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Parking repeal gives developers space
Opening a small business is never easy, but for many Richmond entrepreneurs, the city‘s previous minimum parking requirements added extra hassle. Two years ago, when restaurant Africanne on Main relocated from its longtime downtown location to a spot near Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park Campus, city parking regulations stalled the move for weeks, recalls co-owner [&helli[...]
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 [[...]
Shenandoah Valley SBDC names new director
Shenandoah Valley’s Small Business Development Center, based in Harrisonburg, has named Allison Dugan its newest director. Dugan started with the regional SBDC as a part-time program manager in 2014 and became a business adviser in 2015, adding the title of assistant director in 2019. She took on the leadership role May 1, after serving as […]
Hampton Roads Chamber exec retires
In her 33 years with the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, Debra Hamilton Farley helped launch 252 businesses that created more than 9,000 jobs. Now, she’s taking a break — Farley retired on April 28. “Debra’s contributions to the small businesses community she has served over her sterling career is invaluable,” said Bryan Stephens, […]
StartVirginia: April 2023 Heard around Virginia
Richmond-based Absurd Snacks is ready to enter major retailers after a reformulation and taking on some new packaging. Founders Grace Mittl and Eli Bank worked with a New York agency and redesigned the packaging. Absurd Snacks has been available at independent grocery stores, but Mittl and Bank are eyeing larger retailers and wanted to make […]
Chambers of commerce
STATEWIDE Asian American Chamber of Commerce | Tysons | (571) 633-9754 asian-americanchamber.org Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce | Ashland | (804) 344-1540 aabac.org Virginia Chamber of Commerce | Richmond | (804) 644-1607 vachamber.com Virginia Hispanic Chamber | North Chesterfield | (804) 378-4099 vahcc.com CENTRAL VIRGINIA Altavista Area Chamber of Commerce | Altavista | (434) 369-6665 [&h[...]
House lawmakers stifle creative entrepreneurs fund
RICHMOND, Va. — Creativity should be valued as an important part of the Virginia economy, said the state lawmaker behind legislation to create the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Program. Del. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, introduced House Bill 2376 to establish a dedicated funding source for grant awards no more than $20,000 each to independent content creators […]
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[...]
Richmond restaurant refuses service to Family Foundation
A German-inspired restaurant in Richmond canceled a reservation for a conservative political organization’s private event last week, saying in a statement posted online Thursday night that the decision was made to protect their staff, many of whom are women and/or part of the LGBTQ community. The Family Foundation, the organization that had made the reservation, […]
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. […]
Richmond wellness space gets shot from Jack Daniel’s
On his 33rd birthday, Brelan Hillman learned that BareSOUL Yoga and Wellness was selected as one of six finalists to compete for $10,000 in a pitch contest for Black-owned businesses in Richmond. With just a weekend to prepare, Hillman, a business partner and board member for BareSOUL, crafted his three-minute appeal to connect Richmond’s history […]
StartVirginia: Nov. 2022 Heard around Virginia
Virginia Tech‘s Apex Center for Entrepreneurs has received a $500,000 donation from Apex Systems co-founder Win Sheridan. A 1994 Tech graduate, Sheridan made the donation to help the Apex Center engage with student entrepreneurs through programming, networking and funding. Launched in 2014, the Apex Center is named in recognition of a $5 million commitment from […]
