The growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in the megaregion

Speakers (from left to right):

Speakers:

Monique Adams is the managing director of 757 Collab and executive director of 757 Angels which has been consistently recognized as a Top Angel group in the country by the Angel Capital Association.  She is a former finance executive who held positions at predecessor banks of Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.

Paul Nolde was named executive managing director of Richmond-based business accelerator Lighthouse Labs in April 2022. Before that, he served as fund manager and managing director of Riverflow Growth Fund, a seed stage, healthcare-focused venture capital firm based in Richmond, and was a director at NRV, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Richmond.

Meg Pryde is the founder and CEO of Brandefy, a Richmond-based startup that offers shoppers an online tool to compare various cosmetic and skin care products. Pryde started the app while at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Brandefy participated in the fall 2018 cohort of Lighthouse Labs. Pryde comes from the consumer packaged goods space where she learned about contract manufacturing.

Scott Ukrop is a managing director at NRV, an early-stage venture firm in Richmond. At NRV, Ukrop is responsible for originating and evaluating deal opportunities and developing solutions to share knowledge and resources with portfolio companies. Among NRV’s portfolio companies, he serves as a board observer to Harrisonburg-based Farmer Focus/Shenandoah Valley Organic, Norfolk-based Ario, Washington state-based Ignik, and Raleigh, N.C.-based Murphy’s Naturals.

Hunter Walsh is the program manager for 757 Startup Studios, part of the 757 Collab innovation network in Hampton Roads. Walsh works alongside some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the 757 designing critical programming, supporting startups, and building a valuable network of partners, mentors, and ecosystem champions. Since its opening in the spring of 2021, Startup Studios has welcomed nearly 10,000 people into its space, facilitated over 150 unique programs and worked with more than 70 early-stage founders.

The entrepreneurial community in the I-64 Innovation Corridor from Hampton Roads to Richmond is robust and growing.
Several business incubators and accelerators in the megaregion provide the mentorship to these budding new businesses. Venture capital firms and angel investors help finance these new companies.
But entrepreneurs, startup founders, angel investors and others say more could be done to support new businesses in the megaregion.
Both regions have a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In Hampton Roads that includes 757 Collab, which provides mentorship and acts as a catalyst for startups; 757 Accelerate, which helps startups do more faster; 757 Angels, which connects investors with founders; and 757 Startup Studios, which is the hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. 
In the Richmond region, business incubators including Startup Virginia, Lighthouse Labs, and the Dominion Energy Innovation Center provide the mentorship, workspace, and guidance to help these new companies. Other programs, such as Activation Capital, support the startup business community through grants and other services.