Blog – Page 3

July 25, 2012 by Amber Shiflett

VCU Economic Developments Foster More Than New Ideas in Richmond

We found this pretty interesting article on workitrichmond.com the other day about VCU’s latest technological and economic developments happening across the Richmond region. Over the past 15 years, the university has been pushing for technological advancements such as new medicines, new business partnerships and student work opportunities to create lasting relationships between local businesses and the university.

In the last year, VCU’s Technology Transfer office has helped kick start their economic development efforts. The office is a resource that helps connect students with an industry and works to transfer their ideas and inventions from the university to the local business community.

Some of VCU’s recent successes include:

A new FDA regulatory clearance for EViTAR, a catheter for drug and cell delivery.
Commercialization of EmergenOx, a device which provides medical-grade humidified oxygen in emergencies.
Licensing by Finis, Inc. for the marketing of SwiMP3, a waterproof recreational audio-device that transmits sound, using bone conduction.

Since VCU is a thriving creative community, the assistance of this program is essential because it provides students with resources and counseling to help get their ideas developed and sold into the Richmond marketplace.

Nicole Colomb, who has been hired to oversee VCU’s new push for economic development efforts, said forging closer ties with the business community will benefit the region by raising the university’s stature while creating jobs and attracting industry here.

(per the article in WorkIt, Richmond)

The Tech Transfer office has become a great resource for economic development across Richmond, as serves as a liaison between local businesses and VCU. As a resource for students to connect and create new ideas, the office generates innovations in the local economy.

So what do you think VCU’s Tech Transfer program can do for Richmond? A more creative marketplace, stronger regional economy, more entrepreneurship and more RVA based businesses and ideas.

July 24, 2012 by Carliss Hardy

VCU’s da Vinci Center helps Richmond become a top 5 for job creation

During Rep. Eric Cantor’s visit to Virginia Commonwealth University’s da Vinci Center for Innovation on Monday, he declared Virginia as an epicenter of job creation and entrepreneurship, according to an article on workitrichmond.com.

A recent survey by Gallup showed Richmond, Va. in the top five metro areas for job creation out of the 50 largest United States Metropolitan areas. Richmond came in third behind Pittsburg, Pa. and Oklahoma City, Ok. as number one. More than 30% of employers are hiring and just over 14% are laying off workers.

Cantor, the R-7th and the House Majority Leader, toured the da Vinci Center-a collaboration of VCU’s School of the Arts, Business and Engineering-and was impressed with the presentations by two groups of students. “What I saw was a remarkable effort to bring the many assets of VCU together toward creativity and innovation,” he said.

The students are participating in a paid summer internship program, a program he also said encourages the want for students to create job opportunities that contribute to the markets growth in Richmond. Once the presentations were completed “Cantor asked how many of them are interested in becoming “job creators” later in life. Almost all of them raised their hands,” according to the workitrichmond.com article.

Each group is collaborating on real world projects for two Richmond businesses using their diverse backgrounds. One group is working on a project with The Martin Agency to make Tylenol dosing simpler and more accessible for parents. The other group is evaluating the Mary Frances Youth Center and coming up with ways to help the organization stay out of debt.

Future job innovators, like these VCU students, add to the growing list of Richmond jobs and job postings seen on websites like Indeed.com. The job search website stated that “the Richmond, Va. job market is strong compared to the rest of the U.S.” Job postings had a national decline of 32% while Richmond’s only had a 19% decline.

According to a The New York Times’ Economix blog post, surrounding Richmond cities, like Virginia Beach, have the highest proportion of employers laying off workers.

The da Vinci Center will continue to merge creativity, diversity and business minded students together to help create innovative projects for job creation in the fall for the launch of its master’s program. Kenneth Kahn, the center’s director, said students will “come in with an idea and leave with a business.”

July 19, 2012 by Amber Shiflett

The Seven Hills of Richmond– Church Hill

Article from The Richmond Times Dispatch 1946

The Seven Hills of Richmond seem to have always been a controversial topic in RVA. Today, many people consider the Seven Hills to be a myth.

The truth is, the official Seven Hills were declared in a 1937 ordinance by the City of Richmond but the ordinance was never passed.

Since then, the confusion has only grown larger. In 1947 The Richmond Times Dispatch published an article that attempted to clear the air about the Seven Hills. The article said that there were various lists of Richmond’s original hills and the hills that were found in 1937 were not accepted by the City Council.

Although the Seven Hills were never made official, those neighborhoods have shaped the city’s history and are a part of what make RVA unique.

Church Hill is Richmond’s first neighborhood and home to most of RVA’s original 32 blocks. The Church Hill area is filled with Richmond’s oldest history from the red brick sidewalks and gas street lamps to the classical architectural styles.

St.John’s Church 1865– Library of Congress

The center of the historic district is St. John’s Church, built in 1741, it’s where Church Hill gets its name.

St. John’s is the only Colonial structure in the area that remains intact.

During the 18th century Church Hill was the stomping ground for America’s early revolutionaries, like Patrick Henry. Who’s most well known for his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech at St. John’s Church in 1775.

A photo of Richmond from Church Hill in the 1850s —Valentine Museum

*1742— Church Hill population reaches 250.

The history of Church Hill radiates from the streets since most of the area’s real estate was built before the Civil War.

The classic architecture is what makes Church Hill one of Richmond’s most unique neighborhoods.

Architectural styles on display throughout the neighborhood include: Greek Revival, Italianate, Federal, and Queen Anne. By the 19th century Church Hill was booming and the population in Richmond had reached 5,730.

People began moving to the area for job opportunities in local tobacco factories like the Pohlig Box Factory located on 25th street just blocks away from St. John’s Church. Tobacco factories and industrial buildings provided Church Hillians with jobs and boosted the local population…

[Read more…]

June 28, 2012 by CarliAmber

The Seven Hills of Richmond

Like Rome, Richmond, VA is a city that was built on seven hills. With all of the hills in Richmond, you may be wondering what are the “official” seven, where are they located and what makes these neighborhoods a great place to live in or own a business?

According to a 1937 ordinance by the City of Richmond, the seven official hills of RVA are:

Union Hill
Council Chamber Hill
French Garden Hill
Navy Hill
Gambles Hill
Shockoe Hill
Church Hill
Click on the map for an interactive view of the Seven Hills of Richmond

Here at RVAbusiness, we are going to explore Richmond’s neighborhoods, the “Seven Hills” and uncover what each neighborhood has to offer. Stay tuned for more about the Seven Hills!

June 28, 2012 by Lauren Noelle Gauthier

First Time Home-Buyer? There’s a Class for That.

Good news for any prospective home buyers who may be worried about their credit score and applying for a home mortgage loan – the Richmond Times Dispatch recently reported that new education classes are now available through Community Housing Partners of Richmond (CHP). The cost? Completely free.

These “Real Estate 101” classes are taught by CHP Housing Counselor, Schirra Hayes, who aims to help those people who are thinking about purchasing a home and have no idea where to begin. The classes are designed to teach new prospective home buyers about the entire home-buying process – from start to finish – and how to stay on track as a responsible homeowner.

The classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m, at Community Housing Partners office building, located at 100 W. Franklin Street.

According to Hayes, home buyers need to make sure their credit file is up to date and in shape, and in taking two sessions of his class, it would qualify first-time home owners for a Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) mortgage application and many other programs.

“Lenders nowadays want to see a really good credit score to circumvent what happened in the mortgage crisis a few years ago,” said Hayes, with Community Housing Partners in Richmond.”

FYI, home buyers must attend both classes – Tuesday and Thursday) to receive a VHDA Home buyer Education Certification to qualify them for a home mortgage.

To learn more about the VHDA or register for a class, contact Hayes at (804) 343-7201, ext. 2035, or email him at shayes@chpc2.org.

And, of course, if you ever have any questions about finding a home to buy, you can always call Bandazian & Holden at 804-358-5543.