Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Ecosystem insights: entrepreneurial leaders talk challenges, success

Burcham

ERIN BURCHAM

PRESIDENT, BLACKSBURG INNOVATION ALLIANCE; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ROANOKE BLACKSBURG TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL, ROANOKE

What is unique about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in your region?

‘s Region 2, which includes Roanoke, Blacksburg and surrounding cities and counties, is primed — through its academic, private industry and health care resources — to expand tremendously in the biotechnology and technology sectors. The region’s world-class life science institutions, including and Carilion Clinic, are coordinating to launch assets that mark the city of Roanoke and all of Region 2 as an innovation destination. These include access to Carilion Clinic’s Center for Human Factors’ Center for Simulation, Research and Patient Safety for biotech , Carilion Clinic Innovation’s new resources on ISO compliance and commercialization, Virginia Tech’s lab-to-market mentoring and licensing, and new biotech lab spaces opening in 2025.

How will Project VITAL: Virginia Innovations and Technology Advancements in Life Sciences aid startups in your region? What will be RBIA’s role in the initiative to support biotech and life sciences innovation?

Project VITAL compounds RBIA’s core goal to facilitate collaboration and foster a robust biotech and life science ecosystem in Virginia. The aims of Project VITAL reflect the growth and development plans of Region 2, focusing on linking academia, health care and private sectors to establish best practices and implement capital access, IP development and industry development programs. Project VITAL, steered by RBIA and its partners, seeks to harmonize industry and academic talent development and recruitment efforts to provide resources that are not available anywhere else in the region.

RBIA’s role includes significant synchronization of regional resources and partners along with discrete programs, such as the development of a cross-regional capital markets support and assistance program, workshops and networking activities.

Robbins

KEVIN ROBBINS

GENERAL PARTNER, BLUE DELTA CAPITAL PARTNERS, McLEAN

What are the biggest mistakes founders make when pitching?

The biggest mistake we see founders make when pitching is not having a clearly articulated view of “what are we building?” We need to quickly assess the strategic vision, how feasible we think it is, who will want to buy the business if we are successful, and what Blue Delta can do to increase the speed and certainty of executing that vision. There are far more good businesses than we could possibly invest in and our opportunity cost is high, so we prioritize those where we feel our involvement can materially improve the outcome.

What is your process for deciding whether to invest in a ?

As growth stage venture investors, we don’t really invest in pure startups. We like to say we take execution risk, not adoption risk. That said, beyond the “what are we building?” discussion mentioned above, our process prioritizes the founder and an assessment of whether or not they are someone we want to back. As non-control investors, we don’t have any affirmative controls, so we have to get the read right on partnering with exceptional founders who want to get better and who will welcome our advice, counsel and experience helping dozens of others like them accomplish their dreams.

How does your and your colleagues’ past entrepreneurial experience play into the process mentioned above?

As fellow , we have genuine empathy for other entrepreneurs; we have lived their personal and professional challenges and have a deep understanding for how to motivate them and help them maximize the enterprise value of their ventures — part of why we coined the catchphrase “empowering entrepreneurs.”

Mier. Photo by Matthew R.O. Brown

JOEL MIER

LECTURER OF MARKETING, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND’S ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, RICHMOND

What inspired you to start the Bench Top Innovations program that has launched four food and beverage ventures in four years?

I looked at what other top universities were doing [with incubators and accelerators] … and that’s when the lightbulb went on for me. Their programs are absolutely world-class, but they are for those students that have ideas, that know they want to explore entrepreneurship.

The idea emerged to give ALL students — especially those that are simply curious — the opportunity to be part of a yearlong experience where they can experience the process of ideating, vetting, prototyping, developing and running a revenue-generating business within the safety of the university.

What attributes do aspiring student entrepreneurs need to be successful?

Focus rises to the top. In a startup environment, there are literally hundreds of things that have to be addressed. However, with limited resources, it is key to be able to prioritize and focus on the few things that truly matter. … Another key success criterion is being comfortable with uncertainty. Entrepreneurial endeavors are by their very definition uncertain and fraught with risk.

“The Great Bake Off” pitch competition determines which product students will develop and commercialize each year. What elements do the winning pitches so far have in common?

I can certainly see some patterns. First, the students had great tasting products. Second, the presentations were clear, compelling, flowed well and embraced a good dose of humor. And third, the students projected confidence while being loose and clearly having fun.

Flores

AURELIA FLORES

DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA INVESTS, VIRGINIA VENTURE PARTNERS; CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD SECRETARY, CITRINE ANGELS, McLEAN

What trends are you seeing among ?

Virginia’s startup ecosystem is growing quickly and getting more mature. VVP has been investing in technology-based startups for over 20 years. Over that time, startups would grow here and then often have to leave to get later-stage funding. Or startups would be more narrowly focused on a certain subset of industries, such as defense-tech.

While both those activities continue to happen, there is more possibility for startups to stay and grow here. And we’re seeing a broader base of startups in a wider variety of industries, including in the life sciences. Further, organizations like VVP are actively coordinating among different players in the ecosystem — entrepreneur startup organizations, universities and investors — and we’re seeing that collaboration pay off.

What do you look for before investing in a startup?

In my role at VVP, I’m investing in funds. From that standpoint, I’m looking for firms and fund managers who will have a long-term, positive effect on the innovation ecosystem across the commonwealth.

When evaluating startups directly, I’m looking for a company that is laser-focused on what they need to do to succeed and grow. … When companies can stay clear about who their primary customer is, what the problem is and how to get paid for solving it, they will do well. I look for founders that understand this and can articulate it clearly.

Why does the Citrine Angels group focus on female investors and founders?

The data regarding venture funding to women founders is widely available. Historically, women — and especially women of color — have received a minute percentage of overall funding allocated by venture. The data also shows, however, that women funders are more likely to invest in women founders. Citrine’s mission is to create and support more women investors making investments in women founders.

Dugan

ALLISON DUGAN

DIRECTOR, SHENANDOAH VALLEY DEVELOPMENT CENTER, HARRISONBURG

What challenges might entrepreneurs not take into consideration when starting a business?

Starting a business is a huge leap of faith, and it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement without thinking through many of the unknown challenges. We’ve noticed startups seeking SBDC assistance are most concerned with having proper license and entity formation yet may resist doing necessary expense budgeting and cash flow planning. Being fully aware of the competition can also be a blind spot, and some struggle with strategic marketing beyond using social media. “Getting found” by potential customers is super important.

What industries do startups in your region tend to be in?

The Shenandoah Valley has a wide range of established industries in manufacturing and agriculture. We tend to work with owners in various retail enterprises, specialty food production, value-added farm markets, and an array of personal wellness and consulting businesses. … We also partner regularly with other state agencies and our host, James Madison University, to educate contractors of various industries like landscaping, construction and janitorial services to learn how to effectively do business contracting with the government.

In what ways are marketing and like business development?

I believe a background in hospitality and nonprofit service has been the basis of my ability to serve as a well-rounded business adviser. At the heart of every business is the fact that they really are a destination, even if it is virtual. Excellence in customer experience, in either product or service, is the No. 1 reason people return. We also like hearing the sincere invitation to return … like in a restaurant or a retail store, when you leave and you hear: “Thank you for your business; I look forward to seeing you again soon!”

Corprew

CHARLES CORPREW

SENIOR VENTURE PARTNER, 757 COLLAB; HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, “THE ‘WHAT’S YOUR REVOLUTION?’ SHOW WITH DR. CHARLES CORPREW,”

How does your psychology doctorate inform your current work?

At its core, entrepreneurship and investing are about people. It’s about assessing a founder’s ability to take, execute and scale an idea into a successful venture. My background in psychology has given me an edge in identifying the right people at the right time — those who have the resilience, adaptability and leadership required to build a company. Because let’s face it, entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart.

Based on your own entrepreneurial pursuits, what advice would you give other entrepreneurs?

When I launched “The ‘What’s Your Revolution?’ Show,” I didn’t wait for the “perfect” moment. I had the idea, I shared it with my producer, and within a month, we were on the air. That bias for execution — testing quickly, refining based on feedback and staying consistent — has kept the show running for eight years. …

I see the same pattern with the founders I work with. … The best entrepreneurs are those who put their product or service into the market early, gather feedback and adjust as needed.

What challenges are unique to Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem?

The biggest issue? Access to capital. Virginia should embrace a … mindset [of] making entrepreneurship a key economic driver and creating an environment where founders want to stay and build. This means increasing investment from state and federal governments and attracting private capital. It also means better marketing Virginia as a premier destination for startups. Entrepreneurs should see our region as a place to grow a venture, secure funding and access a thriving business community.

Additionally, collaboration is crucial. Too many organizations in our ecosystem are working in silos. If we align our efforts, share resources and execute a unified strategy, we can create a robust startup environment — one that rivals those of Austin, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and even Silicon Valley.

Sentara launches virtual nursing across hospitals

After 15 years as a bedside nurse at General Hospital, Cheryl Gallahue sought a new challenge. She found it by becoming one of an inaugural team of virtual nurses who interact with patients via TV screens.

Sentara launched at Norfolk General in November 2024 to provide better support for bedside nurses and patients by reducing administrative workload and assisting with patient admissions, education and discharges. Virtual nursing will be in all Sentara hospitals by the end of October, with 65 registered nurses based at a central location and delivering 24/7 video coverage to 1,770 beds on 73 medical-surgical and intermediate care units.

“We’re already making a difference,” says Gallahue, noting that unlike bedside nurses, virtual nurses are not juggling multiple patients simultaneously. “We don’t go from room to room or give medications, but we’re interacting with patients and getting to know them. That cuts down on readmissions because we have more time to educate patients about why they were prescribed certain medications and how to take them.”

Virtual nurses typically spend 30 minutes to one hour with each patient. “They camera in and do any kind of data collection that doesn’t require hands-on care,” says Jaime Carroll, Sentara’s vice president of clinical support services. “Throughout the hospital stay, they teach on new medications, disease processes and discharge instructions.”

Although patients can opt out of the program, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Carroll says. “Patients get undivided attention from virtual nurses because they are not seeing other patients at the same time. They are really good at making that connection even though they’re on a TV screen.”

Danielle Gillespie, a unit coordinator at Norfolk General, was initially skeptical about virtual nursing. “I was worried that bedside and virtual nurses would clash, but it’s been amazing,” she says. “It gives me more time to provide basic care and focus on other things going on with my patients so I don’t feel rushed.”

Gillespie said virtual nurses can take time to dig a little deeper and learn more about patients’ family medical histories. “Patients feel like they can ask questions and don’t feel rushed.”

Sentara requires its virtual nurses to have worked at least five years in medical-surgical or intensive care units. Carroll explains, “We want experience on the other end of the camera to support the nurses at the bedside.”

Franchising offers entry point for Virginia entrepreneurs

SUMMARY:

  • provides proven business model, launch support for first-time business owners
  • International Franchise Association ranked Virginia as third-best state for franchise growth this year
  • Virginia’s business-friendly climate supports in several industries, although the food industry accounts for the bulk of franchises nationwide.
  • Economic uncertainty has raised concerns among franchise owners.

After working in the nonprofit world, Rose White went back to college two years ago to earn an MBA. She knew she wanted to own her own business, but she didn’t have a specific industry in mind.

So, she and her husband explored the idea of buying a franchise.

“I wanted to get out of the rat race and I wasn’t really interested in building something from the ground up,” White says. “I wanted something that was already moving and going and successful.”

Rose and Justin White bought their Pool Scouts franchise last November from Buzz Franchise Brands, a Virginia Beach-based franchising company that operates four brands across 34 states and Washington, D.C. The Whites’ Pool Scouts franchise provides swimming pool cleaning and maintenance services in the greater Richmond region.

The Whites are part of a sector of the that is expected to expand substantially in 2025. The International Franchise Association has ranked the commonwealth as the third-best state for franchise growth this year, with the number of businesses expected to climb 6% to an estimated 25,542 units that will employ more than 270,000 people, according to Katherine Knight Patterson, IFA’s vice president of communications. Franchise revenues in the commonwealth are expected to rise 4.1% to nearly $27 billion.

Patterson cited Virginia’s business-friendly climate and its ranking as CNBC’s Top State for Business in 2024 as a couple of the reasons for franchise growth. Awarded annually, CNBC’s designation is based on numerous factors, including infrastructure, workforce readiness, education, the economy and regulatory framework.

“These factors are desirable not just for large corporations but also for small businesses like franchises,” Patterson says.

Franchising provides an excellent entry point for first-time business owners who might not have experience or capital to start their own companies, she says.

“You’re going into business for yourself but not by yourself,” Patterson explains. “You get access to capital from working with a company that has a proven business model and brand recognition.”

White looked at other franchise options before buying an existing Pool Scouts location, which allowed her and her husband to get established quickly.

“If you get with the right group, they keep you from making so many mistakes … that, if you were doing it on your own, you’d have to learn the hard way,” she says.

Franchise economic output nationwide is projected to reach $936.4 billion this year, according to IFA, a 4.4% increase over 2024. The food industry makes up the bulk of franchise ownership, with fast food (or “quick service restaurants” in industry parlance) expected to account for more than 204,000 establishments.

A decade ago, Toya Evans started Healthy Living Ventures with her daughters, Chanel Grant and Lauren Williamson, to provide health-conscious foods and services. Now, the family-owned company based in Bowie, Maryland, operates a half-dozen Tropical Smoothie Café establishments in Maryland and Virginia. In 2019, the company expanded into luxury spa services by opening its first Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, with locations now in Woodbridge and Sterling, and later adding a third brand with the opening of a VIO Med Spa in Woodbridge.

Evans calls Virginia “business-friendly” and credited the commonwealth’s support of financing with her company’s anticipated opening of a VIO Med Spa in Midlothian and its eventual expansion into Charlottesville and Newport News. She gives special credit to ‘s small business assistance programs, which eased the permitting processes for her spas and café.

Franchise growth isn’t occurring just in restaurant and personal wellness industries. British Swim School, a company founded in Manchester, England, in 1981 that became part of the Buzz Franchise Brands family in 2019, expects to add franchises in 2025. The company, which provides swimming safety lessons for people of all ages at more than 450 locations across the United States and Canada, anticipates demand to grow further.

“British Swim School’s proven business model, strong brand awareness and ongoing corporate support make 2025 an ideal time for new franchisees,” says Ashley Gundlach, British Swim School president. “Additionally, favorable economic conditions, expanding community partnerships and a heightened focus on water safety initiatives create strong opportunities for success.”

Any change in those “favorable economic conditions,” however, could hamper franchise expansions. Uncertainty about tariffs and potential economic slowdowns, as well as price fluctuations, have already raised concerns among franchise owners like Evans, whose Tropical Smoothie locations purchase some foods from Mexico that could get more expensive if U.S. tariffs linger. In March, she said some spa clients in Northern Virginia also were suspending memberships until they knew if they’d keep their jobs amid layoffs in the private and public sectors.

“There’s concern across the board for all of my businesses,” Evans says. “All of our businesses are dependent on disposable income. … People losing their jobs means less money. They’re going to have to tighten their belts. To say that I’m not a little skittish and nervous would be untrue.”

A look inside George Mason’s $107M high-tech labs

In a third-floor lab at ‘s new $107 million and Engineering Building in , students will dissect and study the effects of decomposition on human remains. A few floors away, their peers may dangle from harnesses while wearing sensors to research gaits while others test fly an autonomous blimp in a two-story aviary.

Open to students since January, George Mason’s 132,000-square-foot interdisciplinary lab and research space was unveiled to the public in late March. Part of the university’s Science and Technology Campus, it brings together students from George Mason’s colleges of science, education and human development, engineering and computing, as well as visual and performing arts and offers classrooms, collaboration space and 30 labs for hands-on training in the sciences and technology.

Mary Ellen O’Toole, a former FBI profiler who directs George Mason’s program, says the new space is a vast improvement over what her program had at the university’s main Fairfax headquarters, where it shared an old, cramped chemistry lab. Now students have five labs for forensic research, as well as cadaver space and 3D-imaging cameras that can help map out crime scenes in minute detail.

“Forensics in 20 years is not going to be what forensics is today,” O’Toole says. “It’s going to be different. We’d like to think we’re preparing our students for that.”

George Mason’s newest space aims to push forward scientific research, and it also serves as an anchor for ‘s sprawling , which focuses on life sciences and technology and includes a growing town center, offering housing, retail and an entertainment district. In 2022, the county opened its Northern Virginia Center in the park, offering space for expanding businesses and .

In December 2024, George Mason opened its $250 million, 345,000-square-foot Fuse tech hub at its Mason Square campus in Arlington County, which will focus on undergraduate and graduate education in technology and offer commercial space to industry partners.

George Mason President Gregory Washington notes the university’s growing status, including being named as a top 50 public university by U.S. News and World Report in recent years.

“We needed more labs on campus so that students can do more , more hands-on,” Washington says. “This has been a godsend to be able to put all these labs here.”

 

Mecklenburg says no to future large solar projects

It’s lights out for future large in .

The county’s board of supervisors voted unanimously April 14 to remove utility-scale solar projects as an allowable , allowing three projects in the application pipeline to continue seeking approval before closing the window to future developments.

The move comes as Mecklenburg, like several other rural Virginia localities, has pushed back on solar development, calling the projects a blight on rural land that has led to runoff in waterways and complaining that promised financial benefits either haven’t come to fruition or aren’t worthwhile. Legislation in the Virginia General Assembly that would have curtailed attempts by localities to limit solar development — seen as essential in reaching state carbon-free electricity mandates while also helping power the state’s massive data center industry — failed earlier this year.

Mecklenburg Supervisor David Brankley, whose district includes three solar projects that are either already in operation or nearing completion, says his constituents overwhelmingly oppose more solar developments after bad experiences with two projects, saying they’re unsightly.

“They just hadn’t got the panels in sync,” Brankley says. “It looks like a mess.”

Mecklenburg set a cap on solar development at 2,325 acres in 2023, and with three projects already approved totaling more than half of that, the county has room for only two of the three proposed solar projects — which each hover around 500 acres — before maxing out. In late April, the planning commission denied one of those projects, Antlers Road Solar, proposed by Texas-based , saying it didn’t comply with its comprehensive plan.

RWE has sued the county over a previous application rejection, though no actions have gone forward, says Mecklenburg Administrator Alex Gottschalk. RWE declined to comment.

Another project, 7 Bridges Solar, a proposed 80-megawatt solar farm by Boston-based , was rejected by county super- visors in a May 12 vote.

Mecklenburg’s diverse economy — among its largest employers is VCU Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill — means it doesn’t need to rely on solar farms for revenue, says Gottschalk. Mecklenburg is also home to the popular John H. Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston.

“Those lakes have provided us with a stronger and more substantial real estate base than other communities have had, and it’s also provided us with more and more consumer-based spending,” he says.

The elevator pitch

Amit Singh
Amit Singh. Photo by Shannon Ayres

NEARSTAR FUSION

CHANTILLY

CEO: Amit Singh
Founded: 2021
Capital raised: $1.6 million
Employees: 5
Service provided: Fusion energy

What makes your company different?

Most fusion approaches are strictly magnetic confinement using superconducting magnets or inertial confinement using megajoule lasers. By combining the ability to magnetize fusion fuel with compression in a hybrid magneto-inertial approach, NearStar greatly simplifies the path to fusion power plants.

Specific features that set NearStar apart are: 1) Plasma railgun. 2) Deuterium fuel rather than tritium. 3) Fuel capsules’ proprietary design. 4) Liquid first wall — using a molten lead to absorb heat and neutrons from fusion implosions.

The pitch:

Demand for clean, robust and affordable electricity is growing at an unsustainable pace. NearStar Fusion is developing scalable and modular fusion power plants (50-100 megawatts) using hypervelocity plasma railguns. The railgun design offers unique advantages over conventional fusion approaches by combining the abilities to compress and magnetize hydrogen fuel at over 22,000 mph! Our world-class team has decades of plasma physics experience, including building best-in-class plasma jets for fusion experiments at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Using existing commercial-off-the-shelf materials and technologies, the NearStar power plant can scale globally without requiring expensive R&D for tritium breeding, first-wall materials and refueling mechanisms. NearStar Fusion is ideal for retrofitting the heat source in hydrocarbon power plants or delivering off-grid baseload electricity for data centers, heavy industry and military installations. NearStar Fusion is building a future of peace and prosperity for generations.

Jacob R. Tucker. Photo by Will Schermerhorn
Jacob R. Tucker. Photo by Will Schermerhorn

EMPATHIXAI

ARLINGTON COUNTY

Co-founders: Ashley E. Sherry (CEO) and Jacob R. Tucker (CTO)
Founded: 2023
Capital raised: $20,000
Employees: 2
Service provided: Full-cycle market research powered by AI

What makes your company different?

Most people think qualitative market research at the scale of surveys is impossible — outlandish, even. Traditional thinking says you can either have depth (qualitative insights) or scale (survey-level data), but not both. We reject that tradeoff. Our AI isn’t a chatbot summarizing responses — it’s the new horizon of AI specialist models (patent pending) trained like an expert interviewer, designed to elicit real behavioral insights at scale. On the back end, we don’t just display anecdotes; we use scientifically rigorous methods to ensure representative samples and recover the true qualitative distribution, just like you’d expect from high-quality survey research.

It’s a wild idea: deep quality research that’s as rigorous, repeatable and confidence-driven as quantitative. But that’s the next frontier — and we’re already there.

The pitch:

EmpathixAI is a new kind of market research firm — one that delivers deep custom insights in days, not months. Our proprietary interviewer, CultureChat, uses AI to conduct deep, qualitative interviews for market research at the scale and speed of online surveys. With it, clients gain insights from interviews with representative samples of real people in their target audiences. Our probability-based algorithms then look across every interview to make sure you understand exactly what matters in your data.

Courtney Krstich (R) and Peter Quan.. Photo by Will Schermerhorn
Courtney Krstich (R) and Peter Quan.. Photo by Will Schermerhorn

EARTHAPRO

HAYMARKET

Co-founders: Courtney Krstich (head of growth) and Peter Quan (head of technology and product)
Founded: 2023
Capital raised: $0
Employees: 2
Service provided: A simplified software for small lawn care and landscaping businesses

What makes your company different?

EarthaPro is specifically designed for ease of use and tailored to the lawn care industry. Many existing software solutions in this space feel inaccessible to most business owners — either they are overloaded with features or priced too high for small businesses. In this highly fragmented industry, 90% of U.S. lawn care companies are considered small, yet most lawn care software caters to the top 10% in size. EarthaPro stands out as one of the few lawn care-specific software solutions made in the USA, built to serve the businesses that need it most.

The pitch:

EarthaPro is a simplified lawn care and landscaping management software designed for small businesses. We are a family-owned company, proud to be 100% made in the United States and built entirely in-house. Krstich, head of growth, is a highly accomplished salesperson with years of experience in the lawn and garden industry. She has traveled across the U.S., working with independent garden centers, Lowe’s, Home Depot and other retailers with lawn care centers. Quan, head of technology and product, has over 10 years of full-stack software development experience at companies like Microsoft and Capital One Financial. EarthaPro is part of Lighthouse Labs Batch 18 and the Virginia Incubator.

Justin Ayars. Photo by Jay Paul
Justin Ayars. Photo by Jay Paul

EQUALITYMD

RICHMOND

Founder and CEO: Justin Ayars
Founded: 2023
Capital raised: $903,500
Employees: 6
Service provided: LGBTQ+ inclusive telehealth and prescription fulfillment services

What makes your company different?

Our national provider network is required to complete evidence-based cultural competency training. Unlike our two primary competitors, EqualityMD serves the entire LGBTQ+ community AND our straight allies. Our team has lived the problem we’re solving and has vast, pre-existing networks and partnerships across America. We transform new patient journey data analytics into robust, AI-powered actionable insights. In late May, EqualityMD partnered with LGBTQ+ Victory Institute to provide health care services to LGBTQ+ elected officials nationwide.

The pitch:

EqualityMD’s LGBTQ+ inclusive telehealth and prescription fulfillment platform enables marginalized patients to enjoy affordable, affirming care in safe digital spaces. We’re a low-cost safety net for uninsured LGBTQ+ people and allies. We’re also a fantastic solution to those who already have insurance and small and medium-sized businesses. When patients use their insurance plans along with EqualityMD, they enjoy tremendous savings and uncanny freedom in how they receive care. Our cash-pay model accommodates both B2C and B2B2C customers. We operate in all 50 states and serve any patient over the age of 18. We capture new patient journey data that health care companies need from the invisible LGBTQ+ patient population (approximately 30 million Americans) but can’t access due to the community’s profound distrust of health care institutions after enduring generations of discrimination. We transform this data into AI-powered actionable insights that will drive institutional reforms and advance health equity at scale.

Keya Wingfield. Photo by Shandell Taylor
Keya Wingfield. Photo by Shandell Taylor

KEYA’S SNACKS

RICHMOND

Founder and CEO: Keya Wingfield
Founded: 2024; relaunched in 2025
Capital raised: $100,000
Employees: 2
Service provided: Consumer packaged goods — salty snacks

What makes your company different?

Leveraging heritage on beloved American snacks. A soft introduction into culture and complex flavors. Our salty snacks are made with clean ingredients, single origin organic spices from India and potatoes from America — it’s my Indian American dream. We make two flavors currently: Bombay Spice and Black Salt. Nothing like this exists in the market. My snack company is here to bridge the gap and fill in the white space in mass retail aisles.

The pitch:

This year, we’ve re-launched for scale, with professional packaging, single origin organic spices from India and potatoes from America. Our label is clean. We buy whole and fresh single origin spices from farmers in India. We then dry them, grind, blend and make our seasoning, no additives, fillers, colors, preservatives. Just a clean joyful flavorful snack. We have three more chip flavors in the pipeline in addition to these two and hope to expand across multiple categories! “Built on flavor, backed by culture” [is] our motto. Our branding is customer-first focused and involves a lot of storytelling. I’m also a Food Network champion and understand both American and Indian palates fully. A potato chip with a point of view!

Bretton Key. Photo by Mark Rhodes
Bretton Key. Photo by Mark Rhodes

MY DATE JAR

VIRGINIA BEACH

Founder: Bretton Key
Founded: 2021
Capital raised: $68,000
Employees: 1
Service provided: For customers, event plans and itineraries. For business clients, advertising, marketing and data analytics

What makes your company different?

We’ve built an integrated platform that doesn’t just suggest ideas — it delivers a complete, actionable experience. Our solution engages users on multiple fronts, ensuring every recommendation is tailored, actionable and easily bookable. On the business side, we empower local venues and partners with data-driven marketing tools and direct customer acquisition. This dual focus on end users and business clients, combined with our nationwide scalability and SWaM certification, uniquely positions My Date Jar to drive rapid growth and sustainable success.

The pitch:

Are you tired of spending hours planning a memorable night out? My Date Jar simplifies experience planning by delivering personalized, curated recommendations through channels like SMS, email and our intuitive on-demand app. We serve busy couples, social explorers and solo adventurers while empowering local tourism, attractions, destination and hospitality businesses to connect with high-intent customers. Our multichannel offerings include HART, an AI tool that creates simple, on-demand itineraries. With over 3,000 active users and 12,000-plus experiences delivered nationwide, our proven platform drives repeat engagement and measurable results for our partners. Invest in My Date Jar to help transform everyday outings into unforgettable memories while fueling huge growth for both our consumer base and business clients.

Cory McCoy. Photo by Mark Rhodes
Cory McCoy. Photo by Mark Rhodes

OASIS HEALTH GROUP

VIRGINIA BEACH

Founder: Cory McCoy
Founded: 2023
Capital raised: $11,000
Employees: 5
Service provided: Holistic health and wellness services

What makes your company different?

Oasis Health bridges all the gaps created by traditional big box gyms and fitness centers to further enhance each member’s experience and well-being. Unlike traditional gyms, Oasis Health integrates several holistic wellness services under one membership instead of focusing on one singular service. A commitment to community is also fostered through our partnered mental health support groups and free community workouts.

The pitch:

The demand for high-quality fitness and wellness experiences is rising, and Oasis Health Group provides an experience no other fitness center in Hampton Roads offers: On-site mental health therapy/counseling and unlimited personal training under one roof. We deliver high-quality, comprehensive services that reduce costs while improving client outcomes. Daily and/or monthly exercise consistency is rewarded with a monetary discount each month, applicable to the following month’s membership fee. Integrating this innovative model into our business simultaneously improves our clients’ financial, physical and mental health. Oasis Health aims to capitalize on the current global wellness trends with our holistic approach to all pillars of wellness. With a proven track record of operational excellence and organic growth, Oasis Health is positioned for rapid expansion in a market projected to exceed $7 trillion globally by 2025.

Samantha Chin. Photo by Shandell Taylor
Samantha Chin. Photo by Shandell Taylor

ONSUNDAYS

RICHMOND

Founder: Samantha Chin
Founded: 2024
Capital raised: $25,000
Employees: 1
Service provided: Fashion-forward tennis and pickleball apparel and accessories

What makes your company different?

Instead of preppy pleats and patterned polos, OnSundays is reimagining tennis and pickleball apparel with a modern streetwear aesthetic. Our clean, tailored designs symbolize a version of self-expression, style and comfort that’s currently missing from the game. OnSundays is embracing a direct-to-consumer approach, leveraging e-commerce, social media and strategic pop-ups to build a grassroots following before expanding into select retail partnerships. This model will allow us to scale while maintaining authenticity and connection with our customers.

The pitch:

OnSundays is revolutionizing tennis and pickleball apparel by blending streetwear aesthetics with athletic functionality. We’re tapping into the $350 million racquet apparel market, focusing on young, fashion-forward athletes who seek self-expression, inclusivity and a sense of community. OnSundays designs gender-neutral, stylish apparel and accessories for both competitive play and casualwear. Our products aim to include innovative solutions like intuitive ball storage and advanced moisture-management fabrics to address athletes’ common challenges. In the six months leading into March, we achieved key milestones including product design completion, strategic manufacturing partnerships and initiating a direct-to-consumer strategy that leverages social media and local community events. As we prepare for online expansion, OnSundays is not just selling apparel; we’re fostering a movement where fashion meets function, empowering athletes to excel and express themselves without compromise.

Aliyah Desautels. Photo by Jay Paul
Aliyah Desautels. Photo by Jay Paul

OTTERWISE

RICHMOND

Founder and CEO: Aliyah Desautels
Founded: 2024
Capital raised: $0
Employees: 2
Service provided: Talent vetting and development

What makes your company different?

Unlike traditional hiring platforms, Otterwise reveals candidates’ real-world skills, behaviors and potential by observing how they work on live projects. This hands-on approach reduces hiring risks for employers while giving candidates the insights they need to confidently pursue the right career path.

The pitch:

Hiring shouldn’t feel like a blind date — but for , it often does. Without clear insights into a candidate’s real potential, employers hire the wrong candidate about 80% of the time, with turnover costing half of the hire’s salary. Otterwise is an AI-supported platform that helps startups test-drive candidates for behaviors, working styles, strengths and growth areas, while equipping them with practical skills to contribute faster. By observing candidates as they work on live projects, both candidates and employers can collaborate risk-free before making a commitment. This approach leads to better hiring insights for employers and gives candidates the information they need to confidently pursue the right career path. Our unique model increases career readiness by 60% and reduces turnover risk by 40%.

Michael Miller (L) and Dr. Jessica Gilbertie. Photo by Natalee Waters
Michael Miller (L) and Dr. Jessica Gilbertie. Photo by Natalee Waters

QENTOROS

BLACKSBURG

CEO: Michael Miller
Founder: Dr. Jessica Gilbertie
Founded: 2022
Capital raised: $595,000
Employees: 8
Service provided: Developing a novel biotherapeutic for treating septic arthritis and osteoarthritis

What makes your company different?

Qentoros’ focus is on developing a biologically derived treatment for inflammatory conditions, called Bio-Ply, with initial targets to veterinary patients and then moving into human treatment. The technical approach has been proven in pre-clinical trials to perform significantly better than even combinations of other treatments. In veterinary applications, Bio-Ply has been shown to be 100% effective in the treatment of septic arthritic joints in equine patients, restoring the majority to pre-injury health and competitive status and rescuing the remainder from certain euthanasia.

The pitch:

Bio-Ply has been wildly effective in treating numerous veterinary patients with inflammatory conditions for which all other treatments had failed. It has applications in equine operations, especially with thoroughbred racehorses and their foals. Markets for equine treatments are significant but represent a minority position in comparison to the addressable market sizes for companion animals and farm animals, especially in treating mastitis in cows. The National Institutes of Health has provided $600,000 in grant funding to demonstrate potential for human applications, and a corporate partner has provided $500,000 of nonequity support to assist in achieving FDA compliance. We seek $1.5 million in additional funding to complete the manufacturing scaleup and finalize FDA approval within the next 18 to 24 months.

Julia Halterman. Photo by Norm Shafer
Julia Halterman. Photo by Norm Shafer

SALIVIQ DIAGNOSTICS

HARRISONBURG

Founder and CEO: Julia Halterman
Founded: 2024
Capital raised: $170,000
Employees: 2
Service provided: Developing highly accurate saliva-based diagnostic tests

What makes your company different?

As an innovative and agile startup, SalivIQ Diagnostics creates value through our ability to be flexible and make key decisions quickly. Our patent-pending diagnostic technology allows us to be first movers in the saliva diagnostics space, and we are harnessing the expertise of a strong team and great industry partners to remain nimble and build a high-quality product.

The pitch:

SalivIQ Diagnostics is transforming the future of disease detection with game-changing, saliva-based tests. Our flagship product, SalivIQ Strep A, delivers a highly accurate, noninvasive alternative to traditional throat swabs. We’re leading the way as pioneers in the saliva diagnostics space, offering breakthrough tests for strep, COVID/flu, and mono. With a $50 million-plus annual market opportunity by capturing just 10% of our target market, we’re primed for rapid growth. Early adoption at urgent and primary care practices will drive expansion into hospitals and integrated delivery networks, unlocking a total addressable market of $1.7 billion. The benefits are clear: Providers like the high accuracy and increased revenue, payers like low-cost solutions that decrease the overall cost of care, and patients prefer the comfort of saliva tests over invasive throat swabs. With proven results, patent-pending IP and a strong team, we’re moving quickly through FDA clearance to bring our groundbreaking product to market.

Kelsey Robertson. Photo by Hannah King
Kelsey Robertson. Photo by Hannah King

TECHNISTA

RINGGOLD

CEO: Kelsey Robertson
Founded: 2021
Capital raised: $1.559 million (to establish a national training and technology center, part of a Defense Department contract)
Employees: 12
Service provided: Curriculum development and educational consulting

What makes your company different?

Our truly comprehensive, turnkey curriculum solution is designed to seamlessly integrate into K-12 classrooms. Unlike many others, TECHnista doesn’t just provide lesson plans and other instructional resources, but offers a full range of services, including identifying industrial-grade equipment, designing lab layouts and creating detailed pacing guides. What truly sets TECHnista apart is the unique blend of technical experts in various manufacturing fields paired with educators who have extensive K-12 classroom experience.

The pitch:

At TECHnista, we bridge the gap between K-12 education and the manufacturing industry. Our team combines K-12 classroom experience with industry expertise to create innovative curricula that meet the technical demands of modern manufacturing. This blend allows us to deliver engaging, technically rigorous educational programs that make learning enjoyable for students and rewarding for educators. Our team has developed and executed nationally recognized manufacturing training programs, successfully training thousands of learners from K-12 students to adult professionals. We’re committed to preparing the next generation for a rapidly evolving workforce. At TECHnista, we inspire a passion for technology and manufacturing, equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in tomorrow’s industries.

U.S. 58 repairs near Damascus to finish ahead of schedule

UPDATE: This story originally ran in the June 2025 issue. The 1.5-mile section of U.S. 58 mentioned here reopened May 22, after the June issue’s press deadline.

The road repairs on U.S. 58 can’t be completed soon enough for Teresa Dell, whose gas station and country store have seen a big drop in business since destroyed 1 1/2 miles of the curvy mountain highway in Washington County last September.

“We’re at the end of a road not going anywhere,” says Dell, whose Konnarock Store & Gas usually serves visitors to the and other outdoorsy places in the vicinity of , a small town that has become a recreation destination for thru-hikers, bicyclists and campers.

As of late April, U.S. 58 repairs — estimated to cost approximately $7 million — were set to be completed in May, about five months ahead of schedule, according to Michelle Earl, communications manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bristol District.

The road’s reopening will come as a relief to commuters whose usual 10-to-15-mile trips from the eastern part of the county toward Damascus have become 30-mile detours along winding country roads.

More damaging to the Damascus economy than U.S. 58’s closure has been the devastation along the Virginia Creeper Trail, says town manager Chris Bell.

More than 200,000 people annually use the trail and visit Damascus, which has experienced an outdoors boom in recent decades. Restaurants, a brewery, bike shops and more than 80 bed-and-breakfasts have sprouted in recent years to serve visitors.

The Damascus-to-Whitetop Station trail section, an easy 17-mile downhill ride popular with families, suffered heavy damage during Helene’s wrath, including the destruction of 18 bridges. The trail is still open west of Damascus to Abingdon, Bell says, but visitation, especially overnight lodging, hasn’t bounced back yet.

Lisa Quigley, the Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy’s executive director, says 58’s reopening will ease access for crews working on remote parts of the trail.

“All the repairs have been dependent on getting 58 up and running,” she says.

The Creeper Trail contributes nearly $13 million in annual visitor spending along its route, with Damascus earning $6 million in meals and lodging taxes from visitors, according to a report. “Without trail tourism revenue,” the report’s authors wrote, “the town could see millions of lost tax dollars.”

The sooner the trail is reopened the better, says Dell, whose Konnarock Store relies on tourists. “There’s not enough local traffic to keep the country stores going,” she says.

GO Virginia grant boosts biotech in Roanoke, New River Valley

A $4.9 million grant from the commonwealth will allow leaders from the and New River valleys to build upon efforts by Carilion School of Medicine and the Fralin Biomedical Institute at VTC to turn the region into a hub for .

“As we build the biotech sector, this statewide grant will help us where we have gaps,” explains Erin Burcham, CEO of the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA), a regional organization.

The money is a slice of a $14.3 million pie from state economic development initiative to fund the multiregional Project VITAL (Virginia Innovations and Technology Advancements in ), an endeavor to make Virginia a biotechnology leader.

With its $4.9 million cut, GO Virginia Region 2, which encompasses a swath of the state stretching southwest from Lynchburg to Pulaski County, plans to expand regional work in medical devices, oncology therapeutic research and neurotechnology. The effort will be spearheaded by leaders from RBIA, Virginia Tech and .

Virginia Tech plans to increase the number of research teams participating in the university’s proof of concept program, which assists researchers with pursuing commercialization of technologies harnessed in their labs.

VT will also “elevate programming and mentoring” for its Fralin Health Sciences and Technology Commercialization Fellows Program, Burcham says. That program is open to VT researchers who conduct health sciences and technology-related research and who are interested in developing products for commercialization.

Meanwhile, Carilion’s innovation team will develop resources to help inventors and companies in navigating complicated compliance and regulatory processes. Carilion will also make its Human Factors Lab, which explores human capabilities and limitations in the context of workplace processes, available to outside companies.

Virginia Western Community College and the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers will apply Project VITAL funding toward efforts to bring biotechnology programming to kindergarten though high school students, an effort to develop the biomedical workforce of tomorrow.

All in all, the GO Virginia Region 2 Project VITAL effort has a goal of creating 1,315 jobs over five years, generating an economic impact of $40.8 million for the region, according to Burcham.

OurView: Nothing new under the sun in Virginia politics

Richard Foster. Photo by James Lee

In late April, GOP lieutenant governor candidate posted a highly atypical campaign video on X.

His political enemies within the party, Reid alleged, were staging a “coordinated character assassination attempt to force [him as] the first openly gay candidate off the Republican statewide ticket.”

, Reid said, had asked him to exit the race after someone brought to Youngkin’s attention the existence of a Tumblr blog with the same handle Reid uses on social media that contained — gasp! — photos of nude men! (Oh my! Excuse us while we fan ourselves dramatically à la comedian Jon Stewart.)

The former conservative talk radio host and son of the late longtime Henrico County state Del. Jack Reid is adamant that the blog, which dated to 2020, isn’t his. As an openly gay Republican and a public figure for years on Richmond radio and TV, he’s the victim of political dirty tricks, says Reid, who is staying in the race.

Calling the matter “a total fabricated internet lie,” Reid further said, “It’s not my place to judge others, so I won’t, but I haven’t publicly performed or publicly posted anything pornographic. Have I seen porn? Yes. Have I had one-night stands? Yes.”

Maybe the blog is Reid’s and maybe it isn’t. You’d need someone with forensic computing skills far exceeding mine to make that determination.

But does it matter? Does it have anything to do with Reid’s qualifications for the job or his policy stances? Would it interfere with his ability to hold office?

It seems a bit disingenuous that we as Americans somehow act as if politicians belong to an upright, moral class far above us mere mortals when all the evidence presented to us for literally centuries speaks otherwise.

After all, Reid is hardly the first politician in the nation — or even Virginia — to be accused by opponents of salacious personal behavior. We don’t even have to go that far back — just to 2023 when Democratic state House candidate Susanna Gibson left the race after it came out that she had solicited tips for performing sex acts with her husband on a streaming internet site.

And the White House is far from pure on this front, either. Take Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemings. Or Grover Cleveland and the child he had out of wedlock. Or the indiscretions of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, JFK or Bill Clinton. Or the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., who was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush payment to a porn star, not to mention the $88.3 million verdict in a sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit he’s appealing.

As the Bible says, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Beyond moral or ethical considerations, there is an argument that a tawdry personal life could leave an elected official ripe for blackmail by foreign enemies or other unsavory actors. But that would require shame — a commodity in short supply in a world of social media influencers and George Santos.

Personally, I’d much rather focus on the propriety of a public official say, accepting stacks of gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz from Egypt and Qatar, gifts that will see former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, report to federal prison this summer.

Instead of the media worrying about the state of ‘s third marriage and why Melania has been largely absent from the White House, can we focus more on his intention to accept Qatar’s gift of a $400 million luxury jumbo jet to replace Air Force One? Or how he’s using the White House as the venue for a cryptocurrency moneymaking scheme? Or how about his administration’s stated goal of suspending habeas corpus? Or anything policy related, for that matter?

Because, as far as their personal lives are concerned, the only American public figure I expect to comport themselves like the pope is … well, the pope.

Bad managers drive away talent

When you manage people, you don’t just oversee productivity — you hold careers, livelihoods and psychological well-being in your hands. The data doesn’t lie, and neither do the millions who’ve weighed in on what constitutes leadership worth following.

Fact: 69% of U.S. workers would rather clean toilets at a bus station than report to a bad boss. I made up the toilet part, but the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Survey doesn’t sugarcoat the truth — over two-thirds of employees have their resignation letter mentally drafted and ready to go when reporting to a manager who is terrible.

Let’s acknowledge what we’ve all experienced: Someone in your career trajectory either accelerated your growth or made you question your career choices. There is no middle ground.

The manager multiplier effect

When Gallup analyzed retention patterns over two years, they found something all of us could have predicted but still escapes too many corners of corporate America: Employees who receive high-quality recognition are 45% less likely to quit within two years.

Translation: are retention machines. are talent repellent.

  • To get it right, remember that recognition must be:
  • Specific (not “good job” but “your analysis of the market segment revealed an opportunity we’d overlooked”)
  • Timely (not during the annual review but immediate)
  • Authentic (not corporate speak but human language)
  • Individualized (tailored to what actually motivates each unique human)

The green flag goes viral

In November, a young professional named Simi posted her resignation video call that pulled in nearly 5 million views. Why? Because her manager responded with “Congratulations — I’m thrilled for your next chapter” instead of guilt, manipulation or passive-aggression.

The internet collectively lost its mind because managerial excellence has become increasingly rare. Being a human who genuinely cares about your team’s growth shouldn’t break the algorithm.

This manager understood something profound: Every interaction is a branding moment. In the talent marketplace, your reaction at departures is just as important as your celebration of arrivals.

The economics of empathy

When we measure managerial impact, we typically focus on spreadsheets, OKRs and deliverables. But the true ROI of is hidden in what doesn’t happen: the resignation letter unwritten, the emotional labor saved, the recruitment costs avoided.
Great managers don’t just cultivate productivity — they create gravitational pull that keeps talent in orbit.

Ask yourself: What’s the cost of replacing a single high performer? 200% of their salary? 300%? Now multiply that by the 69% of your workforce that’s mentally refreshing their LinkedIn profile while nodding through your team meeting.

The noble profession

Management isn’t just a job — it’s a calling. You’re not just optimizing workflows; you’re shaping lives. The average American spends 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime. As a manager, you determine whether those hours feel purposeful or punishing.

The true measure of your success isn’t found in quarterly results but in the trajectory of careers you’ve influenced. Twenty years from now, no one will remember that PowerPoint deck you obsessed over, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel when they failed, succeeded, or needed support.

Management isn’t about being liked. It’s about creating environments where humans can do their best work while becoming their best selves.

The path forward

Want to transform your management approach and create a culture that talented people actually want to be part of? Join us for our upcoming webinar, “The Manager Effect: How Better Leaders Boost Retention & Results Using Employee Engagement Data.”

We’ll dive deep into how progressive organizations are using experience data to identify management blind spots, predict flight risks before they happen, and create a managerial corps that makes all employees thrive.
The webinar runs June 24, featuring the latest insights on how to slash turnover and boost engagement by reinventing your approach to management development. Sign up at tinyurl.com/ManagerEffect.

Because when your competitors are losing talent through the revolving door of mediocre management, your opportunity to create competitive advantage through leadership excellence has never been greater. Register now. Your team is counting on you.

Jaime Raul Zepeda is EVP, Principal Consultant for Best Companies Group and COLOR Magazine, part of BridgeTower Media.

Wondering whether your organization is on the right path to win? Talk to us at Best Companies Group so we
can analyze your organization’s health, your team dynamics, and your leadership’s effectiveness. We’ve
helped over 10,000 companies understand and improve their workplace using data-driven strategies. Send me
a note at [email protected].