Read Our News
Blog

Putting the buzz in business

 Putting the buzz in business 961 540 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast November 15, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Since 2017, RAMP – the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program – has been the buzz for nearly 50 entrepreneurs throughout western Virginia.

From high-tech engineers to white-coated scientists, RAMP has provided expertise instruction, 1:1 mentorship, non-equity funding, office space and a host of other resources to help startup companies accelerate their business.

On this episode of BUZZ – our 39th! – we’ll feature RAMP’s incredible work and provide it with some accelerating of its own with some cutting-edge marketing help from a familiar face to BUZZ, Carrie Cousins of LeadPoint Digital.

BUZZ is proud to present the Blue Ridge Jamboree on Nov. 2

 BUZZ is proud to present the Blue Ridge Jamboree on Nov. 2 1024 576 Michael Hemphill

We are thrilled to be the presenting sponsor of the “Blue Ridge Jamboree: ON THE RISE” showcase of our region’s top artists ages 25 and younger on Thursday, Nov. 2, 7:00 pm at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.

From bluegrass bands and gospel singers to Southwest Virginia’s preeminent children’s choir, the Blue Ridge Jamboree is an inspiring event, featuring a bunch of buzz4good, that you will not want to miss!

Listen to our Podcast about the Jamboree

The lineup includes:

  • A Mighty Friendly Mountain
  • Addie Levy trio
  • Appalachian Roots 
  • Bayla Davis
  • The Brothers Young
  • Meg Corbett
  • Shamyila Dungee
  • Eric + Addie
  • Newfound Gap
  • Old Time Rowdies
  • Riley Parks
  • Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir
  • 610 Jazz
Click for more info

All proceeds of The Blue Ridge Jamboree will support FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge’s Lynn Davis Scholarship program, which funds students who are pursuing college degrees with a commitment to enhance the natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness of Virginia’s Blue Ridge region.

The Hokie Way kicks off Season 4

 The Hokie Way kicks off Season 4 900 505 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast October 4, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Virginia Tech sports fans are understandably passionate about how its teams perform on the field and court. But for nonprofits throughout Virginia there’s as much enthusiasm for what the Hokies are doing outside of the games to further their missions in the community.

That’s due to another nonprofit in and of itself: The Hokie Way. The Hokie’s Way mission is to create opportunities for Virginia Tech student-athletes to leverage their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in support of charitable organizations.

On today’s episode of BUZZ, we will feature head football coach Brent Pry, women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks, and two of our favorite Hokies: Liz Kitley and Sean Pedulla, in hopes we can help The Hokie Way score more buzz of its own.

Funding for this episode is generously provided by Partners in Financial Planning and EvolutionHR.

buzz4good buzz logo

BUZZ kicks off Season 4 featuring The Hokie Way

 BUZZ kicks off Season 4 featuring The Hokie Way 749 299 Michael Hemphill

News Release

September 25, 2023 (Roanoke, Va.) – Virginia Tech star basketball players Elizabeth Kitley and Sean Pedulla – along with Hokies football coach Brent Pry and women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks – are featured in the Season 4 premier of BUZZ on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. on Blue Ridge PBS.

Airing every Wednesday, BUZZ features the great work of nonprofit organizations in Southwest Virginia, and the marketing professionals affiliated with the American Advertising Federation of Roanoke who donate their time and talent helping charities attract more people to their cause.

The Season 4 premier – the 36th episode of BUZZ – stars The Hokie Way, a nonprofit that creates opportunities for Virginia Tech student-athletes to leverage their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in support of other charitable causes, such as Feeding Southwest Virginia, LifeRing Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. 

“Since launching in 2020, we’ve been fortunate to feature nearly 50 organizations that represent the breadth and depth of charitable work in our communities: arts and culture, homelessness, literacy, outdoors recreation, suicide prevention, intellectual disabilities, and now college athletics,” said Michael Hemphill, BUZZ creator and host. “Our communities are strong because of nonprofits. We’re honored to share their missions on public television throughout Virginia and provide them with valuable marketing resources to help them create more buzz.” 

Other Season 4 BUZZ episodes in development are Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary in Floyd County; RAMP (Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program); and Arts Connect Neighbors in Roanoke.

All BUZZ episodes are available on demand at buzz4good.com/episodes. Hemphill also hosts the weekly radio show Buzz4Good! – interviewing nonprofit leaders throughout Southwest Virginia – on Saturdays at 4 p.m. on WFIR. Previous episodes are available on buzz4good.com/podcast.

# # #

Contact:
Michael Hemphill | Creator of Buzz4Good
buzz4good.com | michael@buzz4good.com | 540.556.2879
@buzz4good on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn

This BUZZ is personal

 This BUZZ is personal 900 506 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast July 26, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Twenty years ago I was new to the nonprofit world working on my first project in my community of Shawsville, Virginia: revitalizing an abandoned nursing home into a community center. 

Our group of volunteers had little money and no experience, but one organization was willing to believe in us and award us our first grant: The Community Foundation of the New River Valley. 

What an honor it has been to produce our newest BUZZ featuring the Community Foundation’s work helping hundreds of nonprofits throughout Virginia’s New River Valley. Thank you 5Points Creative and Bruce C. Bryan for providing the buzz for the Foundation as it coordinated its 10 annual — and biggest ever — GiveLocalNRV!

About the episode:

Founded in 1994 with just $8, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley today claims more than 200 funds and $15 million in assets from which it awards each year $500,000+ in grants and scholarships. Hundreds of nonprofits — and thousands of individuals — have been helped by this vital organization.

One of the big events that it hosts each year for the region’s nonprofit community is Give Local NRV, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023. Returning to BUZZ for its seventh episode, 5Points Creative gives a major marketing boost to the Community Foundation for this milestone occasion.

New BUZZ: YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge

 New BUZZ: YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge 900 508 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast June 28, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

The Y is known as a great place for a workout. From its wellness centers, pools and fitness classes, the nonprofit offers all ages and abilities the means to exercise the body.

But the body is just one side of a triangle that also features “mind” and “spirit.” At the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, that means a focus on monthly luncheons for older adults, multicultural gardening experiences, free water safety classes for schoolchildren, and fun after school activities for kids seeking a safe space from gang and gun violence.

Helping fund these programs is the annual Keith Willis Society Reception, which gets a boost from BUZZ’ own video marketing.

This 33rd episode of BUZZ is sponsored by Freedom First Credit Union, where people bank for good.

“It’s Here!” BUZZ highlights Arts & Economic Development

 “It’s Here!” BUZZ highlights Arts & Economic Development 889 500 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast June 21, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Economic development folks often talk up a community’s quality of life when pitching new businesses. Somewhere in that mushy mix they may mention the local arts and culture – the symphony, art museum, playhouse and so on.

But on the stage of economic development, what role does Art really play?

In part 5 of our 6-episode partnership with the Roanoke Cultural Endowment and City of Roanoke, BUZZ shines the spotlight on this often minor character’s importance in recruiting, building and investing in economic projects.

Through the marketing team at LeadPoint Digital — and the song-writing talents of Bryan “Harvest Blaque” Hancock and J.P. Powell — BUZZ provides business leaders some much needed marketing resources to help pack the economic development house.

We thank Friendship for its sponsorship support of this episode!

New podcast: Memorial Day Special features nonprofits caring for veterans

 New podcast: Memorial Day Special features nonprofits caring for veterans 900 900 Michael Hemphill

Here on Memorial Day weekend Buzz4Good creator Michael Hemphill features four nonprofits that serve veterans: 

  • Healing Strides of Virginia
  • The Least of These homeless ministry
  • Total Action for Progress
  • Stop Soldier Suicide. 
Listen Now

Michael praises the missions of these organizations, which work  each day to help veterans with housing, food, transportation and healing and, in the extreme, from harming themselves. 

Michael also explores why these nonprofits are needed in a country that claims to value the service of those sent overseas to fight our wars. 

Are you a nonprofit with an event that we could help promote? Or a marketing problem we could help fix? Contact us and we’ll share on an upcoming episode.

New BUZZ stars — and helps rebrand — Literacy Volunteers

 New BUZZ stars — and helps rebrand — Literacy Volunteers 1024 576 Michael Hemphill

Watch our 31st episode of BUZZ featuring Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley that originally aired May 3, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

For most people, the ability to read and write comes so naturally that we forget they are skills we had to learn as a child. But for immigrants who don’t know English, and native-born individuals who perhaps struggled in school, those letters on a page are literally a foreign language. From navigating our healthcare system and the DMV to simply wanting to read to a grandchild, a lack of literacy can be crippling.

Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley provides tutoring and classes to teach adults how to read, write, do basic math, and use computers — which in turn provides people the power to lift themselves out of poverty, lower health care costs, find and keep sustainable employment, and ultimately change lives.

But the nonprofit’s brand is clunky — LVNRV — and suggests it serves volunteers rather than people who need help reading. Coming to the rescue once again on BUZZ are our rebranding magicians from Wordsprint.

We thank 100+ Women Who Care NRV for sponsoring the production of our episode!

Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule

 Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule 900 675 Michael Hemphill

Tune in to Blue Ridge PBS on Wednesday 7:00 p.m. to watch BUZZ! New episodes air each month! Here’s the schedule of upcoming shows now through August.