Amanda Forrester

Roanoke Regional SBDC

Biography

Amanda is a seasoned business professional with over a decade of experience developing, executing, and managing businesses. With a passion for marketing, communications, and a keen eye for design, Amanda has a proven track record of driving

Phone
(540) 632-1174

Biography

Amanda is an experienced small business owner with a multi-disciplinary background and proven results in:

  • Strategic Growth
  • People and Culture
  • Systems Integration
  • Change Management
  • Brand Strategy
  • Customer Experience
  • Building Community
  • Human Resources

The many hats (preferably a green one, she says) Amanda wears have led her to work with exciting cross-functional teams and adapt to various roles as situations arise.

She likes to get her hands dirty (but keeps her nails short), looks every new challenge in the eye, and gives it a wink. She is a changemaker with extensive ideation and can relate to and engage even the most skeptical.

She has an aesthetically sensitive eye that is sophisticated, forward-thinking, and always honest. Her work is simultaneously beautiful and purposeful, whether creating something physical or leading in the board room. She believes everything is a story, and whatever form used to express it should first be honest and also happen to be entertaining.

After living in El Salvador briefly to adopt her son, Kevin, she returned to her hometown. She built a fitness brand through storytelling, community-building, and empowering a strong staff to carry out her vision. Seven years and two building expansions later, she negotiated and managed the sale of her affiliate for 80% goodwill.

Amanda is a George Washington University graduate. She is married to her best friend, mother to a son studying at the University of Lynchburg, and giddy-eyed for her pups, Duke and Holly. She currently lives in Roanoke but remains a nomad at heart.

Amanda believes small businesses that focus on employee engagement and culture are the heart of our community, leading to a strong economic impact for her service regions. She is the Executive Director of the Greater Roanoke + NRV SBDC and proudly supports the Roanoke and New River Valleys, Franklin County, and Alleghany Highlands.