In 2023, founder of OakStone Health and Nutrition Samantha Turner went from seeing two or three clients per month to 10+ clients per week.
“This increased access to more affordable nutrition services in my area,” she says. “It has been such a blessing helping so many community members improve their health and reduce the community’s healthcare costs.”…
Ryland Clark’s RCFlyBy drone business started with a hobby that took flight as he learned more about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Since working with the Longwood SBDC and RISE Business Bootcamp, RCFlyBy has reached new heights of success.
“In 2019 when I started my business, I went to see SBDC Regional Director Lin Hite,” Ryland says.…
Runner and cyclist Adam Jones launched The Brick Running and Tri Store in Danville’s River District out of necessity.
“I was into running and cycling and found myself driving some distance in search of shoes and equipment,” he says. “Driving to Raleigh for shoes one day in 2008, I got stuck in traffic.…
The Longwood Small Business Development Center (LSBDC), known for its three-decade-long commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship in Southern Virginia, is delighted to announce the appointment of Dana Knott as Central Region Director. Starting August 25, Knott will spearhead initiatives aimed at enhancing the economic growth of the small business sector located in LSBDC’s Central Region, which includes the counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward.…
The world of small business isn’t new to Dana Knott. Her very first job was with a family-owned outfit, a foundation that now informs her role as the Longwood SBDC’s central region director.
“They were entrepreneurs, passionate about their businesses,” said Knott.…
Ilsa Loeser first discovered the Longwood SBDC as a client enrolled in the business startup course. Today, as the founder of a successful marketing agency, she provides education and support to fellow entrepreneurs in her role as an SBDC consultant. Better yet, her agency helps other small businesses in rural Virginia to thrive.…
Hope Harris-Gayles knows Southern Virginia. Born and raised in Charlotte County, she now lives in Halifax. Her understanding of this rural region — paired with a comprehensive foundation in marketing and firsthand knowledge of what it takes to run a small family business — makes her the perfect fit for the Longwood SBDC.…
In 2004 as an undergraduate at University of Wyoming, Jacob Dolence started a web-based business to help students buy and sell textbooks.
“What stuck with me was how much I learned in putting something out there into the world,” says Dolence.…
Ann Audrey Eliades Kirk sees beauty and business as a winning combination. She recently turned a century-old building in downtown Hopewell into a center for local artisans to display and sell their work. With help from the Longwood SBDC, Artisan Alley is already headed for success.…
Crystal Peterson Barker’s career as a behavioral analyst began with an ad in the classified pages of a local newspaper.
“After high school I answered an ad to assist an FHA boy,” Crystal relates.
She interviewed for the job and learned that FHA stood for high-functioning autism.…