Amy Ankrum, president and CEO of Qualtrax, discusses the core values of her company during a meeting last summer with Executive MBA students from the Washington, D.C., area. Her company was one of several that the students visited during their program, which focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in Blacksburg and Roanoke.

“Having firsthand, in-depth contact with chief executive officers, chief financial officers, and chief technology officers of successful, innovative businesses was an invaluable experience for the students,” said Dana K. Hansson, director of the Executive MBA program, based at Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region campus.