Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads — the state’s two largest metro areas — are losing jobs, and Virginia as a whole is seeing some of the slowest economic growth in the country, according to statewide economic reports that came out in October.
This means it’s time for Southwest and Southside Virginia to shine, said Rachel Yost, executive director of the Blue Ridge Innovation Corridor, an emerging organization that aims to promote the economic strengths of the southern and western regions of the state.
BRIC focuses on the general region that encompasses Danville, Martinsville, Blacksburg and Roanoke, highlighting this swath of the state as a hub for innovation, workforce development and economic power…