Our Co-Founder and President, Lee Farabaugh, was honored with a gracious invitation to contribute to Bowles Rice Views & Visions.
In the issue titled "The New Economy", Lee reflects on a pivotal realization that talent exists in equal measure everywhere, but opportunity does not. This was especially true in West Virginia, a state many of our team members call home. Driven by this profound inequality, we embarked on a mission to establish our Hereshore® model, a model that sources talent in smaller communities across the U.S.
In 2016, with the invaluable support of Joe Maxwell, an early Core10 investor and Huntington, WV native, we planted the seeds of our first Hereshore center in Huntington. Since then, the fintech industry has flourished within the state, owing much to exceptional individuals like Sarah Biller, a Core10 board member, whose efforts led to establishing West Virginia's Regulatory FinTech Sandbox policy. This forward-thinking policy has paved the way for the expansion of numerous fintech companies in the region.
As a company deeply rooted in West Virginia, we spearheaded the launch of the NewForce bootcamp, a six-month, tuition-free software development training program based in Huntington, WV out of a partnership with Generation West Virginia and Mountwest Community. The bootcamp has proven to be a wellspring of exceptional talent, benefitting not only our organization but also the entire fintech ecosystem in the state.
The economic impact of Core10's Hereshore model in West Virginia speaks volumes. We hope to inspire more fintech companies to emulate our model, establish their presence in West Virginia and experience the profound positive effects on both the state and their own success. We invite you to read the article and witness firsthand how Core10's growth has created ripples of opportunity and prosperity throughout the region. Check it out here!