
Collegiate Dancers Perform at The Orange Bowl
“Is this for real?” That was Stacy Dudley’s first reaction when she got the call inviting her high school dancers to perform at the Orange Bowl half-time show in Miami. Dudley, the dance teacher at Collegiate School since 2001, “didn’t believe it at first. Usually things that are too good to be true aren’t true,” she says. But this was.

Jump In: Peluso Open Water
Swimming is the part of a triathlon that most athletes fear most. Though it’s the shortest portion of the race, even the best swimmers are faced with the stress of other swimmers all around them. And for those participating in a Kona Ironman, the toughest of all events, this feeling can last the entire 2.4-mile swim. Jay Peluso, founder of Peluso Open Water, set out to change this.

Juggling RVA
In the last issue of Greater Richmond Grid, we asked Happy the Artist to give us his tips on ways to be happy in RVA. Next up we have Jonathan Austin, one of Richmond’s most recognizable figures and favorite entertainers. From tossing flaming objects in the air to magic tricks delivered with a hefty dose of humor, Jonathan the Juggler has offered his 24-hour Emergency Juggling Services to RVA for decades.

Finding Inspiration in Others
With the start of 2013 comes an onslaught of resolutions. At the top of most people’s list is improved health and wellbeing, in some shape or fashion. Richmonders do not have to look far, however, to find good role models when it comes to the success stories found at the various YMCA locations scattered around Greater Richmond. Here’s to some of our favorites-Makita Byrd, Amanda Clarke, Jesse Evans, and Aurora Johnston. Read their inspiring stories, think about them, and then get active.

State of the App in 2013
CapTech Ventures wrote the book on iPhone and iPad development, and that’s literal: iOS Network Programming, authored by three of the Richmond information technology company’s developers, is available on Amazon for $30.

Lowering the Wall Between the Paper and the Community
It’s hard to turn around in Richmond without bumping into a collaborative workspace or three. There’s Gangplank Henrico for the technology-minded, or 804RVA for individual entrepreneurs tired of staring at their bedroom walls. Hanover offers the Dominion Resources GreenTech Incubator, while the city offers Advantech with its below-market office space rental. A trio of local business standouts launched New Richmond Ventures, which advises startups and offers opportunities for space. And there’s always the basement of the Tuckahoe Library, or any number of coffee shops.

RVA Agents: Mission Possible
There’s a new crew of agents in town and more are joining every day. Their name? RVA Agents. Their mission? Help attract new businesses and jobs to the region.

Growing Upward By Going Southward
From his office in Shockoe Bottom, Edwin Huertas is building a growing base of clients that operate throughout Latin America. About one in five people south of the U.S. border own a smartphone (compared to one in two here), and as is the case in the U.S., iPhones and Androids have become the dominant handsets and continue to gain market share. That’s a nice place to play if you’re Huertas, an Ecuador native whose three-year-old company, Shockoe.com, happens to build applications for iPhones and Android devices.

Never Wait On Hold Again: The LucyPhone Story
Early one evening in the summer of 2009, I called Comcast customer service only to hear the dreaded words, “I’m sorry, we are currently experiencing higher than normal call volumes, please hold as your call is very important to us.”

Just Ask Peter: When Is It Time For a StartUp to Step Up?
People around RVA are always asking me: “We’re a new startup company. How can we save money and time?”