ODU Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

November 21, 2024

2024 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree the ODU Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an entrepreneurial accelerator dedicated to providing economic development to veterans and underserved or disadvantaged individuals. Through its collective programs in the past year, the Institute provided 4,055 thirty-minute counseling sessions, created 498 new entrepreneurs, established 54 startup businesses, enabled 76 contracts totaling $13 million, and created 498 new jobs.

Despite a significant military footprint, Hampton Roads experiences significant challenges in social mobility and financial wellbeing. The Institute recognizes this and works to create grant strategies to assist these populations. These strategies include the Veterans Business Outreach Center and the Women’s Business Center as well as work to ensure that entrepreneurs are properly credentialed and positioned to compete for the abundant federal contracts in the region.

The majority of the Institute staff is minority and or former military and a gold-star wife is a program leader. Located in downtown Norfolk, the Institute provides underserved individuals with opportunity, education, training, respect, and sometimes just a hot coffee on a cold day. Though not everyone becomes a successful entrepreneur, the Institute works to direct clients to the resources they need to improve their lives.

1bb631e0-d6d1-4269-94ef-203a2d23cb46_rw_1920

Shriya Boppana

Story of Service: Shriya Boppana

As founder of Becoming a Voice, Shriya Boppana is a sex trafficking and sexual health education advocate. She holds sexual health education workshops in orphanages, schools, and extracurricular youth organizations to educate young children about safe and unsafe touch in Fairfax County Public Schools as well as in her home state of Andhra Pradesh in India. She also serves on the Virginia, D.C., and Maryland Human Trafficking Task Forces working with the U.S. Department of Justice and local law enforcement groups to identify trafficking schemes, extract victims, and integrate them back into society. Shriya has now educated more than 19,600...

Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators

Story of Service: Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators

Congratulations to Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators of Cumberland County -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Backpacks of Love, Inc., was born out of a personal mission from its founder Bobby Fulcher, who personally struggled with food scarcity while growing up. Backpacks of Love provides wholesome food to school children in the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, and Buckingham, so that they don’t go hungry over the weekend. Backpacks of Love’s highly engaged board members collect all donations, distribute food items to schools, and solicit community and corporate sponsors....

Governor McAuliffe Honors Volunteers

Story of Service: Governor McAuliffe Honors Volunteers

2016 Governor's Volunteerism Award Winners Governor Terry McAuliffe announced recipients of the 2016 Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Awards today during an awards ceremony held at the Governor’s Mansion on April 18th. These awards spotlight the outstanding efforts individual and organization volunteers make on behalf of citizens throughout the Commonwealth. “I am proud and honored to celebrate Virginia’s outstanding volunteers who have made such enormous contributions to those in need throughout the Commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe. “These individuals, organizations and companies set an example for us all to give back to our communities and embody the spirit of service which...

Debbie Farrar

Story of Service: Debbie Farrar

Debbie Farrar is a retired police officer and has also been a group exercise instructor for most of her adult life. As a volunteer, she currently teaches SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life), an evidence-based fall prevention program centered around a strength, balance and fitness program for adults 65 and older. Debbie recalls, "I heard about SAIL from a friend of mine who is in her 70s and asked Loudoun County’s Cascades Senior Center about it. I went through teacher training in 2023 and have been teaching ever since. The program lasts for 12 weeks. I have a student...

Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

Story of Service: Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

AmeriCorps member Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar currently serves at Aspire Afterschool Learning as the Parent Coordinator in the AmeriCorps Learning Links program. In her role, Claudia connects with the parents of Aspire students to share student progress, successes, and challenges. She greets parents as they pick up their students and communicates regularly through phone calls and text messages. She also organizes monthly talks for parents on relevant topics, such as how to read report cards, how parent-teacher conferences work, keeping children safe on the internet, and advice surrounding mental health for the parents and children. As a result of her proactive...

RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Virginia Latino Higher Education Network

Story of Service: Virginia Latino Higher Education Network

Congratulations to Virginia Latino Higher Education Network of Weems - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Community Organization! The Virginia Latino Higher Education Network (VALHEN) is a positive catalyst in the lives of hundreds of Virginia’s Hispanic students. VALHEN is the only state-wide, volunteer-driven, nonprofit which supports, promotes, and advocates for Latino success and advancement in higher education, to ensure that every Hispanic/Latino in Virginia is college and career ready. VALHEN has shown remarkable success through its four programs: the Hispanic College Institute, the Scholarship Program; the Lecture Series, and the annual Encuentro meeting of...

What’s Your Volunteer Personality?

Pair your passion with purpose. Take our Volunteer Personality Quiz and find out which volunteer direction is best for you.