The start-up entrepreneurial spirit in West Virginia has gotten a significant lift over the past several years thanks to Country Roads Angel Network, the state’s first accredited angel group.

The start-up business picture in West Virginia became even brighter today with the announcement from Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN) that it was naming Morgantown businessman Frank Vitale as its president.

Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN), West Virginia’s first accredited angel investment network, today announced it has been awarded a two-year grant totaling $150,000 from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation that will support CRAN’s efforts to assist West Virginia entrepreneurs who can benefit from mentoring and early-stage investments to develop their businesses.

Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN) is approaching the end of its original 3-year strategic plan. To begin charting a course for the next several years, the board and its committees have discussed where the organization is today and the evolving scope and operations of the organization.