Val Woods, a nurse with over 18 years of experience, found her life’s purpose reshaped by a tragic event in 2018. The sudden loss of her only sibling to a ruptured aneurysm inspired her to equip people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to act in emergency situations.Her mission: Train people to save lives.

Recognizing the critical importance of CPR and life-saving skills for government agencies and their staff, Val sought assistance from the Ohio Accelerator at Ohio University. She engaged in discussions with her local Procurement Specialist, Don Zavesky, to gain a thorough understanding of the government marketplace and explore potential contract opportunities for CPR and first-aid training services. She met with business counselors and attended numerous trainings, conferences and networking events.

Today, Val Woods CPR LLC is established as a provider of high-quality Basic Life Support (BLS), Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and First Aid Training for individuals, schools, business teams, and government agencies. With APEX Accelerator support, she has registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), created a corporate profile in the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search, and is preparing for the SBA Woman-Owned Small Business certification. Recently, Val was enrolled in the Ohio APEX Accelerator Bid Match Service. This service, available at no cost to APEX clients, identifies and delivers relevant Federal, state, local, and global government contracting opportunities tailored to her business. Through daily email alerts and her opportunity dashboard, Woods receives potential government contracting opportunities.

As she states, “I can truly say that I would not be where I am today without the amazing people I’ve met at the SBA, SCORE, NAWBO, and APEX, including Don Z. and Vanessa.” Don Zavesky, Ohio APEX Procurement Specialist, shared his perspective on working with clients like Woods: “The Ohio APEX Accelerator is here to expand the number of Ohio businesses capable of participating in the government contracting market through one-on-one consultation, training programs, and information. Together, we work to unlock doors to opportunities and focus on success in a competitive market.”