The Diamond District‘s first phase, expected to cost $627.6 million, includes a 9,000-capacity, $90 million-plus baseball stadium and a hotel with at least 180 rooms from a high-end brand, such as Hilton or Westin. The project also will include more than 3,000 rental and for-sale residential units, 935,000 square feet of office space, 195,000 square feet of retail and community space, and another hotel.
“This game-changer development will bring a high-quality baseball stadium, good-paying jobs, affordable housing, new small businesses, billions in investment, and green space,” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, the city transferred 61 acres of land to the Richmond Economic Development Authority for sale to development team RVA Diamond Partners LLC, which includes Richmond-based Thalhimer Realty Partners, Washington, D.C.-based Republic Properties Corp., Chicago-based Loop Capital Holdings LLC and San Diego venue developer JMI Sports.
Richmond is anticipating $118 million in financing for the stadium’s construction. The agreement sets $80 million as the minimum Community Development Authority (CDA) bond proceeds for the construction of the baseball stadium and public infrastructure, and the city will fund the first phase’s infrastructure with $23 million in Capital Improvement Plan General Obligation bonds.
Design work for the new stadium was scheduled to begin in May, with construction slated to start in August 2024 and finish by December 2025, and the Squirrels opening the spring 2026 season there — a year past a deadline previously set by Major League Baseball for all Minor League Baseball facilities to meet new standards. The Diamond, which opened in 1985, is considered too old to renovate and must be replaced.
The Squirrels are expected to sign off on the new stadium by July 1, the last hurdle remaining to keep the team in Richmond.
“City Council approval of the development agreement for the Diamond District is a big step in the continued revitalization of Richmond, one that the Squirrels are happy to be a part of,” Lou DiBella, president and managing partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, said in a statement. “We look forward to continued momentum with respect to the design and construction of our long-awaited home.”
Whether it’s aiming to solve a problem, build a better mousetrap or simply make a better life for themselves and their families, entrepreneurs start their businesses with a dream.
And it’s in recognition of these visionary innovators that Virginia Business is pleased to debut StartVirginia, a new annual publication devoted to startups and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Virginia Business Associate Editors Courtney Mabeus-Brown and Robyn Sidersky took the lead for this special issue, which is packaged with our regular June magazine and includes first-person elevator pitches from entrepreneurs, guidance on how to get started in government contracting, a list of early-stage and seed funding organizations in Virginia, and much more. We are indebted to the leaders at Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp., Startup Virginia, 757 Angels and Twin Cities Business (publisher of the StartMN guide to Minnesota startups) for their assistance and advice as we launched this publication with the same name as our magazine’s monthly StartVirginia page, which is also focused on all things innovative and entrepreneurial.
Innovation is about big ideas, and they don’t get much bigger than the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, the subject of our June cover story. Deputy Editor Kate Andrews writes about how the Mannings are launching the University of Virginia institute with a $100 million gift and a vision for nothing less than curing “five or six diseases” and building a statewide biotech hub.
Also in this month’s issue, Assistant Editor Katherine Schulte takes an in-depth look at how Virginia is grappling with a nationwide shortage of primary care physicians; Andrews relates a terrifying tale of how AI is enabling growing cybercrime; and for LGBT Pride Month, Sidersky writes about how employee resource groups are advocating for LGBTQ+ workers at some of the commonwealth’s largest corporations. Finally, contributing writer Sydney Lake examines the speedy success of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, which graduated its 10th class of doctors in May and has quickly become one of the nation’s most competitive medical schools.
Speaking of success, I don’t get enough opportunities to praise the achievements of our team at Virginia Business, so I am proud to share that the magazine won 18 awards in the Virginia Press Association’s 2022 News & Advertising Contest, competing in the specialty publications category. As best as we can ascertain, this is the most awards Virginia Business has received in a single contest year in our nearly 40-year history.
Our staff swept the news writing portfolio awards, with Andrews, Schulte and Sidersky taking first, second and third places, respectively. Judges said Andrews “does an excellent job of offering context, humanity and accessible narrative to the variety of stories in her portfolio, from restaurants refusing patrons to [a] mass shooting to a complex credit [unions] story.”
Additionally, freelance illustrator Doug Fuchs was awarded a Best in Show plaque for his illustration of the Port of Virginia’s statewide infrastructure for the 2022 Virginia Maritime Guide, while Virginia Business Art Director Joel Smith won six awards for advertising design and co-won two other awards. Meanwhile, I took first place for column or commentary writing.
While we didn’t win this year’s VPA sweepstakes award — Richmond Magazine earned that honor — we have plenty to be proud of. Our dedicated staff of professionals work incredibly hard behind the scenes every day to produce this award-winning monthly magazine and annual publications like the Virginia 500, Hampton Roads Business, Virginia Maritime Guide and StartVirginia, not to mention our daily online news coverage and our email newsletters.
As Virginia Business’ owner and publisher, Bernie Niemeier, is fond of saying, we are small but mighty. And I am fortunate to work with such a mighty talented group of people.
Virginia’s startup scene is rich with new businesses as diverse as the regions of the commonwealth. Virginia Business asked startups to send us their best pitches for what makes their businesses innovative, and we’ve spotlighted some of our favorites below.
About the company:Produces modular, remotely controlled “micro-farm” units for indoor, vertical hydroponic farming
What makes your company stand out? Babylon Micro-Farms offers companies a sustainable way to grow fresh produce on-site in a way that removes the need for a “green thumb.” Our micro-farms are easy to use because they are remotely managed, offer full customer support and are designed for simple harvesting and maintenance.
The pitch: Babylon Micro-Farms builds, supports and remotely manages indoor hydroponic farms for commercial clients looking for turnkey, sustainably grown on-site produce. We created a commercial product that makes a client’s desire to grow their own food simply and effectively a reality. Our premier combination of remote management with customer support is built into a beautiful, yet functional and food-safe showpiece that checks all the boxes for commercial clients. Investors who are looking for stable, well-managed, and vertically integrated sustainable products should see what Babylon is doing as the smart way to bring this type of vertical hydroponic farming to market. We fill a niche that is often filled by poorly executed DIY gardens and unsupported internet junk. Clients from Ikea to Neiman Marcus want a push-start solution that is gorgeous and easy to use, and only Babylon delivers that.
Photo by Will Schermerhorn
SAFIRE TECHNOLOGY GROUP INC.
Tysons
Co-founders: John Lee and Mike Grubbs
Founded: 2020
Capital raised:$3 million
Employees: 6
About the company:Manufactures a patented electrolyte additive to prevent fires and explosions in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles
What makes your company stand out? Not only does the SAFIRE technology increase safety by preventing fire and explosion, but it also increases performance and stability of lithium-ion batteries. The SAFIRE technology does not require altering any existing manufacturing processes and can be easily integrated into a lithium-ion battery.
The pitch: In the same way the “Intel Inside” branding campaign in the early 1990s signified superior computer electronics, future lithium-ion battery-powered machines with “SAFIRE inside” will be deemed the safest on the market. Ultimately, our goal as a company is to provide safer batteries for the government and commercial sectors. The company’s core technology, SAFe Impact Resistant Electrolyte (SAFIRE), is the world’s first patented and proprietary drop-in additive for lithium-ion batteries that prevents fire and explosion through an instantaneous liquid-to-solid transformation upon kinetic impacts, such as in electric vehicle crashes. Safire Group has been awarded an exclusive license to five patents to date through its partnership with the technology’s inventor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
About the company: Time Study is a platform for conducting time studies in hospitals and health care settings.
What makes your company stand out? Time Study leverages machine intelligence and advanced analytics to conduct time studies with minimal disruption to a person’s optimal workflow.
The pitch: Time Study offers a platform that uses data science and machine intelligence to help health care enterprises understand how employees spend their time at work and the impact that has on the business and workforce. Hospitals will be able to prepare accurate financial reports in a fraction of the time while getting near-real-time insights that drive productivity and best practices. Many hospitals around the country use Time Study to work more efficiently and give staff a more rewarding experience by guiding them towards best practices that ultimately deliver better patient care.
About the company: Produces aerial drone lighting systems for worksites and tethered power systems for aerial drones
What makes your company stand out? While a drone is a central piece of our product, we are not like other drone companies. Typically, a drone company builds a drone for a very wide variety of uses, most of which require free flight (on batteries). In contrast, we have a purpose-built drone that is designed just to carry lights up and down, nothing more, and it is incapable of free flight.
The pitch: Blue Vigil is radically changing portable lighting to make construction sites and emergency/disaster scenes safer and more productive. Our Autonomous Aerial Light (ALED) is a person-portable area lighting system that mounts a high-intensity LED array on a tethered UAV, which can be positioned up to 100 feet above a job site. The ALED puts over 8,000 square feet of light on the ground, providing nearly twice as much coverage as towed light towers commonly used today. With the higher light positioning, the ALED eliminates dangerous glare and shadows, dramatically improving work zone safety and productivity. It is easier to transport, easier to position and easier to store. The ALED was recently named the 2023 Innovation Award winner by the American Traffic Safety Services Association.
What makes your company stand out? Sherah is the only personal assistant company that is focused on working moms and families, helps in person and virtually, has local market knowledge and relationships with vendors, and uses a gig workforce of moms.
The pitch:Sherah helps busy working moms and families get their personal to-do lists done so they stress less and have more time for the things that matter most. Our personal assistants, who are moms, too, understand all that comes with keeping a family and household running. We divide up your tasks and knock them out quickly in person and virtually. For employers, we help reduce burnout and increase retention among your most at-risk employees — women and caregivers — in management and above, particularly those caught between caring for small children and aging parents. We are a membership model with a recurring membership fee, plus $1 per minute for time completing tasks. We have yet to find a task we cannot or will not do. We even found a goat sitter so a member could take a vacation. Rise up, don’t give up.
About the company: Developing a driveline conversion program to convert large commercial trucks, including tractor trailer trucks, from diesel fuel to electric power
What makes your company stand out? TrovaCV is based on a unique enterprise model, with significantly lower fixed costs and capital expenditure required.
The pitch: The mission of TrovaCV is to accelerate the market acceptance of zero-emission commercial vehicles. We aim to achieve this by developing state-of-the-art battery electric drivelines and by developing a completely new vehicle platform. We also seek new emerging market opportunities for battery electric vehicles, such as our innovative repowering program, which converts existing diesel vehicles into battery electric vehicles. In this way, we extend the life of commercial vehicles with at least 10 more useful years. The total addressable market for repowering is estimated to be over $400 billion. TrovaCV is now at a stage ready to industrialize its developed products for which it is raising the capital needed. TrovaCV is also actively looking for the right location and state to be in.
Henrico County-based Fortune 500 tobacco manufacturer Altria Group Inc. settled at least 6,000 state and federal lawsuits related to its stake in Juul Labs Inc. for $235 million in May. The settlements will be paid in the second quarter of 2023. Altria purchased a 35% stake in e-cigarette company Juul for $12.8 billion in 2018. Months after Altria’s investment, Juul’s value fell under an avalanche of civil lawsuits over accusations that its products were being marketed to minors. The May settlement covers approximately 50 class-action lawsuits, 4,500 personal injury suits, 1,500 governmental entity actions and 1,400 school district cases, as well as 750 state lawsuits. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Virginia Department of General Services has declared the Central Virginia Training Center property in Amherst County as surplus, an expected step to redevelop the 380-acre campus near the James River, according to a May announcement by Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. CVTC, a former state-owned center for people with disabilities, closed in 2020. By marking the property as surplus, Amherst’s Economic Development Authority and/or its government have less than 180 days to submit a proposal to purchase the property. If either decides to submit a proposal and it is viable and of benefit to the commonwealth, then the department will negotiate; otherwise, the property will be offered for public sale. (The News & Advance)
Industrial power equipment manufacturer Delta Star Inc. will invest $30.2 million to expand in Lynchburg, creating an estimated 149 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced May 3. The company will add 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its 300,000-square-foot facility and will consolidate its headquarters and office functions in an adjacent 14,000-square-foot corporate building. Virginia competed with California and Pennsylvania for the project. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Timmons Group, the largest engineering and technology company in the Richmond region, will develop a 150,000-square-foot office building at the Springline at District 60 site in Chesterfield County. The five-story building will be the new corporate headquarters for 400 Timmons employees. The Spring Rock Green property was purchased by the county in 2021, and offices will house employees from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the Department of Economic Development, in addition to Timmons. The new property will also include residential, retail, and sports and entertainment venues. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
VCU Health paid $72.9 million to back out of a $325 million development deal earlier this year, according to a May 5 announcement by Dr. Marlon Levy, CEO of the health system and Virginia Commonwealth University’s interim senior vice president for health sciences. The project included plans for a medical office tower and multiuse project in downtown Richmond at the site of the city government’s former Public Safety Building. Levy said that the original plans were developed before the COVID-19 pandemic, and construction and other challenges made the project “impossible,” adding that it would have caused “long-term financial repercussions.” (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Minor III
PEOPLE
Former Owens & Minor Inc. Chairman, President and CEO G. Gilmer Minor III, 82, died on May 4. During his 1981 to 2005 tenure leading the Hanover County-based Fortune 500 corporation, he shepherded its growth from a less than $300 million-a-year medical supply firm to a $4.82 billion powerhouse. The great-grandson of one of the company’s founders, he was with the company for his entire career, starting in 1963. He worked in sales, operations and management capacities before becoming president in 1981 and CEO in 1984. He was elected chairman in 1994. In 1999, he relinquished the president’s title but remained non-executive chair of the company until 2013. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
EASTERN VIRGINIA
Costs are rising for the Atlantic Park surf park project again, and Virginia Beach City Council will consider shuffling millions of dollars around in the city’s $2.5 billion proposed budget to pay for it. The city’s proposed reconciled budget includes an additional $12.5 million to cover more utility upgrades and construction of the entertainment venue. The city already is on the hook for $140 million for the $335 million project being built at the Oceanfront. Venture Realty Group, which is developing Atlantic Park with music icon Pharrell Williams, closed on financing for the project in March. (The Virginian-Pilot)
Beginning June 1, Virginia Beach-based unmanned flight solutions company DroneUp plans to launch a project to deliver medications via drone to Eastern Shore and Tangier Island patients as part of a collaboration with Riverside Health System and the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) at Old Dominion University, among other partners. The project received $1.877 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s SMART Grants Program as one of 59 winning proposals out of a pool of 389 applications. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
When teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot by a 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in early January, it was a “workplace injury” that arose from her job, lawyers for the Newport News School Board contended in a new filing in late April. As such, Zwerner’s pending $40 million lawsuit must be tossed and she should instead file a workers’ compensation claim for her injuries, the board’s lawyers maintain. The board’s attorneys, from the Virginia Beach law firm Pender & Coward, cited the “unfortunate reality” that teaching in the United States — even for first grade teachers like Zwerner — isn’t without its dangers. The filing, submitted by attorney Anne C. Lahren, requested that a Newport News Circuit Court judge throw out Zwerner’s lawsuit before it gets off the ground. (Daily Press)
Retired Dominion Enterprises Inc. President and CEO Conrad M. Hall donated $1 million to Norfolk State University, the university announced May 5. The gift from Hall, who serves on NSU’s board of visitors, will support the creation of an endowed chair, the Conrad M. Hall Endowed Chair in Constitutional and U.S. History, in NSU’s Department of History and Interdisciplinary Studies and its political science department. “Preservation of our history is imperative to our nation staying true to its founding,” NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston said. “This professorship will have an enduring impact on our scholars and their understanding of the underpinnings that make our nation great.” (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Rivers Casino Portsmouth agreed to pay $275,000 in March after the Virginia Lottery spotted several alleged gaming violations, including “underage and voluntarily excluded persons” at the casino. The lottery, which regulates casinos throughout the commonwealth, worked with the casino to review alleged violations of the Casino Gaming Law, according to a settlement agreement between the two entities. Other violations focused on licensing requirements for slot machines and
Andris
unauthorized games. (The Virginian-Pilot)
PEOPLE
Mary Kate Andris has been named the next president and CEO of the Norfolk-based Civic Leadership Institute. Civic, which aims to connect executive leaders to improve life in Hampton Roads, runs an eight-month executive program, recognizes philanthropic leaders with its Darden Awards, and hosts a scholars’ program for Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College students. Sarah Jane Kirkland, the institute’s previous president and CEO, left Civic to become ODU’s associate vice president for corporate partnerships in March. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Irish air carrier Ryanair plans to order as many as 300 737 MAX-10 aircraft from Arlington County-based Fortune 100 contractor Boeing Co. in a $40 billion deal, the companies announced May 9. Subject to approval by Ryanair’s stockholders, the deal includes a firm order from the airline for 150 aircraft and an option for another 150, with delivery to start in 2027 and continue through 2033. About 150 of the 737 MAX-10 jets will replace older jets in Ryanair’s fleet. The jets are expected to grow Ryanair’s passengers from 168 million to more than 300 million annually by 2034, creating 10,000 jobs for pilots, cabin, crew and engineers across Europe. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
George Mason University‘s School of Business will be renamed for the late Donald G. Costello, who left the university $50 million, the largest individual gift in GMU’s 50-year history. Costello, who died in 2017 at the age of 75, was born in Leesburg and in 1976 co-founded Haymarket-based Century Stair Co., which became the East Coast’s largest stair manufacturer. The bequest, announced April 27, will also establish an endowment for undergraduate and graduate scholarships for business students. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
After slowing its cryptocurrency purchases and selling a portion of its holdings for the first time, Tysons-based MicroStrategy Inc. shelled out $179 million for 7,500 bitcoins during the first quarter of 2023. It was the largest number of bitcoins MicroStrategy, the largest public corporate holder of the cryptocurrency, had bought in a single quarter since the final three months of 2021, and it signals the tech company’s intention to continue accumulating bitcoin despite
its wild price swings, President and CEO Phong Le said on an earnings call May 1. (Washington Business Journal)
Northern Virginia Community College and Google LLC on May 4 announced a partnership on an entry-level certificate in cybersecurity. The certificate can be completed online in under six months of part-time study with no degree or experience, and state residents can take the course through the Virginia Ready Initiative, a nonprofit co-founded by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2020 to retrain employees to work in high-demand fields. Google’s certificate program includes a consortium of more than 150 companies that hire employees with certifications, including American Express Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co., T-Mobile and Walmart Inc. (Inside NoVa)
On May 12, the Washington Commanders confirmed that team owner Dan Snyder reached a deal to sell the Ashburn-based football team to an investor group led by Maryland billionaire Josh Harris and including NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Danaher Corp. co-founder Mitchell Rales. Terms of the reported record $6 billion sale were not immediately released. The deal was expected to be approved by the NFL and team owners by late May. Meanwhile, Loudoun County officials are pursuing discussions with the franchise to bring a stadium for the Commanders to a portion of the Chantilly Crushed Stone/Loudoun Quarries property currently planned for the Waterside mixed-use development. (Loudoun Times-Mirror, VirginiaBusiness.com)
PEOPLE
Arlington County Board of Supervisors member Katie Cristol will step down early to take a job as the first permanent CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance. Cristol will assume the role on July 5, relieving acting CEO Richard Bradley. In October 2022, the Tysons Community Alliance replaced the Tysons Partnership to focus on economic and social development in the area. Cristol was elected to the Arlington board in November 2015, serving as chair in 2018 and 2022. In November 2022, she announced she would not seek reelection. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
ROANOKE/NEW RIVER VALLEY
Bank of Botetourt is planning branches in Roanoke and Rocky Mount as executives grow one of the few locally based banks. The expansion will mark the bank’s entrance into Roanoke city. That branch will be at Melrose Center, a $30 million community center that Goodwill Industries of the Valleys plans to open by the end of 2024 on Melrose Avenue in northwest Roanoke. The bank’s Rocky Mount branch, in the seat of Franklin County, is expected to open in summer 2024. (The Roanoke Times, WSLS)
Layman Distributing, a woman-owned wholesale distributor of convenience and grocery store products, will invest $6.8 million to expand in Salem, adding 42 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced May 5. The company will relocate to a facility at 2157 Aspersion Drive, doubling its current square footage and operational capacity. Founded in 1948, the company is currently located at 1630 W. Main St. in Salem. “This new facility will increase our efficiency so we can continue introducing new product lines, optimize inventory levels and provide new services,” said W. Scott Thomasson, the company’s vice president of sales, purchasing and warehouse operations. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Builders of the Mountain Valley Pipeline said May 2 that construction of the natural gas pipeline could resume this summer but also acknowledged that continued legal battles might further stall the long-delayed project. “We see a path to obtaining all approvals by early summer. And while narrow, this would give us the opportunity to complete construction by late 2023,” said Thomas Karam, chairman and CEO of Equitrans Midstream Corp., the lead partner in the joint venture. Karam spoke during a conference call with financial analysts to discuss the company’s 2023 first quarter results. The last major forward construction on the project took place in fall 2021. (The Roanoke Times)
Virginia Tech-focused independent sports marketing agency Triumph NIL LLC has acquired fellow marketing agency Commonwealth NIL LLC, the two companies announced in early May. It marked the latest business development in the new and rapidly growing world of college student-athletes earning money from their own publicity rights. Nearly two years after a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed college athletes to earn NIL — or name, image and likeness — compensation, students are cashing in with a variety of promotional products and services, from autographs and apparel to personal appearances and customized video messages. Under the terms of the deal, Christiansburg-based Commonwealth NIL will cease operations. Triumph NIL is based in Blacksburg. (Cardinal News)
Virginia Western Community College and Radford University are teaming up to support community college students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology. On May 1, the schools signed an articulation agreement to offer eligible VWCC students guaranteed admission to Radford. Eligible VWCC students must complete an associate of science degree with a specialization in biotechnology, must major in biology at Radford and complete at least half
of their requirements for the major there. (Cardinal News)
PEOPLE
Dr. John A. Jane Jr. will be the first chair of Carilion Clinic‘s newly formed neurosurgery department beginning June 19, the Roanoke-based health system announced April 25. “Dr. Jane will join a strong neurosurgical team at Carilion,” Dr. Daniel Harrington, Carilion’s interim chief medical officer, said. “We’re excited to continue expanding our program with such a capable leader.” Jane comes from UVA Health and specializes in the treatment of pituitary tumors and techniques that are minimally invasive to the brain. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Staunton-based Farm Credit of the Virginias, a cooperative lending institution that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, said in April it would return $30 million to its customers that month through its annual patronage program. Its board of directors voted to return 70% of Farm Credit of the Virginias’ 2022 net profits to its customer-owners. The program effectively lowers the cost of borrowing from the institution, and this $30 million distribution equates to having an interest-free loan for three-and-a-half months and represents about 30% of the interest accrued on loans. (Daily News-Record)
In a work session May 1, most Front Royal Town Council members and Mayor Lori A. Cockrell voiced support for maintaining the Front Royal Economic Development Authority. The council formally established the EDA in March 2021, when the Front Royal-Warren County EDA was mired in financial and legal challenges, and it had its first board meeting in January 2022. The FREDA board last met in July 2022. The council next needs to appoint three directors following two expired terms and one resignation. (The Northern Virginia Daily)
Shenandoah University received a $100,000 challenge grant from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation for its Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs (HIVE), the university announced April 17. The university is renovating its former National Guard armory building to hold the HIVE, which will feature an innovation accelerator for tech business startups, expansions and relocations, as well as veteran support. The grant is contingent upon Shenandoah University raising an additional $100,000 by Nov. 30. The funding would ensure that the project remains on the expected timeline, according to DeShon Foxx, the university’s assistant vice president for advancement. (News release)
Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz is “very optimistic” about 2024 contract negotiations with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, he said during the health system’s May 9 annual corporation meeting. If the entities do not renew the current contract, set to expire Dec. 31, Valley Health would be out-of-network for roughly 55,000 Anthem patients who seek care at its facilities annually. In April, Valley Health and Anthem reached a settlement on the suit that Valley Health filed in October 2022 to recoup $11.4 million in past due payments. The suit increased to $15 million, but the settlement terms are confidential.
(The Winchester Star)
Implementation of a flight network for unmanned aircraft in Winchester is expected to occur late this year, according to John S. Eberhardt III, chief technology officer of Great Falls-based data science and engineering company Advanced Technology Applications LLC (ATA LLC). Eberhardt has been part of a local effort to make Winchester a drone manufacturer and service provider hub. Using the Virginia Flight Information Exchange (VA FIX) platform, the flight network will create a zone to track drones, monitor unsafe practices and determine the location of drone operators who are not following flight rules. (The Winchester Star)
O’Donnell
PEOPLE
Christendom College President Timothy O’Donnell announced in early May he will retire after the 2023-24 academic year. O’Donnell has helmed the private Catholic liberal arts college in Warren County for more than 30 years. In that period, undergraduate enrollment increased from 144 to nearly 550, and its endowment swelled from $200,000 to more than $28 million. After a sabbatical, O’Donnell will serve as a member of the college’s board of directors and a professor of history and technology. The board of directors has created a search committee that is working with Hand & Associates to find his replacement. (The Northern Virginia Daily)
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
Companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his family say they are involved in a “significant lending dispute” with Martinsville-based Carter Bank & Trust. Jay Justice, president and CEO of the companies and the Republican governor’s son, said in late April that the companies and the bank have been unable to reach an agreement to pay off more than $300 million in loans. The companies have a plan in mind but claim that Carter Bank & Trust “currently enjoys more than
$20 million a year in interest revenue from the Justice businesses” and “refuses to seriously discuss such payoff proposals.” (Cardinal News)
Just days before a temporary casino opened in Danville, a new regional tourism brand was unveiled May 10: Visit SoSi. The new marketing campaign ties in the affiliation with Southside Virginia with a new twist by playing off the sounds of “so” and “see,” explains tourism manager Lisa Meriwether. When the full Caesars Virginia casino opens next year, more than 2 million visitors are expected to flood into Danville. Visit SoSi emerged as the top winner for the area’s new slogan through a 9-month development period that included 2,000 surveys and 16 focus groups. (Danville Register & Bee)
Dominion Energy Inc.‘s latest long-range plan for meeting electrical demand over the next 15 years proposes to extend the lifespan of gas- and coal-burning plants in Virginia, including the Clover Power Station in Halifax County through this decade and next. The Fortune 500 utility’s updated Integrated Resource Plan, filed with the State Corporation Commission in early May, pushes back the projected date for potentially closing the Clover power plant until 2040. Other Dominion units that were tentatively slated for closure over the next few years — including South Anna, Chesterfield Units 7 and 8, Possum Point, Ladysmith, Elizabeth River, Darbytown and Bear Garden — will also likely remain operational, based on current demand projections, until 2044 or 2045. (SoVa Now)
Halifax Town Council voted in early May to have the Crawford Solar Project looked into once again by the Halifax Planning Commission. In March, the 5-megawatt facility was denied a special-use permit on a 5-1 vote by the council, following numerous public hearings held to debate its potential impact on the town. The facility would take up an estimated 45 acres of an 85.8-acre parcel of land on Crawford Road owned by local businessman Kenneth Hodges. The project developers are esaSolar and Apex Clean Energy. (SoVa Now)
A new $230,000 grant from AmeriCorps will extend and strengthen a health care initiative in the Dan River Region, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research announced in early May. Specifically, the grant will funnel funds to a local AmeriCorps program known as REACH — Regional Engagement to Advance Community Health. Operated by the federal agency for service and volunteerism, REACH provides services such as public health workshops and education outreach. (Danville Register & Bee)
The Virginia Employment Commission planned to close its customer call center in South Boston in June, trimming 41 jobs of 157 total positions that the VEC is eliminating statewide. The closing of the South Boston call center, located at the Southern Virginia Technology Park, will leave the VEC with one call center in operation in Buchanan County, near the town of Grundy. The last day for the South Boston center will be June 9. VEC spokesperson Joyce Fogg confirmed the call center will be shuttered, affecting 19 classified employees, with the other job losses falling on temporary and wage employees. The job reductions are the result of long-anticipated cuts in federal funding following the pandemic. (SoVa Now)
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Appalachian Power Co. filed a plan in May with the state to build several miles of new high-voltage power lines and a new electrical substation at an industrial park in Carroll County to attract large industry and jobs. The 273-acre Wildwood Commerce Park, located in Hillsville off Interstate 77, has two graded, pad-ready sites — one 100 acres and the other 25 acres — that could accommodate businesses, but no companies have set up shop there. If approved, the utility plans to begin construction on the 138-kilovolt transmission line extension and substation this year and complete the project late next year. (Cardinal News)
Minnesota-based Cardinal Glass announced in late April a $40 million expansion at its facility in the Oak Park Center for Business and Industry in Abingdon. The company, which makes glass for residential windows and doors, expects to create about 30 jobs, which would increase employment in the park by about 10%. Cardinal Glass bought the former AGC Glass Inc. plant in 2021 and has already begun its 215,000-square-foot expansion. More than half of the expansion is under roof,
and constructor J.A. Street & Associates expects to complete the building by the end of 2023. (Bristol Herald Courier)
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol brought in more than $13.8 million in adjusted gross revenues from slots and table games in March, according to a late April Virginia Lottery news release. The casino reaped about $11.89 million from its 888 slot machines and $1.9 million from 29 table games. The lottery received more than $2.48 million in taxes from the casino’s March revenue. Of that, the Regional Improvement Commission will receive $828,262, and the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund will receive $19,878. The Family and Children’s Trust Fund will receive $4,969, and about $1.6 million will remain in the Gaming Proceeds Fund. (Bristol Now)
The Smyth County Board of Supervisors approved Grow Smyth County, a new program to address the county’s need for housing, in late April. The county and the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission will partner on the project, and the county will direct $3 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds into a revolving loan fund for housing. The supervisors implemented a 1% interest fee on loans, and the program is expected to yield about 100 homes. Marion and Smyth County are facing a 1,000-plus housing unit shortage, according to a report that Marion officials reviewed in March 2022. (Bristol Herald Courier)
The University ofVirginia’s College at Wise received a $24,840 grant as part of a statewide effort to turn federal work-study jobs into work-based learning opportunities. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia announced more than $142,000 in grants from the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership to four institutions in early May. U.Va. Wise will use its one-year grant to plan an implementation strategy for converting its federal work-study positions into internships. In the planning year, the university will invite stakeholders from across campus to provide input on the transformation. (The Coalfield Progress)
Wise Town Council unanimously passed an ordinance to create an economic development authority during its April 25 meeting. The EDA will promote development through small business startup planning, business mentorships, loan programs and grant opportunities, and it will be able to acquire, lease and sell property. The town created an economic development committee to draft the EDA’s framework and appoint its seven board members. Town Planner Reagan Walsh, Town Manager Laura Roberts, Events Coordinator Natasha Proulex and council member Caynor Smith serve on the committee, and Mayor Teresa Adkins chairs. (The Coalfield Progress)
When Kathryn Fessler interviewed with Altria Group Inc. in 2008, she was disappointed to learn that the Henrico County-based Fortune 500 tobacco manufacturing company didn’t have an employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees.
As an out lesbian, Fessler considered such groups a high priority when evaluating new workplaces, but she wound up taking the job anyway because everything else about Altria was perfect for her.
However, it wasn’t just LGBTQ+ employees at Altria who didn’t have an employee resource group; no employee group existed there until the early 2010s.
Employee resource groups (ERGs) — also sometimes called affinity groups, employee networks or diversity councils — are employee-led volunteer groups that come together through a common interest or background.
“I was ready to help make it happen the day I walked in, but the company was not at that place yet,” says Fessler, now Altria’s senior director of community impact. “When we got there, I was all in.”
Five years later, in 2013, as public support for same-sex marriage and civil rights grew, Fessler co-founded an employee resource group called Mosaic, with a mission to build, celebrate and advance a vibrant LGBTQ+ community at Altria through member support, advocacy and education. Mosaic, which has about 500 members, hosts educational sessions, brings in guest speakers, sets up town halls, participates in pride celebrations and advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ employees.
When Mosaic started at Altria, heterosexual and cisgender members outnumbered the group’s LGBTQ+ members, recalls Mosaic’s chair and co-founder, Wesley Bizzell, senior assistant general counsel, external affairs, and managing director of political law and ethics programs for Altria Client Services LLC. That dynamic has changed as the group’s membership has grown.
“This has to be an entity that creates change,” Bizzell recalls thinking at the time Mosaic started. “We are going to change the culture if we are going to do this.”
Fessler, already an experienced mid-career professional at the time of her hiring, had seen the successes that employee resource groups could have at previous workplaces. Although ERGs became more widespread in the past decade, their roots go back more than 50 years.
The first U.S. employee resource group, the National Black Employees Caucus, was started at Xerox in 1970 as a response to racial tensions, and race- and gender-based ERGs initially emphasized social networking and providing opportunities for employees within the same company to share experiences and challenges.
One of the nation’s first LGBTQ+ employee networks was started in the 1970s at Hewlett-Packard Co. Nearly 50 years later, LGBTQ+ employee groups have evolved to become key contributors to business strategy and operations at many corporations.
At Altria, Mosaic has influenced change in a variety of ways, including advocating for updates to health care and parental leave policies. Bizzell notes that the company has increased reimbursement for adoption costs and surrogate pregnancies, as well as eliminating a required infertility diagnosis. The corporation also added gender identity and expression protections to its antidiscrimination and harassment policies, and its on-site clinic’s medical forms are gender inclusive.
A few years ago, while speaking on a Zoom panel about coming out at work, Fessler had what she calls a “zenith moment.” More than 500 employees had tuned in, and the text chat was filled with supportive comments, including some from the company’s top executives.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful that feels,” she says. “We have come a very long way in a very short amount of time.”
Ryan Key, a Hampton-based project designer for Dominion Energy, is community engagement lead for Pride, the utility’s LGBTQ+ resource group. Photo by Mark Rhodes
Business case for ERGs
About 90% of major U.S. employers now have ERGs, according to a 2021 study by McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.org. And in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, 93% of ranked corporations have employee groups specifically focused on LGBTQ+ employees’ interests.
Some of Virginia’s corporations with perfect CEI scores are Altria Group Inc., Boeing Co., Appian Corp., Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Dominion Energy Inc. and DXC Technology Co. Capital One Financial Corp.’s LGBTQ-focused employee group won Out & Equal’s ERG of the Year award in 2021, and Boeing Employees with Transgender Family Members was named the best new employee resource group by the organization, which exclusively focuses on LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
Amid the current atmosphere of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law and recent restrictions in several states on gender-affirming medical care and transgender participation in youth sports, corporations’ positions regarding LGBTQ+ rights have become increasingly important to employees. For instance, workers at The Walt Disney Co. encouraged the company’s CEO to be more public in opposing the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation; that has resulted in a yearlong feud between the entertainment company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential hopeful.
In a January report, HRCF called on businesses to embrace pro-equality actions and workplace inclusion to meet the needs of out employees and their allies. About 10.5% of U.S. millennials and 20.8% of Gen Zers, who are now entering the workforce, identify as LGBTQ+, the report says. “U.S. employees are 4.5 times more likely to want to work at a company if it publicly supports and demonstrates a commitment to expanding and protecting LGBTQ+ rights, with Gen Z and millennials 5.5 times more likely to want to work at a company that does so,” according to the report.
At Dominion Energy Inc., the Pride ERG, which started in 2017, now has 556 participants who represent the Richmond-based Fortune 500 utility’s LGBTQ+ employees and straight, cisgender allies. It’s one of the feathers in Dominion’s cap as the company aims for 40% diverse representation (specifically women and people of color) among its employees by the end of 2026.
Pride’s leaders have “been on the front lines of more inclusive change and how that impacts our overall business,” says Maggie Hoge, a senior human resources specialist who works on Dominion’s diversity, equity and inclusion team to support its ERGs and diversity councils.
Often that takes the form of information sessions, including the teaching of terminology that is respectful and inclusive of all employees, as well as highlighting LGBTQ+ employees’ stories. A recent roundtable focused on parenting queer children.
Finding kinship
When Ryan Key started out as an intern for Dominion in 2015, Pride didn’t exist, but the ERG was available when he rejoined the company in 2017 as a full-time employee. Now a Hampton-based project designer for Dominion, Key is Pride’s community engagement lead.
Recalling a time eight years ago when he was “very closed off, being a Black gay man,” Key says he found it “hard to be open without fear of being judged.” However, through the Pride ERG, he discovered accepting and friendly coworkers.
Similarly, Ari Taylor, a Richmond-based supply chain sustainability specialist who is Black and queer, recalls finding her way at Dominion, where she also started as an intern. She remembers the support she felt at the utility when its downtown Richmond office was lit in rainbow colors one night in June to celebrate Pride Month.
“I think it solidifies the fact that [Dominion] recognizes that LGBTQ employees and people exist throughout the workforce, throughout the community. We’ve grown to the point where we’re not just tucked away in a corner or in the cubicle and going home,” Taylor says. “So, we’ll light the building, we’ll show up at the festivals, but then we’ll also work to improve what humans have in our office building as well.”
Joining the Pride ERG also helped
Taylor find “people who understand a layer of you a little bit more,” and today she is its chair. Under her leadership, Pride has engaged with local LGBTQ+ organizations and other Dominion ERGs. She also sees Pride as a catalyst for inclusion throughout the utility, which employs 17,000 people in 16 states.
Often, executives are interested in hearing Pride members’ concerns and ideas, as well as their feedback about what’s working well at Dominion. As studies such as HRCF’s show, these conversations are important tools for recruiting and retaining employees.
“We’ve been on a journey and had conversations [including with Dominion CEO Bob Blue] about making sure policies are more inclusive,” Taylor says. “The point of the Pride ERG is to be that resource and be a middleman when necessary.”
Living their values
“The kids nowadays have that mindset [that] we as a company have to meet what our new employees are looking at and for,” says Debbie Riel, who has worked for 43 years at Arlington-based aerospace and defense contractor Boeing Co., where she is a facilities project administrator on the company’s Facilities & Asset Management team. “If we’re looking to hire the best people that are out there and the best employees coming right out of school, Boeing has to do work in the diversity field and support that and promote that, or we just will be fighting with every other company.”
Riel is a co-leader of the Boeing Employees Pride Alliance (BEPA), which has about 2,300 members and started its latest iteration in 2018, although previous LGBTQ-focused groups existed before BEPA. She also leads the alliance’s Potomac chapter in Northern Virginia and serves on Boeing’s regional diversity council.
When Riel started, she was married to a man, but later came out as a lesbian. Her first involvement in diversity work was because her parents were disabled, but it became her own cause. Her diversity work has made her “come out of her shell” more than she ever thought she would, and she has become more comfortable as diversity has grown within the company, and the world, she says.
“It’s becoming more and more prevalent that companies across the board … make diversity a big part of what they are and what they promote and what they present to the outside world,” she says.
One example of change was in 2021 when Boeing expanded benefits eligibility to domestic partners of U.S. employees, a spokesman says.
Although some corporations have had longstanding LGBTQ+ employee organizations, there are still some that are just starting. Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest pork product manufacturer and hog producer, just launched PRISM, which stands for “Pride, Respect, Inclusivity at Smithfield Matters.”
Smithfield had ERGs for Black employees, female workers, younger employees and people affiliated with the military, and Ron Toran, Smithfield’s director of diversity, culture and engagement, is hopeful about the LGBTQ+ group taking off.
When he first started at Smithfield about a year and a half ago, there was initial interest in the LBGTQ+ community starting a group. Smithfield saw an opportunity with its first Pride Day message to employees. Over the past several months, employees have stepped up as leaders and set up governance and framework for the group.
“I have a lot of compassion for this space, simply because I’m more focused on the inclusivity and belonging aspect that falls under diversity and for me, that means … all support and all collaborate,” Toran says.
PRISM’s mission is to provide education, awareness, advocacy and a safe space for LGBTQ+ and straight ally colleagues at Smithfield.
That, in a nutshell, seems to be what LGBTQ+ leaders want most — a voice within their companies and a safe space.
“My experience,” says Fessler, with Altria, “… is that the values that have caused Mosaic to come into existence, caused it to grow, caused us to find these ways to express acceptance, belonging and equitable experience among all of our employees. … I don’t see that wavering.
“I see it more and more evident. The more leaders — younger leaders — have come to replace the ones who have retired, and every leader I work with [or] interact with at all levels really … embrace … those values.”
What do you look for when you’re investing in a startup?
The most important thing I look for when investing in a startup is the tenacity, drive, intelligence and character of the CEO or founder; the mission — does this resonate with us personally?; the viability of the idea; and the size of the market/industry.
What are the most important questions to ask of a startup before investing?
What is driving the founders to grow the company? The mission cannot be focused solely on financial success. Building a motivated, cohesive team dedicated to a shared mission around making the lives of others better — that is when truly great companies emerge. How are you different than your competitors? What is your recruiting strategy to hire the best talent, and what is your marketing strategy?
How many businesses have you invested in that have failed?
We have founded 10 companies since 1993, growing all of them with our own money. We did not take any outside investor funds. Of those 10, all became profitable, multimillion-dollar firms. Separately, I invested in 22 other early-stage companies during the last 15 years. These were companies that were not run by our group, and we had minority stakes in these ventures. Out of those investments, three of them failed. I look at over 300 investment opportunities annually, so our process is very selective.
What ripple effects are entrepreneurs seeing from the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March?
I believe early-stage entrepreneurs are going to find capital more expensive, the time frame and effort to secure it more arduous, and a shift in focus from “grow at all costs” to a more balanced approach that values growth and profitability.
Founders are becoming more creative in raising capital and focusing on building a sustainable business rather than growing fast. Also, the ethics of co-founders is becoming a much earlier focus than before.
What are the biggest challenges facing startups?
Startups face significant hurdles developing corporate and large potential client relationships. After that, talent and funding round out the “big three” of their challenges.
What’s something a company should consider before scaling up?
A company should consider whether or not they have the capability to scale. Do they have the systems and processes to handle the increased business? Do they have the right talent? Taking on large contracts that you can’t service can kill your business fairly quickly.
What advice would you share with companies looking to get into your cohorts?
Know the problem that you intend to spend the next five to seven years of your life solving. Your approach to that problem may evolve, but the problem is still there. Make sure that problem is big enough to make a business, not just a product — a product is different from a business. Funders fund businesses; rarely do they fund products.
Garcia
LISA GARCIA
Director, Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP); Vice president for entrepreneurial development, Verge Roanoke
What trends are you seeing in new companies?
Our reach and focus are highly focused on technology and health and life science startups created in Southwest and Central Virginia. Startups in our region are often based on research and development that occurs in a cutting-edge laboratory. It is our great fortune to see more and larger collaborations occurring with the commercialization journeys that enable founders to access university, private company and public business tools and resources.
What are the biggest challenges facing startups?
Time and focus. In order to excel at anything, it requires a time commitment and focus that our social and professional environment does not readily foster. Collectively, our expectations are for founders to be many places at one time, and that overlaps with their creative and innovative personalities that are biased toward research and development. They are creators. Securing the right support to both identify and focus on the most profitable path to advance a startup is a significant challenge.
What’s something a company should consider before scaling up?
Supply chain. It probably goes without saying that supply chain disruptions have held up a lot of companies in terms of strategic growth. Identify key partners and backups, if possible, to enable your company to execute fully.
What advice would you share with companies looking to get into your cohorts?
Get to know us before you apply to RAMP. Reach out and set up a meeting or call. Ask us what we are seeking in a startup. We have a few ways you can engage in the startup community, including a 1:1 Pitch & Polish event held quarterly with regional business coaches and leaders who can offer feedback and connections.
Sony co-founder Akio Morita wrote in his memoirs that he followed his gut. I agree with this — study the concept rigorously, interview the principals, look at the eye contact, assess the level of their commitment to the concept, but in the end, trust your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, take a pass.
What is your biggest challenge as a startup?
In our case, the biggest challenge was learning how to manufacture the biochips that enable the cell separations. This took several years.
How did you overcome that?
Solving this was an important exercise in trial and error, patience and staying the course. We were unable to obtain the quality and scale of product we needed from any vendor, and so [we] undertook the manufacturing through internal R&D and process development, which has been very successful and now gives us the advantage of control over a critical product manufacturing process.
What is the most important or useful thing you have learned during the process of starting your company?
The importance of forming a strong and adaptable team
What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs?
Never give up. And remember that it is not the company with the most resources that wins, nor the company with the smartest people — it is the company that is the most adaptable.
What’s unique about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in your region?
The Blacksburg/Roanoke area is an excellent place to build a life science enterprise. This area offers strong institutional support, deep technology sectors and an available labor pool of smart young people with awesome work ethic — all the ingredients you need.
What do you look for when you’re investing in a startup?
At our very early stage of investment, we always say we are investing in three things — the team, the market and the tech. We are looking for a team and company that has a big idea and addresses a significant customer pain point.
What are the most important questions to consider before investing in a new company?
We want to know that we are working with high-integrity and committed individuals who have an exceptional knowledge of the market they are going after and are willing to listen to others — co-founders, investors, mentors and customers — along the entrepreneurial journey. This probably boils down to one fundamental question: What makes you and your team the right people to address the problem?
How do you know when you’ve gotten a return on your investment?
As we are a “double-bottom-line” fund — investing not only for investor and founder return, but for spillover economic development benefit for the commonwealth — we take a slightly different view of return than traditional financial investors. While we are concerned with cash ROI, we also consider things like job creation, new company formation, private capital mobilized and new industry development in our return calculus.
What challenges and/or opportunities are unique to the commonwealth for startups or funders?
One of the single greatest challenges we face as both early investors and agents of economic development lies in learning how to build on the unique attributes of diverse regions of the commonwealth — including legacy and nascent sectoral strengths — to foster economic outcomes that will grow and sustain Virginia’s future.
While funding for early-stage startups has always been a challenge in Virginia, the recent banking difficulties and the stock market performance will make access to capital even more difficult. This is why entrepreneur support organizations, such as incubators and accelerators, and state resources from Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. are so important. Once an idea has been validated, startups need to scale their operations to meet demand. When this occurs, hiring the right talent and implementing effective sales and marketing strategies are other challenges we see.
What’s something a company should consider before scaling?
Before scaling, it is vital to have completed a comprehensive customer discovery to ensure you’re meeting the right needs and evolving your product or service to meet market demand. Scaling a startup requires significant financial resources and a strong business model that includes a plan for operations, sales, customer service and acquiring talent. This should also be in place before fundraising so you can clearly communicate your growth strategies to prospective investors.
What advice would you share with companies looking to get into your cohorts?
Startup Virginia is a high-growth business incubator. To join our community, all you need is a great attitude and a high-growth business idea or model, which we describe as a business or idea that leverages technology, manufacturing or, in some instances, licensing/franchising to grow exponentially and have a large geographic impact. Once in our community, we provide programming based on your stage of business and leverage our network of founders, mentors and investors to support you along your startup journey.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Sign In
Free Newsletter
