![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/how-tech-opportunities-are-energizing-towns-across-the-us.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cA lot of them are doing amazing work, but they\u2019re only selling locally,\u201d says Ricardo Mora, CEO of Technology HUB, which is based in both Ju\u00e1rez and El Paso. \u201cWe\u2019re saying, \u2018Listen guys, we\u2019re going to train you, and you\u2019re going to learn how to sell to global companies.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The region\u2019s cross-border identity is a source of strength, with a young, largely Hispanic population of people who understand cultural differences, are often dual citizens and \u201cwant to make better opportunities for themselves every day,\u201d says J.J. Childress, Microsoft TechSpark manager in El Paso.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is truly a binational effort,\u201d he says of the Bridge Accelerator. \u201cHow do we create a soft landing for companies that want to access Latin American markets? How do we take the innovation from Mexican companies and give them access to North America?\u201d<\/p>\n
The training helped Rene Pons, an entrepreneur in Chihuahua, Mexico, meet a community of like-minded businesspeople and learn how to approach global companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a startup, a really huge problem is connecting with a big corporation and having them trust you,\u201d says Pons, who co-founded PPAP Manager<\/a>, maker of a digital solution that helps streamline automotive supply chains. He says establishing trust with global customers is even harder for companies in Mexico, which isn\u2019t known for digital innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bridge Accelerator is opening the door to start conversations and getting an opportunity to be trusted,\u201d Pons says.<\/p>\n Southern Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n The tiny town of South Boston, Virginia, hasn\u2019t seen new construction in nearly 40 years, so the rise of a new building where tobacco warehouses once stood is exciting news.<\/p>\n Even better is that it will house the SOVA Innovation Hub<\/a>, a partnership between TechSpark and Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities<\/a>, whose open-access fiber networks have provided broadband access to help bridge the digital divide in southern Virginia. The building will house the nonprofit\u2019s headquarters, a Microsoft experience center and space to help digital skilling nonprofits. That\u2019s good news for an economy built on manufacturing and still struggling with the loss of tobacco and textile industries.<\/p>\n \u201cJob stability is very difficult. Internet access is difficult. There\u2019s a tremendous amount of poverty,\u201d says Paul Nichols, superintendent of Mecklenburg County Public Schools.<\/p>\n![\"Row](\"https:\/\/www.sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/how-tech-opportunities-are-energizing-towns-across-the-us-1.jpg\")
<\/a>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/how-tech-opportunities-are-energizing-towns-across-the-us-2.jpg\")
<\/a>