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Pivot points
Talk to those on the front lines of startups — entrepreneurs, investors and those running incubators and accelerators — and one word comes up over and over: pivot. If an entrepreneur isn’t able or willing to be flexible, chances are poor their business will succeed. “Those unduly connected to what they started with must [...]
Starting small
Randal Wimmer became a multi-millionaire based off a contract proposal he wrote at his kitchen table and at a Northern Virginia Starbucks. A Navy veteran, Wimmer started his own government contracting firm, McLean-based Analytic Strategies, in 2003. It took three-and-a-half years and a lucky business connection for the company t[...]
The ol’ college try
Snacks and energy drinks are often the fuel for young entrepreneurs burning the midnight oil while perfecting their pitches and products. But for some University of Richmond students, snacks and energy drinks are their products. Grace Mittl, a 2022 UR graduate, is co-founder and CEO of Absurd Snacks, a food allergy-friendly trai[...]
Riverdale project could be ‘transformative’
Partnering with the city of Roanoke, developer Ed Walker started redevelopment of 100 acres encompassing the sprawling, former campus of American Viscose, a rayon plant that closed in 1958. “This is a chance we have as a community to really do something transformative,” Roanoke Economic Development Director Marc Nelson say[...]
Remembering Harvey Lindsay Jr.
Harvey L. Lindsay Jr., chairman of Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate, died April 19 at the age of 93. In addition to his nearly 70-year career in real estate, Lindsay was a Korean War veteran, an active volunteer in Hampton Roads civic organizations and an early civil rights activist. “Harvey was an eternal optimist and [&[...]
A new economy
Welcome to the inaugural edition of StartVirginia, a product of Virginia Business magazine. While our editors have chronicled the economy of our commonwealth for more than 37 years, it’s almost impossible to start at the very beginning. Our state traces its business beginnings to the Virginia Company, chartered in 1606 by King[...]
Poll: Nation thinks NoVa should get FBI HQ
Nearly two-thirds of surveyed voters think a new FBI headquarters to replace the agency’s crumbling Washington, D.C., home should be built in Virginia. That’s according to a national survey released in late April by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. More than a decade in the works, the move is being handled by the U.S. Gener[...]
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 directo[...]
Great expectations
In the mid-1990s, Diane and Paul Manning were thinking about moving from New Jersey with their three children. Like many families, they took many factors into consideration. “One of the kids was really big-time into swimming, so we needed a place that had a good swim team,” Diane says. Also, “I always prefer a college [&he[...]
Shenandoah Valley Partnership launches capital campaign
Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP) is raising $1.7 million through its first capital campaign, Forward2028, to fund a five-year plan aimed at business and workforce attraction and retention. The region’s manufacturing sector alone has 3,100 job openings due to older workers retiring and companies ramping up production, says J[...]
Growing the talent pool
For tech worker Courtney Proffitt, summer 2020 was a transformative time. After roughly a decade away from her native Virginia, she found herself in an Airbnb rental on the outskirts of downtown Roanoke. “I was ready to try a new city after 10 years in Charleston,” recalls Proffitt, who earned her master’s degree from the [...]
Something in the Water brings crowds back to beach
Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water made a splashy comeback to Virginia Beach from April 28-30, although wind and rain delayed the music festival’s start, and lightning and a tornado watch canceled the entire last day. Organizers promised attendees a one-third refund for tickets, which sold for $125 to $600. Williams, [...]
