Asheville -- If you are a Western North Carolina entrepreneur or nonprofit director, you already know the routine: you attend a networking mixer, exchange a few business cards, chat about the weather, and head home with the exact same operational headaches you had when you walked in.
On Monday, June 8, 2026, a different kind of business gathering is taking over the rooftop of The Restoration Hotel in downtown Asheville.
The Biz Hero Solutions Lab: Solving What Matters is bypassing the traditional, passive seminar format in favor of a hands-on, interactive incubator model. Produced by Biz Hero founder Johanna Hagarty—one of only 50 leaders selected nationwide as a current Truist Foundation Fellow—the afternoon workshop is designed to help local organizations confront and dismantle their biggest operational bottlenecks.
Action Over Small Talk
The structural layout of the four-hour event requires attendees to actively participate rather than just listen. Participants are asked to bring one specific, real-world challenge currently stalling their progress—whether that is a funding roadblock, scale friction, marketing misalignment, or leadership burnout.
Rather than receiving generic, cookie-cutter advice, attendees will move through a structured framework to map out actionable pathways forward:
Curiosity & Challenge Mapping: Guided exercises to strip away surface-level symptoms and pinpoint the root operational cause of an organization's friction.
Peer Learning Labs: Small, collaborative breakout groups facilitated by experienced regional business and nonprofit advisors to brainstorm peer-driven solutions.
Real-Time Expert Panel: A panel of local subject matter experts delivering tactical strategy and live feedback based directly on the specific themes that emerge from the afternoon's breakout rooms.
The Long-Term Play: Over $20,000 in Pro Bono Support
What separates the Solutions Lab from a typical one-off workshop is the tail of ongoing support. Organizations that attend and fully participate become eligible to apply for ongoing pro bono strategic development services through Biz Hero and its regional coalition of expert partners.
This includes access to the Biz Hero Jumpstart Program, which will invest between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of dedicated strategic alignment, marketing, and developmental support into one selected Western North Carolina organization ready to scale.
Furthermore, the event’s ticket structure functions as a direct ecosystem investment. The $10 registration fee operates as a donation directly benefiting Community Health and Wellness Collective Services, a regional healthcare initiative currently receiving pro bono development work through Biz Hero. To ensure the lab remains completely accessible to early-stage founders and small grassroots operations, fee waivers are available upon request.
Because seating is intentionally limited to maintain a high-quality, small-group dynamic in the breakout rooms, early registration is highly encouraged.
Event at a Glance
What: The Biz Hero Solutions Lab: Solving What Matters
When: Monday, June 8, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: The Restoration Rooftop (68 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC)
Admission: $10 donation (Accessible discount codes available)
Registration & Details: To reserve a seat or learn more about the agenda, visit the official registration portal at bizherohq.com/solutions-lab.