From Military to Business Advocacy with Mara Boggs

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I ran into Mara Boggs, president and CEO of the Charleston Area Alliance. She shares what the organization does to support businesses and economic development in the region. The Alliance attracts and retains talent, develops economic opportunities, and hosts networking events like Business After Hours and Women’s Luncheons. Everything they do is focused on making the Kanawha Valley a strong business environment.

Mara recently took on this role after a career that started in the military and later led to politics. She served for almost 14 years as an engineer officer in the Army, including two years in Iraq clearing roadside bombs. After that, she spent 13 years working for Senator Joe Manchin, most recently as his State Director. She says her biggest takeaway from that time is that a lot of people need help and good people step up to help them.

At the Charleston Area Alliance, Mara works closely with entrepreneurs and small businesses. One of the programs she highlights is the Alliance’s incubator space on Smith Street, where about 30 small businesses operate. The goal is to help them grow, move into brick-and-mortar locations, and bring in new businesses to support. She also talks about the LIFT Center, a project that aims to have a major impact on Charleston’s East End and the surrounding region.

As we talk about navigating uncertainty, Mara shares a perspective from her time as a jumpmaster in the 82nd Airborne Division. She says uncertainty is part of life, but trusting yourself, the process, and the people around you makes all the difference. She encourages people to be trustworthy and surround themselves with those they can rely on.

As the conversation wraps up, she expresses her excitement about being part of the Kanawha Valley business community. The work being done through the Alliance is focused on building a strong future for local businesses.