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Norfolk focuses on cruise and entertainment tourism

The “city surrounded by water” — — is going through “an evolution, putting in necessary investments to stay on top of the times” as a destination, says Sean Washington, the city’s director of economic development. The city is expanding its cruise center to accommodate an influx of passengers year-round, has broken ground on a casino complex, and is sprucing up its arts and culture hub.

It’s also making improvements to its , Washington says, to “make the traveler’s experience as efficient and convenient as possible. … Now, it’s a lot of dollars, but it’s necessary that it is invested in the overall experience of the traveler.”

The amount of the city’s investment in various projects is not unusual, Washington says. But the timing of it is compressed because “so many of our older assets needed work at once.”

The ‘s plunge into the year-round cruise business is set to launch Feb. 11.

The 12-deck Carnival Sunshine setting sail weekly from Norfolk to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean holds about 3,300 people.

“So, every weekend, 3,300 people are arriving and 3,300 people are disembarking,” says Stephen Kirkland, executive director of Nauticus maritime museum. “They’ll be shopping, eating, staying in . We expect people to be driving in and people will be flying into the Norfolk airport. We hope people driving will stop on the way in or the way home” and visit other Virginia attractions.

About 300,000 passengers are expected to move through Norfolk annually, starting this year. Roughly $12 million in enhancements will go into making that traffic flow smoothly. The city is footing the bill.

The 80,000-square-foot facility that is home to Virginia’s only cruise ship program shares its space with Nauticus’ Maritime Discovery Center, Sail Nauticus — a Nauticus Foundation program for underserved youth, and the historic Battleship Wisconsin, one of the largest battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy.

One of the key improvements to the city-owned cruise center, according to Kirkland, is the replacement of cramped elevators and escalators with a sloped circular ramp that will make boarding and exiting ships more efficient. “People, luggage. Everything from Xerox paper to lobster tails needs to have a quick turnaround. Every five minutes saved helps,” he says.

Work also is being done to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities to handle the increasing number of passengers. Kirkland says mobile customs kiosks are being added for efficiency.

An outdoor terrace area at the center is being enclosed to provide air-conditioned seating space for about 600 passengers waiting to board. That’s expected to be completed this fall.

Chrysler Hall will shut down for a full season to allow a full renovation, says Sean Washington, Norfolk’s director of economic development. Photo by Mark Rhodes

Norfolk is already a port of call for several cruise lines, Kirkland notes. “It works well. Ships arrive during week and people take tours of Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown” and of Norfolk itself, he says.

Still, the booming cruise line industry has been meeting with resistance at overcrowded ports of call around the globe. Some residents in Yorktown protested a Princess pilot program that would have brought thousands of tourists to its small port, so those plans were put on hold.

“We’ve not had any real concerns here in Norfolk, but we do recognize that this heightened cruise activity needs to be carefully balanced with other priorities in the community,” says Kirkland, who has met with local businesses owners, hoteliers and civic league leaders.

Carnival began sailing from Norfolk in 2002, and in 2023 operated a six-month cruise schedule from May to October. A total of 250,000 cruise passenger visits last year made it the busiest season in the city’s history.  Norfolk’s expansion is a sign of how the cruise industry has changed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Kirkland adds. Before, cruises were mostly out of New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. “There are more ports now. They’re bringing the ships to the people.”

Doubling down

Last year, Norfolk took its first step toward joining three other Virginia cities in the casino business. In October 2024, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming, its corporate partner, broke ground on a commercial casino resort on the north bank of the Elizabeth River, near Harbor Park. This came after multiple delays following city voters approving a casino referendum in 2020, as well as a change in the business partnership.

Plans for the $750 million Norfolk resort call for a 200-room hotel, eight food and beverage outlets, and a casino floor with 1,500 slot machines and 50 table games.

It is expected to open in late 2027, but in the meantime, a temporary casino will be built on the property, which is expected to open in November, says David Strow, spokesman for Boyd Gaming. “The transitional facility will be at the front of the site, using a minimum amount of space. We want to leave ourselves plenty of room” for the permanent casino, he notes.

The new casino originally was to be named Head Waters Resort & Casino, but “it will have a different brand,” Strow says. A new name has not been announced.

“We’re looking to be a best-in-market facility. We want to attract people not only from the region but from other states, other markets,” Strow says. The new casino “will create hundreds of new jobs. It will create tax revenues and purchasing opportunities for local business.”

Once it opens, the Norfolk casino will join the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Danville’s Caesars Virginia, as well as Petersburg’s Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, which is expected to open in 2026.

The region already has plenty of reasons for people to visit, Strow adds. “Our hope is to add to that experience. We could partner down the road with cruise ship traffic. That could be an opportunity. We believe there are synergies to partnering with others in the community.”

To give people even more reason to visit, Norfolk is sprucing up its entertainment venues. At the end of this season, the Chrysler Hall performing arts theater, which features Broadway shows such as “Mamma Mia!” and “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” will shut down for one full season.

The upgrade will make loading and unloading theater sets quicker, Washington says. Currently, “we can’t turn the shows as fast as we want to.”

After the lights are back up at Chrysler Hall, the city plans to close the Scope Arena for renovations, Washington says. “We’ll do them back-to-back, then have them both back online.”

The Scope Plaza — the shared space between Scope and Chrysler — has been underused, Washington adds, and the overhaul of the buildings will provide an excuse for more outdoor entertainment. In August 2024, thousands of music fans showed up to the plaza for the Cousinz Festival, a one-day music event with headliners Erykah Badu, Larry June and Jermaine Dupri, and organizers announced the festival will return in 2025.

Plans for the city-owned former Military Circle mall property also are shaping up. Washington says the project will center on a tournament-caliber ice rink complex, plus residential, retail and hotel space. “If we want to have sports tourism, we don’t want to duplicate what’s being done in surrounding cities,” such as Virginia Beach’s emphasis on volleyball, Washington says.

There’s also still discussion about what should happen at the struggling MacArthur Center mall, which was purchased by the city in 2023 for approximately $18 million. Washington says MacArthur Center is ready “for some big developments.” As of late 2024, the city has completed studies and met with developers, he notes. “There’s a lot of great momentum. Everybody was highly impressed with the city and are wanting to move forward.”

Taking off

All the visitors attracted to the area have “dramatically increased demand” at Norfolk International Airport, says Mark Perryman, president and CEO of the Norfolk Airport Authority, which runs the airport.

Traffic has increased from 4.1 million passengers in 2022 to 4.86 million in 2024 at an airport that “hasn’t had major improvements other than upgrading parking structures” in more than 20 years, according to Perryman. But that’s changing.

To prepare the airport for the coming decades, a billion-dollar improvement project is underway to update critical infrastructure and add amenities. Among the biggest changes is a new $400 million departures terminal, with groundbreaking expected in summer 2026.

Already completed is an update of the airport’s primary runway, which returned to full service in December 2024, following the replacement of older concrete surfaces with easier-to-maintain asphalt. A new 80-space “park-and-wait” area opened just in time for the 2024 Christmas rush, and three additional gates in Concourse A are expected to be finished by November.

Other projects include a new U.S. Customs Inspection facility, which will replace one that is more than 25 years old, and by summer a new moving walkway connecting parking decks is expected to be operational, Perryman says.

Also in the works is a 165-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel, connected directly to the terminal. It’s set to be open in early 2026, Perryman says, and it fulfills a long-term need.

“Norfolk and Virginia Beach have a shortage of hotel rooms. We don’t have anything really close to the airport — the closest hotel is about three miles away. This will be nice for early flights and late arrivals,” he says.

Another big project is a $200 million consolidated rental car facility scheduled for groundbreaking this year. The new facility will be more efficient, Perryman says. Rental cars will be serviced on site, and “we need the parking spaces” the rental car companies have been using in the parking garages.

Sprinkled among the larger projects are smaller improvements to make airport travel more pleasant, including new seating, phone chargers and more vending machines.

For all these improvements, Perryman notes that the airport is mainly covering costs itself. “We don’t receive any tax money from any municipalities — not from the general revenue, not from property taxes.”

The airport receives some grant money but, for the most part, “we use user fees to support ourselves,” he says. The Norfolk Airport Authority had $98 million in total revenue in fiscal 2024, up from $87 million the prior fiscal year. Hotel and rental car companies, meanwhile, are providing their own financing for their projects. Perryman’s also looking ahead to increased cruise travel and its impact on the airport.

“How do we get people between the airport and the port?” he asks. “We don’t have the capacity with taxis, Uber and Lyft. We’re looking at having dedicated shuttles.”

It’s all part of making the Norfolk “the best flying experience possible,” he says. “We want to make our piece of it as customer-friendly as possible.”

Norfolk at a glance

Located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk’s vast waterfront acreage has earned it the nickname of “the Mermaid City.” Home to Naval Station Norfolk — the world’s largest naval base — the city has capitalized on its strategic location as a hub for both defense and international shipping. However, Norfolk has grown beyond its maritime roots, developing a vibrant food and entertainment scene. The third most populous city in Virginia (behind Virginia Beach and Chesapeake), Norfolk is also a higher education powerhouse, home to Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School (now part of ODU), Tidewater Community College, ECPI University and Tidewater Tech.

Population
230,930

Major attractions
Tourist attractions in the Mermaid City include Nauticus maritime museum, which just reopened after a $21.5 million renovation, and the Battleship Wisconsin. Norfolk Botanical Garden has 60 different gardens and offers a popular holiday lights display. The Chrysler Museum of Art, the Barry Art Museum at ODU, which is undergoing a significant expansion, and the Glass Light Hotel & Gallery collectively have the largest collection of glass to be viewed for free in the world.

Professional sports
Norfolk Tides Minor League Baseball (Baltimore Orioles affiliate)
Norfolk Admirals East Coast Hockey League

Top convention hotels
Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel 45,570 square feet of event space, 466 rooms
Norfolk Waterside Marriott 68,879 square feet of event space, 407 rooms
Hilton Norfolk The Main 60,000 square feet of event space, 300 rooms

Top employers
U.S. Department of Defense (10,000-plus employees)
Health (7,500 to 9,999 employees)
Norfolk Public Schools (7,500 to 9,999 employees)
Norfolk city government (2,500 to 4,999 employees)
Old Dominion University (2,500 to 4,999 employees)

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Mark Johnson

Johnson’s perhaps best known as a community leader in . In 2011, he started work with SunTrust, after 17 years with the United Way, and in 2019, SunTrust and BB&T merged, creating . In 2023, he was promoted to his current post, helping fund community organizations. In 2022, he was honored at the UNCF Mayors’ Masked Ball in Hampton for his service to the community.

MY MOST MEANINGFUL JOB: I have dedicated the majority of my career to community development, beginning with my service to United Way. This experience allowed me to cultivate skills and build strategic partnerships, ultimately leading to my current role.

WHOSE FOOTSTEPS I’M FOLLOWING: It has been a true honor to follow in my father’s footsteps, as he dedicated most of his career to serving as a community development banker, inspiring me to carry forward his legacy of impact and service.

HOW I GIVE BACK: As an executive leader, I see my role as an opportunity to educate, empower and equip the next generation with the knowledge and tools to shape the future. This commitment extends to serving on local nonprofit boards and supporting small businesses.

MOST MEANINGFUL : I have been incredibly honored to receive numerous throughout my career, but one that stands out is the Wall of Distinction award. This prestigious recognition from my high school celebrates alumni for their outstanding accomplishments in athletics, academics and professional success. Being included among such remarkable individuals is very humbling.

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Toni Stubbs

Stubbs was recognized in 2022 with the annual Women in Technology , presented by multiple cable organizations. At Cox, Stubbs oversees network planning, engineering and telecommunications operations across the state, but she started with the company in Texas in 2005. She’s also Virginia chapter adviser for the Women in Cable Telecommunications board.

FIRST JOB: The “lotto girl” at a convenience store. I operated the lottery machine before automation, manually entering three- and four-digit numbers in every possible combination.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: I’ve always had an analytical mind and have worked in tech throughout my career, with my introduction to the cable industry early on. Engineering offers endless opportunities for learning and growth. It is the foundation to the internet. Being part of what connects people globally is both fascinating and exciting, which is why I’ve stayed in the industry for over 20 years.

HOW I GIVE BACK: I’m actively involved in my church, working with the youth ministry. I also serve on the board of Envision Lead Grow, an organization focused on empowering girls to move from poverty to prosperity. I willingly support organizations like the Chamber, where I share my experiences and expertise on panels and other events.

MEANINGFUL AWARD I’VE RECEIVED: The Women in Technology award from CableFax, WICT and SCTE was incredibly meaningful to me. It recognized my contributions in a field where women are often underrepresented. This award not only validated my hard work but also reinforced my commitment to empowering women in technology and continuing to break barriers in the industry.

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Rahni N. Jenkins

Jenkins has led the Geller Group’s operations and since 2023, but she worked with the firm as a contract consultant beginning in 2020. Before that, Jenkins held roles at the March of Dimes and advised Microsoft and other organizations. She holds credentials from Cornell and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois.

FIRST JOB: Martial arts instructor

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work in various sectors and made the choice of human resources and operations because I could apply skillsets such as my expertise in DEI, communication, conflict resolution and operational management to improve the communities I serve.

HOW I GIVE BACK: I give back to communities both nationally and internationally. I travel to communities in Europe and Africa to teach self-defense to kids who face a world working against them. Nationally, I host self-defense workshops, mentor, sponsor STEM events for youth in underserved communities, and work with multiple community organizations to break down barriers.

MOST MEANINGFUL : The Heroines of Washington Award from the March of Dimes. It was the most meaningful because I was recognized for my work in the public sector, supporting the communities I grew up in, as well as surrounding areas. My community is my heartbeat, and being recognized as such a valuable changemaker meant so much to me.

PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: Being able to educate over 40,000 professionals on dismantling bias in maternal and infant care settings.

HOBBIES: I also hold a degree in geology and love minerals, jewelry making and handcrafting other goods.

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Dana Weston Graves

In 2020, Graves joined as president of its Princess Anne , an acute-care facility in southern Virginia Beach. She was previously president and CEO of UNC Rockingham in North Carolina and has degrees from the University of North Carolina and Emory University. Graves also serves on the YMCA of South board.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: I always knew I wanted to work in health care but had no knowledge of jobs outside of physicians and nurses. My junior year at Emory, I heard a senior mention health administration. I decided to apply to programs even though I didn’t really know what it was! And I fell in love with the field. I get to combine business acumen with improving health, a dream come true.

HOW I GIVE BACK: “Be who you needed when you were younger” is the phrase that guides me. I actively mentor young leaders, especially women from underrepresented backgrounds, so they feel supported in their career journey. I also serve on boards and organizations that are committed to those who need it most, including the YMCA of South Hampton Roads, United Way Women United and Alpha Kappa Alpha.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE MY MENTOR GAVE ME: As a child, I would sometimes go with my dad to clean buildings. One evening, he said to me, “This company has both a CEO and a janitor. If both of them don’t come to work for three days, which one will they miss? Don’t you ever look down on any job.” That advice rooted me.

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Myra Goodman Smith

Last July, Smith announced her plans to retire in 2025 after 15 years at the helm of LMR, which among other programs offers an annual training course known as Leadership Quest. A native, Smith spent more than two decades at United Way and is immediate past chair of the Jenkins Foundation, which funds grants.

FIRST JOB: Community and economic planner at Planning District 15 in Farmville

MOST MEANINGFUL JOB: In the late ’80s at United Way, I staffed the Greater Richmond AIDS Impact task force. Through our inquiry, service gaps were identified, and one was financial assistance for individuals living with HIV. We created the AIDS Emergency Fund, which I developed and managed.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: I have been fascinated by leaders since I was a kid. Their stories and biographies drew me — learning of their journeys, challenges and how they led inspired me to read and learn more. As a teen, serving on advisory councils and as an intern for city council members, I had close exposure to the new historical leadership of our city.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE MY MENTOR GAVE ME: I cannot pinpoint specific advice, but one of my mentors had helped and supported me when I doubted myself and my ability to move forward. She has been a role model and probably doesn’t realize the impact she has made, my mentor Eva Teig Hardy.

FAVORITE PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: Montgomery, Alabama. Its historical presentations of my descendants’ past are etched forever.

HOBBIES: Collecting primitive antiques. My family has lived in Amelia County since the early 1800s, and most of my pieces are from my descendants.

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Clyde Clark Jr.

In addition to serving in ‘s middle market group, Clark is assistant treasurer of the Virginia Maritime Association board, board chair of the Urban League of and past chair of the Chesapeake Economic Development Authority. Clark has worked in community banks for more than 30 years.

FIRST JOB: Bagger/cashier at Kroger in 1985

MOST MEANINGFUL JOB: I have essentially had the same job for the past 30 years in banking as a relationship manager in the commercial banking space. I have had the privilege to work for some large and small banking institutions and have enjoyed working at these companies over the years. I have enjoyed helping companies grow and achieve success.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: My father was interested in banking when he finished school but ended up getting a job in education, as the climate was different back in the 1960s. He pushed me to get into the finance field and learn commercial banking.

MOST MEANINGFUL : Was awarded Father of the Year by my church, First Baptist Church on Bute Street in . I was honored to be recognized by my church for being a good father and setting an example for my two kids.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Persevere and not be afraid to take risks, and seek new opportunities for growth and to meet people. Always be open to learning.

TV SHOWS I’D RECOMMEND: “Your Honor” on Netflix for the action and suspense, and the “Power” series on Starz for the action and the drama

2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Zenith Barrett

Since 2010, Barrett has worked in business and community engagement in western Virginia, both on the Western Virginia Development Board and at the regional Goodwill. In 2024, she became vice president of advancement, leading the ‘s philanthropy, government affairs and engagement activities.

FIRST JOB: I worked in my hometown for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program as a counselor. It was designed to help youth obtain jobs, learn new skills, gain work experiences and other career readiness opportunities.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: I’ve always been passionate about working in a field where I can make a positive impact on people’s lives. Working in a nonprofit is rewarding, as it provides me the opportunity to make an impact by addressing unmet needs, amplifying voices that often go unheard and working with others to make an impact.

PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: Co-leading Melrose Plaza, a transformational project designed to address and reduce health disparities. This initiative provides fresh, affordable food, financial and educational services, and cultural resources. Being part of such an innovative project fills me with pride.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my career is the importance of aligning your work with your purpose. When you pursue roles and opportunities that reflect your passions and values, it doesn’t feel like work but walking in your purpose.

FAVORITE PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: My family and I took a cross-country road trip from Virginia to California, exploring various sites along the way. One of my favorite places was the Grand Canyon.

BOOK I RECENTLY ENJOYED: “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Full Hearts,” by Brené Brown. The book truly empowers women to be courageous in our pursuit.

Trump-led DEI crackdown may leave glass ceilings intact

In the “Mad Men” era of the 1960s and 1970s, when my mother was climbing the corporate ladder at C&P Telephone, she was frequently the only woman at out-of-state national technical trainings for managers.

And from her recollection, if the men in the classes weren’t hitting on her, many were resentful or threatened by her presence and froze her out. She’d often eat meals alone while her male colleagues went out together.

Despite those uncomfortable (and unacceptable) challenges, she rose through the ranks, going on to become a respected regional and East Coast executive at AT&T.

By contrast, over my 30-plus-year career, many of my supervisors and mentors have been women, and it’s not something I ever really thought twice about.

Still, in the 2020s, we’re not that far removed from Don Draper’s world, and plenty of glass ceilings remain unbroken or barely cracked. And standing underneath those ceilings with a hammer can be a lonely place.

On the cover of this month’s issue, we feature our 2025 Hall of Fame honoree, Toni Townes-Whitley. As chief executive for Reston-based government contractor SAIC, she is one of just two Black women leading Fortune 500 companies.

As of early 2025, the majority of current Fortune 500 CEOs are white men; eight CEOs are Black and 52 are women.

Similarly, here in Virginia, our annual Virginia 500 power list of the commonwealth’s top executives includes 46 Black leaders and 105 women. When you look at our annual Power 50 list, it is even more clear that white men still hold the top power positions at most of Virginia’s largest corporations, universities and other institutions.

All of this comes amid an ongoing and building backlash to corporate and government initiatives, exemplified by President ‘s Day 1 executive order ending all federal DEI programs.

The 2020 Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd set off a season of corporate soul-searching and mea culpas that turned out to be short-lived.

From the second quarter of 2021 through the third quarter of 2024, references to DEI in quarterly earnings calls plummeted 82%, according to research from market intelligence firm AlphaSense. Major companies from Amazon and Walmart to and McDonald’s have walked back DEI initiatives. Some of this is in response to the real threat of potential “reverse discrimination” lawsuits following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against affirmative action in higher education.

And some of it may frankly be a realpolitik acknowledgment of which the way the political winds are blowing, not unlike the way Meta Chairman and CEO Mark announced in January he would eliminate fact-checking on Facebook, citing “a cultural tipping point.”

That’s not to say there can’t be reasonable grounds for discussion about and credentials. We’re still waiting for a report on the reasons behind ‘s four-day water outage in January, which prompted the city’s public utilities director, April Bingham, to resign. During the crisis, conservative news outlets (followed by mainstream media) brought up Bingham’s lack of engineering credentials.

Unlike her counterparts in neighboring localities, Bingham doesn’t have an engineering degree. There’s discussion among some Republican state senators to bring forward a bill to require such credentials, and the city’s new interim director is the state Department of Environmental Quality’s director of water, engineer Anthony “Scott” Morris.

But beyond raising questions about qualifications, some online commenters also made racist remarks. And some alleged that Bingham, a Black woman, was a “DEI hire,” saying she was chosen because of her race and gender — even though she came to Richmond with 20 years of public utilities experience, including overseeing a $33 million meter upgrade project.

This has always been a country fond of swinging between extremes. But we’re also stronger because of the sum of our parts. It seems there is room to find a commonsense, middle-ground solution around and fairness.

But I don’t expect to see it happen anytime soon.

 

StartVirginia: Heard Around Virginia – February 2025 edition

Crystal City venture capital firm America’s Frontier Fund is among the nation’s first
VC firms to secure approval for up to $175 million in matching capital under the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative, a federal program aimed at boosting investment in tech areas vital to national security. This funding for 2-year-old AFF, whose backers include former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, is expected to double its capacity to support startups doing work in areas like advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other technologies geared toward defense and national security. (DC Inno)

Arlington County-based Ask Sage, a generative AI platform for government and commercial sectors, announced in December 2024 that it raised $17 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Mucker Capital. Ask Sage intends to use the funds to expand its generative AI offerings, accelerate growth and strategically expand its . The company’s platform is used by more than 30,000 Department of Defense service members and 14,000 government teams. (News release)

On Jan. 9, Bluesight, an Alexandria-based provider of inventory management, procurement and compliance solutions for health systems and pharmacies, announced the acquisition of Baltimore-based compliance analytics platform provider Protenus for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is aimed at strengthening Bluesight’s drug diversion platform and adding patient privacy monitoring capabilities to better protect health care organizations. Robert W. Baird & Co. served as financial adviser to Protenus. Kirkland & Ellis served as counsel for Thoma Bravo and Bluesight and DLA Piper served as legal counsel for Protenus. (News release)

Qnovia, a pharmaceutical developing a smoking cessation medicine delivered via a proprietary inhaler, announced in December 2024 that it raised $16 million in Series B funding. The financing was led by Blue Ledge Capital, Evolution VC Partners, Vice Ventures and Gaingels. In October, Qnovia announced it had received investigational new drug clearance for its prescription nicotine inhaler from the Food and Drug Administration. Since its inception, Qnovia has raised $50 million to advance its inhaled drug delivery platform, the RespiRx. (News release)

Silent Push, a Reston cybersecurity startup, has raised $10 million to support its international expansion. Ten Eleven Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm, and New York financial services firm Stepstone Group LP co-led the Series A round. It brings the company’s total outside investment to $22 million since its founding in 2020 by CEO Ken Bagnall and CTO John Jensen. Silent Push emerged from stealth in June 2023 with a $10 million seed round. The startup, which counts half the Fortune 30 clients among its clients, produces software that scours the internet to map the infrastructure bad actors use to create ransomware attacks, helping to prevent the attacks from happening. (DC Inno)

PEOPLE

Thomas

Iron Path Capital, a private firm with dual headquarters in Charlottesville and Nashville, Tennessee, tapped Ian Thomas as managing director overseeing business development in December 2024. Thomas comes to Iron Path from Aliri Capital, a Richmond private equity firm focused on lower-middle-market industrial businesses. Thomas was a founding partner of Aliri, which launched in 2023. He is based in Richmond, according to his LinkedIn profile. (Richmond Inno)