-class jobs, investment, and talent to Virginia's New River Valley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NRV Experience: An eight-week immersive summer internship program designed to enhance employer internship programs by providing professional development and regional experiences for interns in Virginia's New River Valley.
• Elevate NRV
• Future of Talent Summit

Products and services

• NRV Experience An eight-week immersive summer internship program designed to enhance employer internship programs by providing professional development and regional experiences for interns in Virginia's New River Valley. Interns participate in excursions and receive weekly training on communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership.
• Elevate NRV A talent micro-conference that brings together local business leaders to focus on talent recruitment and retention in Virginia's New River Valley. The half-day event provides a collaborative space where employers gain insights from industry leaders.
• NRV Talent Network A talent initiative that supports workforce recruitment and regional awareness efforts through regular newsletter communications to professionals and job seekers.
• NRV Talent Tours A pilot program that exposes students to career opportunities in Pulaski County, introducing young residents to career pathways in advanced manufacturing, technology information, uncrewed systems, and food processing and agribusiness.
• NRV Livability Guide A comprehensive resource showcasing advantages of living, working, and building a career in Virginia's New River Valley, with community profiles, salary comparison data, cost-of-living information, lifestyle and recreation opportunities, and educational resources.
• Business Services Guide An online business services guide designed as a vital resource for companies looking to relocate or expand in Virginia's New River Valley, featuring searchable profiles of businesses that invest with Onward NRV, filterable by industry or name.
• Targeted Industries Support Economic development services focused on four targeted industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Uncrewed Systems, and Food Processing and Agribusiness, including industry surveys, competitiveness reports, and talent attraction initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• $792 million in corporate investments since 2000
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Virginia TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor university partner and investor providing talent pipeline, research capabilities, and workforce development. Virginia Tech's presence (with 30,000+ students) is foundational to the region's innovation economy and tech sector growth.
• Radford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner and investor contributing talent pipeline and educational programs supporting regional workforce needs across industries.
• New River Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner providing technical training, workforce development, and educational pathways for regional employers.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide economic development organization partnering on business attraction, site selection, and workforce initiatives. Joint participation in events like SelectUSA Summit and Women's Leadership Forum.
• GO Virginia Region 2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState initiative funding workforce development and economic growth projects. Partners on the 'Brain Drain' study, Future of Talent Summit, and regional talent initiatives.
• Montgomery County Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal EDO partner collaborating on business attraction, joint marketing, and company outreach at events like AUVSI Xponential.
• Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology industry association partnering on Future of Talent Summit and tech sector workforce initiatives.
• Roanoke Regional PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner collaborating on multi-regional talent initiatives and workforce development strategies.
• New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development board partnering on talent summit and regional workforce initiatives.
• Virginia Talent Opportunity PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce partnership collaborating on Future of Talent Summit and talent pipeline initiatives.
• Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity research partnership leading the region's unmanned systems industry. MAAP is pioneering drone delivery technology and testing in the NRV.
• AeroprobecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnmanned systems company and investor showcasing the region's capabilities in autonomous technology and testing.
• Wing (Alphabet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrone delivery company operating in the NRV through partnership with Virginia Tech MAAP, first FAA-certified drone delivery company in the US.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Public/private regional EDO serving the Charlotte, NC region. Comparable in structure (investor-funded, multi-county, business attraction + talent services), offering a benchmark for how mid-sized regional EDOs scale program offerings beyond Onward NRV's current footprint.
• Hampton Roads Alliance: Regional EDO serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, providing comparable business attraction, talent, and marketing services under a similar public/private funding model with corporate and government investors.
• Greater Richmond Partnership: Public/private regional EDO serving the greater Richmond, Virginia area. Operates an investor-funded model similar to Onward NRV, with comparable services in business attraction, talent, and marketing for a multi-county Virginia region.
• Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance: Regional business and economic development alliance serving the Lynchburg region of Virginia. Closely comparable in mission (regional business attraction, talent, investor-funded) and scale (multi-county public/private model) to Onward NRV.
• Roanoke Regional Partnership: A neighboring regional EDO in western Virginia that Onward NRV explicitly partners with on multi-regional talent initiatives. Comparable in structure (public/private, multi-county) and mission (business attraction and talent), but serves the adjacent Roanoke region.
• Shenandoah Valley Partnership: Another Virginia regional EDO operating under a public/private investor model with similar service offerings (business attraction, workforce, marketing) across a multi-county footprint comparable in size to the NRV.

Broad incumbents

• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP): Virginia's statewide economic development organization and a direct Onward NRV partner (joint SelectUSA participation). VEDP operates one level up from Onward NRV, providing statewide business attraction while Onward NRV focuses on the New River Valley sub-region.
• Greater Washington Partnership: Large-scale regional economic competitiveness organization serving the greater Washington, D.C. region. Comparable in collaborative public/private economic development function, but operates at a much larger geographic and financial scale than Onward NRV.
• GO Virginia Region 2: A state-funded economic growth initiative that partners with Onward NRV on talent and workforce programs. Operates at a regional scale across multiple Virginia localities, comparable in scope and funding model to Onward NRV's regional coordination role.

Emerging players

• Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council: Regional technology industry association partnering with Onward NRV on the Future of Talent Summit. While more narrowly focused on the tech sector, it provides overlapping workforce and talent services to employers in the same Blacksburg/Roanoke corridor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onwardnrv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@onwardnrv9
• Facebookfacebook.com/OnwardNRV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onwardnrv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Onward New River Valley