Making It – From Doodling to Dough
By Chris Gatewood It is easier than ever to make and sell things. You can bang out a prototype of your widget with a 3D printer, by hand, or in a hackerspace that gives you access to its gear. You can connect with a manufacturer in the U.S. via Maker’s Row or offshore through the […]
Making Artisan Salame
By Jeff Kelley “National?” I reply to Oliviero “Olli” Colmignoli. I could’ve sworn he’d just said his two-year-old company’s artisanal salames are available nationwide in Whole Foods Markets. Yes, he confirms “National.” From this unsuspecting factory in a row of nondescript office suites in Mechanicsville, the two dozen employees of Colmignoli’s namesake Olli Salumeria […]
There Is A Better Way: The CarLotz Story
CarLotz is a consignment store for used cars that I co-founded with my partners Michael Bor and Aaron Montgomery in Richmond in early 2011. The company was born out of an unmet need in the marketplace. Buying and selling cars is an activity nearly every adult goes through, yet most consumers genuinely dislike the process.
At The Center Of It All
Brothers Chris and Phil Ray have recently found themselves at the center of it all. As the owners of the newly opened Center of the Universe Brewing Company, the duo has morphed their hobby into one of the latest in a string of quality, craft breweries opening in Greater Richmond.
Return on Health: The HDL, Inc. Story
The recent success of Richmond-based Health Diagnostic Laboratory is not about any one person. It’s about a family of people willing to roll up their sleeves and work around the clock for the past three years to save lives. It’s representative of the spirit found by the many startups, organizations, and nonprofits in Greater Richmond who are dedicated to a cause worth fighting for. It’s who we are.
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.
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?”