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Summit for entrepreneurs planned for Danville
Two South Boston-based economic development organizations will host a summit for entrepreneurs and business leaders Oct. 19 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. Launched by the SOVA Innovation Hub, a nonprofit working to drive economic transformation with digital skills and entrepreneurship, and RISE Collaborative, a regional initiative driven by a mission […]
EY taps 14 Virginians as Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year finalists
Fourteen Virginia business leaders are among the 30 finalists for Ernst & Young’s 2024 Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year award. EY announced the finalists, selected by a panel of independent judges, on April 22. The Big Four professional services company will name the regional awards winners on June 15. The Virginia finalists include: Anil Sharma, […]
‘Shark Tank’ casting call is coming to Va.
Virginia entrepreneurs, “the sharks” are coming for you. The casting team of ABC’s “Shark Tank” will hold its first-ever casting call in Virginia at Rivers Casino Portsmouth on April 12. The show is getting ready to film its 16th season with venture capitalists Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin […]
Startup resources
Entrepreneurship continues to grow across Hampton Roads, with many organizations dedicated to helping startups and small businesses expand and thrive. Here is a sample of the many resources available: 504 Capital 504capital.com 757 Accelerate 757accelerate.org 757 Angels 757angels.org 757 Startup Studios 757startupstudios.org 757 Makerspace 757makerspace.com Black BRAND blackbrand.biz Business Dev[...]
VIPC leader to step down
Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. President and CEO Robert “Bob” Stolle will step down from his role in September after 13 years with the not-for-profit state corporation and its predecessor. Stolle became CEO of VIPC’s predecessor, the Center for Innovative Technology, in 2020. Before that, he was the economic development organization’s senior vice president for operations. [&[...]
EY taps seven Va. biz leaders as mid-Atlantic entrepreneurs of year
Seven Virginia business leaders have been named winners of Ernst & Young LLP’s Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2023. The winners, named Friday by the Big Four multinational professional services company, include: Aptive Resources | Rachele Cooper, founder and CEO, Alexandria Cuisine Solutions Inc. | Felipe Hasselmann, CEO and president, Sterling Foster Fuels […]
Lynchburg center to lift entrepreneurs
Months before its opening in late summer or early fall, Lynchburg’s new Center for Entrepreneurship already has gathered about 15 applications from local business owners and professionals seeking to mentor those launching or looking to grow their own companies. That’s a positive sign, says Stephanie Keener, executive director of the Lynchburg region’s Small Business Development [[...]
StartVirginia: May 2023 Heard around Virginia
Richmond-based Babylon Micro-Farms Inc. raised $8 million in a series A funding round led by VentureSouth, the company announced April 4. The money will help expand go-to-market efforts and grow the company’s client base in the U.S. and beyond. Founded in 2017, Babylon enables businesses and communities to grow produce, and its software remotely manages […]
On your mark
When Virginia Commonwealth University closed its buildings in spring 2020, then-student Julien Reininger wasn’t deterred from his entrepreneurial pursuits. In the kitchen of his parents’ Springfield home, Reininger ran a dehydrator for eight hours at a time, creating vegan jerky from canned jackfruit and developing different marinades. “I’m sure when I started doing it, they [&[...]
Va. receives $230M for startup, venture capital funding
Virginia has been approved for as much as $230.4 million in federal funds to accelerate startups, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced Tuesday. The money comes from the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Virginia will operate five programs, including two loan participation, one loan guarantee and two equity/venture capital programs. Loan programs include [&hellip[...]
AWS boosts women-led startups
Nessle co-founder and CEO Carly Buxton and her chief technology officer have passed up salaries and dipped into their savings to keep the Richmond-based tech business running since its 2019 launch. The Nessle platform connects new parents with real-time tailored support. To keep Nessle running, Buxton applied for grants and participated in two previous accelerators. […]
Coworking hub for entrepreneurs opening in Harrisonburg
The brains behind the Staunton Innovation Hub are working on bringing a new hub to a new city: the $4.5 million Harrisonburg Innovation Hub is expected to open in late 2023, investors and partners announced Tuesday. Harrisonburg “has a very vibrant and growing startup ecosystem in place already, and there’s just a need for it […]
