The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) has hired Scott Graves as StartUp Rutland’s inaugural program director.
Graves is relocating to the area from Gardner, Massachusetts. He was most recently an independent consultant for SMGraves Associates, a company he founded, which focuses on building sustainable enterprise through community-minded entrepreneurship.
In his new role with CEDRR, he will be responsible for helping launch StartUp Rutland, a business incubator located within The Hub CoWorks, Rutland’s newest co-working facility. Graves will provide strategic programming direction for the functionality of StartUp Rutland, serve as liaison to the business community, supervise staff, and support members through the business incubator. In addition to StartUp Rutland, Graves will help operationalize the use of The Hub CoWorks.
“Scott brings a strong background in supporting business startups, as well as support for businesses that need to pivot their delivery of service due to a changing economic climate,” said Lyle Jepson, CEDRR’s director. “Scott is a keen listener, one who can identify and effectively communicate strategies needed to take a business to the next level of success.”
“It is an absolute pleasure to take part in the birth of Startup Rutland,” said Graves. “Business incubators, when combined with other community-driven economic tools, play an important role in providing diverse and resilient commercial growth. To have the opportunity to lead this effort for the benefit of Rutland County is an honor. So too, is the opportunity for my wife, my daughters, and I to become a part of this community.”
Graves officially joined CEDRR on Dec. 1 and he and his family intend to soon relocate to the Rutland area.
