Led by Citynet co-founder Mark Burdette, the new Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial League System is designed to link entrepreneurs with the resources they need to grow and prosper.

"Our goal is to create a critical mass of highly skilled entrepreneurs to begin to change the culture of this region," Burdette said of the venture. "We want to transform this community and build wealth."

The new entrepreneurial league system is designed to bring business owners into a tiered learning organization that is modeled after professional baseball.

Business owners would be assigned to a league -- either rookie, class A, AA, or AAA -- based on their assessed skill level.

During the first year of the league, Burdette said the goal is to have 48 entrepreneurs in the league -- 12 at each skill level.

Entrepreneurs in the league would be matched with mentors and linked to resources to help grow their business.

"This is the missing piece," Burdette said of the league, noting that entrepreneurs often feel isolated not knowing where to turn for advice.

Entrepreneurs will be in the league for one year with the goal of graduating to a higher level in the league. For example, moving from rookie league to class A, or higher.

Burdette said the league offers a new way to look at economic development in the state. Instead of focusing on bringing in one employer with 100 jobs, the league's goal would be to help 100 businesses in West Virginia add one job.

Helping small businesses grow is key to improving the state's economy, Burdette said.

While today is his first day on the job as general manager of the new venture, Burdette has a long history of promoting entrepreneurship. He serves on the increasing entrepreneurship subcommittee of A Vision Shared and was co-chair of the entrepreneurial task force of Advantage Valley prior to resigning to pursue the general manager position. In addition, he founded and chairs the annual West Virginia Conference on Entrepreneurship.

The Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial League System is aided with $350,000 in startup money from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

The idea for the league has been in the works for the past year. If it proves successful in the Advantage Valley region, Burdette said it could serve as a model to bring the league system to other parts of the state.

Advantage Valley is an economic development organization that extends along the corridor from Montgomery and Charleston to Huntington and Ashland, Ky., and Ironton, Ohio.

For more information on the new entrepreneurial league system, contact Burdette at 760-0950.

Jack Bailey can be reached at 348-4841.

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