RAMP hires new executive director

The new executive director of RAMP, the Roanoke-based Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program, once worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Now he’ll help startups get off the ground in Roanoke, after doing work in the startup ecosystem in North Carolina.

John Hagy started as executive director of RAMP on Jan. 8. He takes the place of Lisa Garcia, who left the organization after its fall 2023 cohort ended.

Hagy was previously managing director of the Carolina Angel Network, the University of North Carolina’s early-stage investing group. Before that, he was a business development director at a geospatial intelligence startup, a strategy consultant at Deloitte and an intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency.

“RAMP has built an unmatched reputation as a champion for entrepreneurs and companies in Virginia’s growing technology and health and life sciences sectors and ultimately for the ideas and innovation so critical to the region’s economy and job base,” he said in a statement. “I am excited to join the team and helping to continue this forward momentum.”

RAMP also announced two other staff moves: Jessica Dunn was promoted to program coordinator and will work with entrepreneurs on programming and work with in-residence cohorts; and Sarah Spotswood is now in an alumni relations role, working with companies who have completed the RAMP program.

RAMP offers two cohorts each year for entrepreneurs in the technology and health and sciences sector. The 12-week program provides access to mentoring, $20,000 in equity-free funding, office space in downtown Roanoke and membership to the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, the Global Accelerator Network, Virginia Bio and the Shenandoah Club. They also get three additional years of support. About five companies are selected for each cohort, and since 2017, RAMP has accelerated 48 companies that have gone on to raise more than $28 million in working capital.