Breakaway Rides into RVA
In pro cycling, the “breakaway,” or “break” is about a small group of riders seeking to separate themselves from the crowd to gain a competitive edge. One of Richmond’s newest events, Breakaway RVA is about something very different. Organizers have created an afternoon break for a large group of cyclists seeking togetherness and (mostly) low-key […]
The Richmond Transit Network Plan
By Ross Catrow Earlier this year, a team of nationally recognized transit experts came to town to help the city completely reimagine Richmond’s transit network. Our current bus network is built on the bones of America’s first electric streetcar system and has resisted major overhauls to its lines for at least 40 years. To […]
Grid Supply: Community-Driven Retail
Richmonders like to make stuff. Sometimes it’s with a hammer and anvil. And other times it’s with a paintbrush and canvas. We are a community that values craftsmanship and things built to last. At our core, we are all making something. It’s what defines us. It’s what moves us forward. It’s with this spirit in […]
Mission Driven Startups: Tangible Ways to Be Unreasonable
Anika Horn is going to save the world. One business at a time. Horn is a “social venturer” – a person who helps businesses implement strategies that are both socially conscious and profitable. In order to accomplish her mission, Horn, along with Larkin Garbee of 804RVA, Ashley Ray of Emergent Social Solutions, Stephanie Hepp of […]
Worse for Wear: Made for Women by a Woman
By Paul Spicer Laura Smith’s ex snuck a rusty 1981 Suzuki GS450L into her apartment late one fall night. The bike had more problems than she knew how to fix, but it was all hers. And she loved it. Over that winter the two spent time taking the bike apart. They cleaned it – […]
The Kickstand: RCC’s Earned-Revenue-Venture
If you’re biking along the Virginia Capital Trail in downtown Richmond, you’ll notice a shipping container 10 feet off the trail. It’s tricked-out and outfitted with an outdoor patio and lawn chairs. And there are bikes everywhere. More bikes than you’d even think could fit into the 40-foot container spill out into the surrounding grass. […]
A Market with a Mission
By Maurice “BarCodez” Jackson Richmond is a place at odds with what it is and what it could be. It’s place with a mixed identity, one constructed around art, music, culture, community, resources, wealth, privilege, and poverty. Its history is deeply rooted in soil, comprised of equal parts mud and blood. And it’s here we […]
A Better Cup of Coffee, A Better Future
There is good coffee and then there’s good coffee. A good cup of coffee is all about flavor: bright or robust, sweet or dark, rich, floral, or fruity – it’s a matter of taste. Everyone likes different coffee. Some of us enjoy a cup of amazon mushroom coffee whereas others prefer a shot of espresso. […]
101 Pit Bulls: Changing the Perception
Kelley Blanchard is on a mission to restore the image of America’s most bullied breed, the pit bull. Determined to fight fear and bias, Blanchard launched The Richmond Pit Bull Project to bring attention to rescuing, rehabilitating, and loving the American pit bull terrier and dogs with bulldog lineage. As part of her initiative, Blanchard […]
At the Center of Change
Last year, 62.8 million Americans volunteered 7.9 billion hours. Based on the Independent Sector’s valuation of a volunteer hour ($23.56 in 2015), all that time is worth more than $186 billion. That sounds like a lot until you realize that the number of people who volunteered last year is only slightly more than 25 percent […]