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[...]
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 […][...]
For the record December 2022
Central Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc. announced Oct. 27 that it is partnering with Japan Tobacco Group to sell heated tobacco products in the U.S. and worldwide, placing Altria in direct competition with Juul Labs Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc. The $150 million deal will include marketing of heated tobacco products in the United […]
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 part[...]
FOR THE RECORD NOVEMBER 2022
CENTRAL VIRGINIA Richmond Community Hospital — owned by Bon Secours Mercy Health — has the highest profit margins of any hospital in Virginia, generating as much as $100 million a year. The secret to its success lies with a federal program that allows clinics in impoverished neighborhoods to buy prescription drugs at steep discounts, charge […]
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 [...]
For The Record: October 2022
CENTRAL VIRGINIA Fortune 500 used car online retailer Carvana Co. is more than halfway to its 400-employee hiring goal for its $25 million, 191,000-square-foot Chesterfield County inspection center, General Manager Robert Sheets said in August at the center’s ribbon cutting. Carvana has hired 240 employees and expects to reach 400 workers when it begins full […]