Entrepreneur Exchange: Where Conversations Build Community
A new facilitated conversation series from Ascend704 designed to bring entrepreneurs, business owners, aspiring founders, and professionals together to learn, connect, and grow.
Every thriving entrepreneurial community begins with meaningful conversations.
At Ascend704, we believe the most valuable learning doesn’t always happen in a classroom or from a keynote speaker. Often, it happens around a table with other entrepreneurs who have faced similar challenges, celebrated similar wins, and are willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.
That’s the idea behind Entrepreneur Exchange, a new facilitated conversation series designed to bring together entrepreneurs, business owners, aspiring founders, professionals, and innovators who believe we all grow stronger when we learn from one another.
Launching this September, Entrepreneur Exchange reflects Ascend704’s commitment to building more than a workspace. We’re building a connected entrepreneurial ecosystem where authentic relationships, collaboration, and shared experiences help people and businesses rise together.
Why We Created Entrepreneur Exchange
Building a business can be one of the most rewarding journeys you’ll ever take. It can also be one of the loneliest.
While there are countless opportunities to network, there are far fewer opportunities to have honest conversations about what it’s really like to lead a business. The difficult decisions. The unexpected setbacks. The moments of uncertainty. The lessons learned through experience.
Entrepreneur Exchange was created to provide that space.
This isn’t about perfect success stories or polished presentations. It’s about creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and learning from one another in an atmosphere built on trust, respect, and genuine connection.
Because the greatest resource in any entrepreneurial community is the collective experience of the people within it.
More Than a Networking Event
Entrepreneur Exchange is intentionally different from a traditional networking event.
There are no sales pitches, elevator speeches, or formal presentations.
Instead, each session features facilitated conversations, peer-to-peer learning, and authentic discussion centered around the real opportunities and challenges business owners are facing today.
Our goal is to create a space where participants feel comfortable being honest, asking for advice, sharing lessons learned, and celebrating wins. Because when one entrepreneur succeeds, the entire community benefits.
Listening to the Community
Entrepreneur Exchange also serves another important purpose.
As Ascend704 grows, we want to ensure the programs, resources, and experiences we create continue to reflect the evolving needs of our local business community.
Every conversation helps us better understand the challenges entrepreneurs are facing, the opportunities they’re pursuing, and the resources they need to succeed.
We’re not simply hosting conversations—we’re listening.
Those insights will help shape future programming, educational offerings, partnerships, and community initiatives at Ascend704, ensuring we’re building something that truly serves entrepreneurs throughout Union County and beyond.
Entrepreneur Exchange isn’t simply a program we offer. It’s one of the ways we’ll continue building Ascend704 alongside the community it serves.
Guided by Experience
Each Entrepreneur Exchange will be facilitated by attorney and serial entrepreneur Matt Villmer.
Matt brings more than business knowledge to the table. He brings authenticity.
Rather than standing at the front of the room delivering a presentation, Matt helps guide meaningful conversations by creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing. He openly shares his own experiences, including the successes, the challenges, the mistakes, and the lessons learned, making it easier for others to do the same.
His role isn’t to provide all the answers. It’s to help the group uncover them together.
What to Expect
Each Entrepreneur Exchange begins with introductions and an opportunity to understand who’s around the table. From there, participants identify the topics that matter most, and Matt facilitates a guided conversation around those real-world challenges and opportunities.
No two sessions will be exactly alike because every conversation is shaped by the people participating.
Whether you’re navigating growth, launching a new venture, building your team, or simply looking to connect with others who understand the entrepreneurial journey, you’ll find practical insights, fresh perspectives, and meaningful relationships waiting around the table.
Join the Conversation
Entrepreneur Exchange is open to entrepreneurs, business owners, aspiring founders, professionals, and innovators who want to learn, connect, and grow together.
Sessions are held from 9:00 – 10:30 AM.Upcoming Sessions
We hope you’ll pull up a chair, join the conversation, and help shape the future of entrepreneurship in our region. Because when entrepreneurs learn from one another, conversations build community and everyone rises.