Meet this week's guest editor, Dale Fickett! A driving force in Richmond’s entrepreneurial landscape, Dale blends academia, innovation, and advocacy to create economic opportunities for aspiring business owners. As an entrepreneurship professor at the University of Richmond and president of RVA Works, he leads a Virginia-based nonprofit dedicated to breaking down financial and educational barriers to business ownership.
A recognized thought leader, Dale contributes to Forbes and advises the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, shaping policies that empower small businesses nationwide. His research spans entrepreneurial finance and developmental economics, with global collaborations that include Trinity College Dublin, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia, and Northwestern University. He is currently exploring the transformative potential of AI and blockchain to increase access to small business credit.
Beyond academia and policy, Dale has firsthand experience as a founder in the retail sector and as a strategy consultant for Accenture’s European Financial Services practice. But his true passion lies in fatherhood and his missionary work in rural Haiti, where he continues to make a lasting impact on communities in need.
Take it away, Dale …
RVA Works
Let’s begin with RVA Works, a Richmond-based nonprofit dedicated to helping more people become business owners—particularly those facing social or economic barriers to entrepreneurship. RVA Works offers a range of educational, promotional, and financial support services designed to empower emerging founders. Since 2014, more than 100 new businesses have benefited from RVA Works’ programs, with alumni reporting an average 38% increase in annual income. The organization provides business training, network-building opportunities, and ongoing support to help entrepreneurs grow—regardless of their industry, revenue, or stage of development.
Connect and collaborate with Richmond’s entrepreneurial community. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, this is your chance to meet fellow founders, share ideas, and build valuable connections in a relaxed setting. Don't forget to bring your business cards and a friend or colleague who would love to join us at the HogsHead Cafe.
1 Million Cups (1MC) provides a supportive, inclusive space for entrepreneurs and the community to gather, connect, and grow. It’s a place where Richmonders can work through business challenges and discover new opportunities. These inspiring events offer a chance for local entrepreneurs to learn from one another within a thriving community of peer-founders. For the next event, register to join us as we spotlight an exciting new startup: Clique, a dating app that makes meeting new people safe and fun by connecting friend groups for group meetups. Combining the best of traditional dating apps with a social, safety-first approach, Clique recently took 1st place at Techstars Startup Weekend – Changemakers Richmond, hosted at the University of Richmond.
Vitals:
1 Million Cups: Clique / Wednesday, April 2 / 9:00 AM / University of Richmond, Robins School of Business, 102 UR Drive iLab - Room 123
More About 1MC.
The Richmond startup community has experienced significant progress over the past ten years, including growth in the number and quality of support services for innovators and entrepreneurs. This national program of the Kauffman Foundation has now expanded to help entrepreneurs in over 100 communities. With over 400 Richmond meetups, our region has received recognition as one of the most consistent support hubs for these founders.
1 Million Cups Richmond has now joined the range of public events hosted by the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond, and many emerging business owners have benefited from student assistance offered through the Spider Business Hub. Public events such as the Robins Executive Speaker Series, C-Suite Conversations, Techstars Startup Weekend Richmond, and 1 Million Cups draw innovative leaders, faculty, and students to discuss society’s most pressing challenges.
This week, we’re honored to welcome guest editor Kristin Harris, founder and CEO of Cancer Retreat Centers.
Pink ribbons have been a thread throughout Kristin’s story since childhood. Her mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer when Kristin was just four years old, and at age 24, she took on the role of caregiver when her mother was diagnosed with terminal metastatic disease. Just a few years later, Kristin herself became the fourth generation in her family to be diagnosed with breast cancer—followed by a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer a few years after that.
Channeling both her personal and professional experiences, Kristin served as Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Central & Eastern Virginia before taking on her current leadership role at Cancer Retreat Centers. When she’s not working to create a new model of integrative cancer care, you’ll often find Kristin in one of Richmond’s beautiful parks or indulging in her latest hobby (or obsession): backyard gardening.
Known for her deep commitment to local nonprofits and community causes, Kristin brings that same spirit to Here this week, sharing her favorite ways to explore and celebrate the city we all love to call home.
Take it away, Kristin …
St. Patrick's Day in RVA
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in RVA with all your favorite leprechauns and fairies! Join us for the Church Hill Irish Festival this Saturday, 3/15, and Sunday, 3/16, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the corner of 25th Street and Broad in historic Church Hill for live local music, food vendors, craftspeople, Irish beverages, kids' games, Irish and Highland dance, and of course, bagpipers! A suggested donation of $5 will help support St. Patrick's Church and other local organizations, including ChildSavers, Richmond Hill, the Church Hill Association, Fulton Neighborhood Resource Center, St. John's Church, Chimborazo School, Bellevue School, Church Hill Boys and Girls Club, Saint Francis Home, Sandston USO, and the McShin Foundation. Don't forget to register for The Hill Topper 5K on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., with a scenic route through Libby Hill, Chimborazo, and Jefferson Parks. Sláinte!
With warmer weather and longer days comes the promise of spring flowers and summer gardens. Rediscover some of Richmond's most beloved public parks and gardens with a stroll through beautiful Byrd Park, Bryan Park, a Garden History Tour at Agecroft Hall, or even an adult Night Hike at Maymont (Fri, 3/14) to soak in the early sights and sounds of spring. Or step up your gardening game this season with one of these fun instructional classes at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: "Creating a Kitchen Garden" (Sat, 3/15), "Beginning Native Perennials for the Home Garden" (Sat, 3/15), or "Butterflies 101" (Sun, 3/16).
Tea for two (or more)? If you haven’t yet visited Floris, the newest tearoom at VMFA, to experience this delightful, decadent tea service, don’t wait another minute to make your reservation!
On Saturdays through Wednesdays, Floris’s robust, rotating menu—steeped in inspirations from VMFA’s collections as well as various tea-centric regions—features globally inspired dishes, freshly baked breads, and curated Virginia teas.
Take a midday escape and indulge in savory and sweet pleasures for the palate, including expertly crafted blends from guest tea makers. Chef Chainey Kuykendall’s use of fresh ingredients from local vendors and importers further enhances Floris’s celebration of cultures and community.
Vitals:
Floris at VMFA / Saturday–Wednesday, Signature tea service 11:30 AM–2:30 PM /
Á la carte 2:30–4 PM / 200 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard
More about Cancer Retreat Centers.
Something magical is happening here in Richmond. Over the past year, thanks to the support of many generous community sponsors and in partnership with the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities, we have begun renovating the beloved 1920s historic mansion known as Blanton House, adjacent to beautiful Byrd Park, for use by our growing nonprofit, Cancer Retreat Centers.
Here, local cancer patients, survivors, their families, and caregivers can now find hope, healing, and a shared home—and members of our greater Richmond community can join in for CRC Community Wellness Retreats, designed for better health and chronic disease prevention—all at no cost to our participants. While the long-term goal of Cancer Retreat Centers is to build a network of facilities in multiple diverse venues, Blanton House is our first permanent location, offering convenient onsite parking and a large, open side yard—perfect for community-building activities and hosting weekly CRC Programs.
Visit CRC's website to learn more about Weekly Programs at Blanton House, including Mindfulness, Walking Groups, Music Therapy, Lunch Bunch Meetups, Book Club, Supper Club, and more! Follow along with the renovation and get all the latest CRC updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Meet this week’s guest editor, Conner Parrish. Conner founded Blossoming Roots Farm & Supply in Ashland, Virginia in 2022. The farm teaches conservation gardening workshops around the Richmond metro area and operates a local cut flower farm, with the mission to protect and nurture the environment around us.
After the sudden loss of his father at an early age, Conner quickly realized nature is what kept him grounded. He became a beekeeper in college at Virginia Commonwealth University, and experienced the therapeutic benefits and life lessons of our harmonious pollinators. Flower farming naturally entered the picture as he planted several varieties to feed his bees.
Conner is finally living the dream and doing his part to help our shared world become ecologically in tune once again. Blossoming Roots Farm & Supply practices a pay-it-forward ideology with every sale, giving a portion to pollinator education and conservation efforts. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, working on his saltwater aquariums, and being outdoors.
Take it away, Conner…
Richmond Home + Garden Show
My favorite way to kick off the dawning of spring is the Richmond Home + Garden Show. And Blossoming Roots Farm & Supply will be there selling peony flower plants, dahlia flower roots, and local berry plants. It’s a great place to stock up on greenery for the season, find your dream local contractor for your new home projects, or just browse for future ideas and inspiration for your home and garden. Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from HGTV’s “Unsellable Houses” will also be there!
Vitals:
Richmond Home + Garden Show / Fri., February 28 & Sat., March 1, 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, Sun., March 2, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm / Tickets: $9 at door, $7 online, children 12 & under free / Richmond Raceway Complex, 600 E Laburnum Ave
Adult Learning Spring Classes at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (LGBG)
I love how Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden strives to provide continued learning for curious and creative minds. Adult and youth classes are taught by field experts in the world of horticulture and floriculture. Art, craft, and yoga classes are also offered, so there is something for everyone. Come take a class with Blossoming Roots & Farm Supply and get crafty or learn about how important our gardens are for the environment.
Among their grounds, you can explore gorgeous outdoor gardens and pools, a glass conservatory, a children’s playground, tea house, gift shop, library, classrooms, and walls filled with rotating community art. In the spring and summer, they host live music events, plant swaps, and plant sales.
Parallel Nursery is a woman-owned native perennial nursery in Richmond, specializing in growing perennial plants for pollinator support and habitat building. They offer a limited selection of plant species (including local Virginia ecotypes) grown in a variety of easily plantable sizes, from landscaping plugs up to one-gallon pots. They also offer native plant landscaping consultation and design services. All plants are grown pesticide-free and sustainably outdoors here in RVA!
It’s almost wedding season! Blossoming Roots & Farm Supply now offers wedding flower preservation services, transforming your cherished blooms into timeless keepsakes. The farm carefully preserves bridal bouquets and floral arrangements by pressing and drying your arrangement to capture the beauty of your special day. Their expert techniques ensure that every petal retains its charm, allowing you to relive your wedding memories for years to come. Flower preservation is a great wedding gift too!
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