rva creativity catalog

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SHOCKOE DESIgn DIStrICtEstablish a virtual downtown district that becomes an epicenter of creative delight. Preeminent Richmond names in home design in-cluding These Four Walls, LaDifference, Ten Thousand Villages and other retailers, restau-

rants, artisans and companies are in the process of coalescing their creativity into the creation of the newly defined Shockoe Design Dis-trict. Also participating is the newly formed Virginia Street Gallery [above photo ] that showcases a collective of 50 artists and galleries. The Virginia Street Gallery is organized by Karen Atkinson and fea-tures work by artisians from local farmers markets. Karen Atkin-son founded The Market Umbrella to bring European-style open-air markets to the Richmond area. The markets provide the community with quality local, homemade, homegrown and handmade products, encouraging people to buy local and support farmers and artisans. themarketumbrella.com

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rVA DOwntOwn: CrEAtIVIty In ACtIOnRecognizing the powerful role that creativity plays in Rich-mond, partners from around the city have developed an ini-tiative to recognize the groundswell of Downtown’s inventive solutions to challenges, unique products, insightful design, cutting-edge art, authentic entertainment, tricked-out technol-ogy and the people whose passion and drive spark innovation.

That initiative is RVA. The RVA Creativity Catalog features just a sampling of the

plethora of ideation and ingenuity in Downtown Richmond. There are many more businesses, organizations, artists, activists and other innovators fueling Downtown’s identity as a nucleus of imaginative vitality that spreads well beyond the city’s borders.

I.E.* Showcasing RVA: A brand new idea? Or new ideas as a brand? Last year, the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce created i.e.* —a galvaniz-ing initiative to raise RVA’s profile for innovative excellence. They also hired Chrys-tal Neal as Director of Creativity, Innovation and Special Projects to evolve and implement the i.e.* initiative by providing strategic leadership. “The fact that the Chamber is prioritizing the development and celebration of creativity and innova-tion in the Richmond Region is a fine example of innovative thinking among the Chamber leadership. My job will be to promote the creativity that already abounds and to develop programming to further showcase our collective community tal-ents,” states Chrystal. www.ie-rva.org

SMBw ArCHItECtSBlur the lines between indoor and outdoor public spaces. Moving soon to Shockoe Slip, but a staple in the area’s creative community, SMBW Archictects has a diverse portofolio of cutting-edge public and pri-vate projects including City Hall, Main Street Sta-tion, VMFA and UNOS headquarters. Their design for Affiliated Dermatologists of Virginia, located in Richmond [above photo] is a modern healthcare facility made up of two low-slung buildings. The structures are delicately sited on a wooded parcel to create a complex of small Zen pavilions. This strong connection to the landscape establishes a sense of place, relating the buildings to one anoth-er while defining an inner courtyard. The relation-ship to the landscape is strengthened by blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor at the pub-lic spaces. Transparency throughout the building allows a strong connection to the outside and a constant contact with natural light. www.smbw.com

To discover about more creativity in Downtown Richmond, check out RVACreates.com.

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E-MErgE SyStEMS, InC.Engineer automation for everything from bottling and case packaging to water and food processing.E-Merge Systems, Inc. is a company brimming with smart engineers who are ca-pable of cranking out everything from industrial automation to systems integration for a wide variety of industries. Based in the Slip, Inderdeep Huja, co-founder of E-Merge, [ photo ] has built a reputation for forming teams (in Richmond, Maryland, and Delaware) with a quick response record and unmatched technical experience. The result, clients routinely optimize their systems’ efficiency, leading to impressive cost reductions.www.emergesystems.com

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tHE MArtIn AgEnCyThe Martin Agency has been a part of the culture of creativity in Rich-mond since 1965. Creators of arguably the most famous and longest running tourism slogan in the country, Virginia is For Lovers, The Martin Agency launched that provocative campaign in 1969. And that was just the beginning of famous creativity from this award-winning shop that, in 2010, was named ‘2009 Best U.S. Agency of the Year’ by Adweek Magazine. They are the creators of Discover Card’s ‘Peggy,’ GEICO’s Gecko and Caveman, and UPS’s ‘What Can Brown Do for You?’ campaign. They also create advertising for Walmart, Hanes, BFGoodrich, Comcast, Norwegian Cruise Line, PING, Tylenol, Motrin, The American Cancer Society and Pizza Hut, just to name a few. The Martin Agency employs about 580 staffers in their Richmond head-quarters building in historic Shockoe Slip. www.martinagency.com

Turn improbable product spokespersons into pop-culture icons.

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FOuntAIn BOOKStOrEBlend virtual and bricks-&-mortar communities. Led by enthusiastic bibliophile Kelly Justice, the Fountain Bookstore (1312 E. Cary Street) is a quintessential neighborhood shop for the cozy browsing of best sellers as well as a source of an ongoing roster of local and na-tional author readings. With the rise of tab-lets and eReaders, Justice has embraced the opportunity to sell Google e-books through the store’s website, allowing readers the convenience of shopping on-line and locally with the same purchase. Best of all, you can also access the store staff’s recommended reads. www.fountainbookstore.com

LuCyPHOnE Naming their app from the acronym for “Let us call you,” Richmonders Mike and Tom Oristian have created Lucyphone, a service that lets you get out of hold by staying on the line when you hang up and calling you back once a live agent is on the phone. Promoting the call-center widget service, the Oristians have also taken to Twitter following 140-word customer com-plaints and enticing them to try the service. www.lucyphone.com

PrOxIOSAssemble work spaces in the clouds. With Proxios Virtual Desktop (remote desktop) and cloud technology, this RVA company gives users access to office ap-plications, virtual phones and other data resources without the upfront costs or headache of maintaining technology. Your apps are state-of-the-art and you never have to worry about backing up your data. www.proxios.com

Stop talking to robots! Liberate callers from auto-hold purgatory.

tOBACCO LIVERedefine Sunday night. Shockoe’s anchor restaurant and nightclub, The Tobacco Company along with RVA Mag-azine and Radio Rubber Room host various forms of live en-tertainment on Sunday nights. Tobacco Live presents regional comedians and local bands performing a music review showcase. Throw in a $2 Burger special and you have yourself a fantastic Sunday night! www.thetobaccocompany.com


IntELLIjECtConvert pain into gain.After growing up with severe allergies and experi-encing life-threatening emergencies due to diffi-culties with rapid epinephrine delivery, Eric Edwards and his twin brother, Evan, have dedicated their careers to invent-ing a device to deliver epinephrine in a more patient-friendly way. The novel auto-injector that the Edwards brothers invented has gained widespread inter-est for use with many different injected medicines. Intelliject got its start at the Virginia Biotechnology Park. www.intelliject.com

COMMOnwEALtH ArCHItECtSCommonwealth Architects received the 2011 T. David Fitz-Gibbon award. The highest honor bestowed by the Virginia Society to a Virginia-based architecture firm, the Fitz-Gibbon Architecture Firm Award recognizes a firm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture for at least ten years. Since 1999, Commonwealth Archi-tects has completed numerous adaptive reuse and rehabilitation projects including Movieland at Boulevard Square, Hotel John Marshall, Miller & Rhoads Building and the Berry-Burk Building. www.comarchs.com

LEDBuryCreate a niche market somewhere between haute couture and ready-to-wear. In an era of endless replication and mass-produced brands, designer Paul Trible and business partner Paul Watson have distinguished their Ledbury line of men’s tailored shirts by focusing on quality mate-rials and selling limited releases of designs through their online bou-tique and their recently expanded storefront on 14th Street. Just listen to Trible talk about the “engineering” of a shirt collar on their site’s video and you’ll understand the passion behind the product. www.ledbury.com

Build it and they will come. But if you design innovative architecture over a decade, they will come with awards.

Over The edgeMix a little fear with philanthropy and what do you get? Lots of teetering and Twittering. There’s probably no better example than tossing your boss off the edge of a 25-sto-ry building, and then bragging about it on Twitter and Facebook. In 2009, River City Rappel enticed local businesses to “Toss Your Boss,” as well as individuals to go “Over the Edge,” to benefit Special Olympics Virginia. To increase the buzz, netizens took to social media, many live-tweeting on their descent. This year’s event had 92 rappellers who raised more than $90,000. overtheedgeva.com

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rEVItALIzAtIOn StrAtEgy FOr SHOCKOE BOttOMGuide future development by tapping into your heritage. With seven areas of innovative adaptation of existing space highlighted, the City of Richmond’s Department of Economic and Community Development rolled out the “Shockoe Revitalization Strategy for the Shockoe Bottom” to guide the area’s future growth. The plan rethinks and invigorates existing anchor spaces such as Main Street Train Station and Concourse [photo above] to attract creative knowledge-based business and cre-ate a welcome/travel center. Also in the plan is the creation of a Heritage District that incorporates the current efforts to develop a slavery museum, an African-American genealogical center and a glass-enclosed site of Lumpkin’s Jail. Among the plan’s strategies for revitalization is replacing current industrial zoning in favor of mixed-use development to enable more live work and play options in the form of lofts, apartments, entertain-ment venues, galleries, restaurants, public spaces, and stores. www.richmondgov.com

tEKtOnICS DESIgn grOuP:CAELIFErA & StIjL CuStOM BIKESComprised of architects, industrial designers and fabricators, Tektonics Design Group is a specialty design and fabrication firm that provides prototyping solutions to tra-ditional architectural, interiors, and industrial design services. Tektonics also creates their own line of products through offshoot companies Stijl Cycles and Caelifera that have evolved into custom bicycle fabrication brands. Caelifera and Stijl are focused on the creation of unique frames and components that are custom tailored to the rider’s biomechanical and aesthetic preferences. Cirque du Soleil commissioned the specialty bikes for their production in Orlando, FL. www.tektonics.com

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Tailor machines to individual users’ bodies.


H.L. rEED DESIgn, InC.Transform commercial and residential spaces into oases of style using current design resources and innovative approaches. “We are able to adapt to our clients’ needs because we are constantly ex-posed to new things,” says Helen Reed, whose interior design firm has created the atmosphere for restaurants such as The Boathouse Restaurant at Rocketts Landing [ photo left and bottom ], stores, and homes throughout Richmond and beyond. Sustainability, she explains, is among H.L. Reed Design’s top pri-orities. Look for H.L. Reed’s newest work at such spots as 525 at the Berry Burk [see page 23 for related article], Mint, and Blue Toad Restaurant.hlreeddesign.com

In yOur EArCreate the audio vibe for hit television shows, movies and Grammy-nominated albums. In addition to providing dia-logue replace-ment for such familiar shows as The Family Guy and The Cleve-land Show, IYE has undertaken such notable projects as recording the vocal tracks for F.A.M.E., Chris Brown’s 2012 Grammy-nominated album. In partnership with Dreams Factory (www.Dreamsfactory.com), Tim Reid Productions, and Obsidian Productions, the studio is currently completing Keepers of the Flame, a film produced for The Virginia State Capitol Foundation. www.lobe.com

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SHAVEFx, InC.Mash up an animated 1800’s history, legend and lore.ShaveFX, an animation and visual effects company in Shockoe Bottom, has been developing a pitch for an original animated TV series geared more towards adult tastes. Epic Abraham is a gritty mixture of history, legend and lore set in the early 1800’s. Collab-orating with creator Joseph Ryan and local Pixel Pirate Studios, and utilizing talented local animators, ShaveFX hopes to launch the series nationally while anchoring production in Richmond. www.EpicAbraham.com


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Crt/tAnAKA, LLCLocated in the old Spaghetti Warehouse building in historic Manchester, CRT/tanaka is one of the country’s leading independent PR and marketing firms. Through the course of its 15-year history, CRT/tanaka has managed PR activities for Sprint/Nextel’s title sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series; coordinated and promoted the yearlong national celebration for the U.S. Centennial of Flight, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ historic first flight; and worked with Air New Zealand to promote the first gay-themed “Pink Flight” in North America, which included an entire episode of BRAVO’s Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List [ photo left ] devoted to the flight. Current clients include Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare, Charles Schwab & Company, Girl Scouts of the USA and Wines from Rioja (Spain). www.crt-tanaka.com

DOgtOwn DAnCE tHEAtrETransform a former high school gymnasium into a beautiful haven for entertainment and instruction. Providing studio space for classes, creative development, and performance —from Zumba to Hula-Hooping and praise dance—Manchester’s Dogtown Dance Theatre is home to The Ground Zero Dance Company, a modern dance and performance art troupe that incorporates aerial work. According to Artistic Director Rob Petres, Dogtown also imports talent from around the nation and beyond, “To fill out the performance art scene in Richmond.” www.dogtowndancetheatre.com

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Promote business and celebrate diversity through a reality TV show.


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FuLCruM COLLABOrAtIOnS Produce business intelligence as a utility. Operating for less than two years, Fulcrum Collaborations—a busi-ness and technology consult-ing firm that utilizes cloud plat-forms—already boasts services to 10 Fortune 500 clients and is an official partner of Salesforce.com. A pioneering IT-as-a-Service busi-ness model, the firm converts tech-nology investment from a capital expense to a recurring cost —like a utility. This long-term partnership enables Fulcrum to produce ongo-ing insightful, actionable business intelligence on-demand. fulcrumcollaborations.com

PLAnt zErO/tHE SHOPCreate creative spaces for a creative community. Formerly the Solvent Space located in the Plant Zero complex of apartments, art stu-dios and Art Works gallery, The Shop is the name for the building and physical loca-tion of a multi-purpose facility that houses diverse community programs. The Shop is a performance gallery/venue, and art gallery, a broadcast studio, and a record-ing studio. The Shop is home to SlamRich-mond—Virginia’s longest running poetry slam and broadcast live every Saturday on www.slamrichmond.tv—artSpace Annex, an expansion gallery of artSpace (www.artspacegallery.org, www.artspacegallery.tv) and MadMonkie Studios, which pro-duces and hosts an array of community programs and events.www.the-shop.tv

tuMBLr.COMMake microblogging so easy that it attracts over 3 million users.

Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, mu-sic, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you hap-pen to be. Tumblr.com

3 nOrtH AnD COrrugAtED BOx BuILDIngBraid the elements of history, graphics, architecture, design, and technology into a center of innovation.The Corrugated Box Building is an industrial space transformed into a popular studio envi-ronment for a variety of innovative companies, including Tumblr, Mobelux and Concerntrak. The design of the space cultivates a cross-disciplinary approach showcasing some of RVA’s most creative minds. 3 NORTH developed the “Box” and their company has an interesting blend of architects, interior designers, and landscape architects who work their magic with in-house graphic designers, historians, writers, and artists. The firm’s impressive portfolio includes everything from stunning homes, business and nonprofit facilities like the Ameri-can Civil War Center, Richmond Ballet and Greater Richmond ARCenter. A Richmond resi-dence they designed was featured in the January 2012 issue of Architectural Digest.www.3north.com

COnCErntrAKDevise a network to trace the origin of packaged-food ingredients. Tracing an apple back to the orchard is easy, but what if that apple is one of many ingredients of a product—like inside a granola bar? Founded by two food safety activists and new graduates of the VCU ISY program, ConcernTrak is a food safety network that gives the food industry an easy way to pinpoint ingredients and stay alert to food-borne illness outbreaks. ConcernTrak.com

MOBELuxLaunch mobile apps that extend the value of existing brands. When Tumblr acquires your first iPhone app, you know you’re on to something. Mobelux, hatched in 2008 by Garrett Ross and Jeff Rock, cre-ated Tumblrette, which was acquired in 2009 by Tumblr and re-released as the ever-so-popular Tumblr for iPhone. Toss in projects for iHome and other high-profile clientele since, and you have the makings for a homegrown RVA success story that we’ve all likely bragged about in the past year.mobelux.com


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MwVCreate product packaging with an emphasis on utility, safety and environmental sustainability. MWV’s Richmond-based Center for Packaging Innovation develops real-world solutions to some big-time needs—from the store shelf to the kitchen pantry. It all starts with understanding the preferences of consumers who interact with packaging before they ever get to the product. MWV created Shellpak® packaging for prescription drugs to reduce medical errors by helping patients take their medications as prescribed. They invented Natralock® security packaging as a safe-to-open paperboard alternative to the pesky plastic clamshell [right photo]. And MWV developed their MWare® line of sustainable materials for food service products to re-duce waste in landfills, including a coffee cup that goes right into the recycling bin or compost pile [left photo]. www.meadwestvaco.com

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AFtOn CHEMICAL COrPOrAtIOnUp the effeciency in fuel and extend the productivity of machinery. Afton Chemical’s Richmond-based Re-search & Development center helps make modern vehicles and machinery more ef-ficient through innovative fuel and lubri-cant additives. Their solutions are among the most highly developed and widely used additives in the petroleum industry. They work with customers around the world through open and flexible collabo-ration to help improve fuel economy, re-duce emissions and prolong engine and machinery life. Afton Chemical is part of the NewMarket Corporation (NYSE: NEU) family of companies. www.aftonchemical.com


tHE FuturE OF rICHMOnD’S PASt: COMMEMOrAtIng tHE 150tH AnnIVErSArIES OF tHE CIVIL wAr AnD tHE EnD OF AMErICAn SLAVEryOur nation will soon commemorate the 150th anniversaries of two of the major events in American history: the Civil War and the end of American slavery.

These anniversaries offer Richmond a unique opportunity as well as a special responsibility. As the former capital of the Confederacy and as a center of the nation’s slave trade, our city can help Americans better understand our shared history.

The Future of Richmond’s Past is a collaborative effort among leaders of Richmond’s historical societies, museums, commissions, cultural and tourism organizations, and educational institutions to frame the upcoming sesquicenten-nial years in which our city and the nation will commemorate the anniversaries of the Civil War and Emancipation. It sponsors public programs and special events and inclusive conversations to advance a better understanding of our city’s shared history. Dr. Edward L. Ayers, University of Richmond President and Christy Coleman, president of the American Civil War Center [above photo] are two of the leaders championing this initiative.www.futureofrichmondspast.org

DOMInIOnReimagine a river. The James River flows through Downtown and for years has been known as a wonderful recreational river with Class II and IV rapids in an urban setting. More recently, Dominion and partners have reimagined the river as a backdrop to innovative community events—Dominion Riverrock that mixes athletic competitions and entertainment (www.dominionriverrock.com, with various partners) and RVA Fireworks on the James (with MWV). Both are perfect examples of community groups and corporations joining together creatively to promote Downtown. www.dom.com

Fashion new values and perspective from historical events.

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BLACK IrIS MuSICUnite indie bands with corporate brands and budding musicians with massive exposure. Creating tunes for commercials, film, and television, Black Iris Music has contributed scores to advertising campaigns for such behemoths as Apple iPad, Audi and Toyota [ photo below ]. Recently, their label released singles from notable independent bands such as Guards and Oberhofer. “We stay very connected to our under-ground roots, and that helps us stay in touch with and even ahead of current music trends,” explains Creative Director Jonathan Fuller.www.blackiris.tv

gHOStPrInt gALLEry & gHOStPrInt gALLEry tAttOO Put your own spin on the family business. “Perhaps most surprising on our list is the city of Richmond, Va., which averages about 14.5 tattoo shops per 100,000 people—and that’s just within the city itself.” Such was msnbc.msn.com’s assessment of Richmond’s ranking third in the website’s “The top 10 most tattooed cities in America.” Fittingly housed within an art gallery, one notable parlor, Ghostprint Gallery Tattoo, stands out among others and Thea Duskin stands out among tattooists. Through a lengthy process of collaboration with her clients, this skilled portraitist and specialist in art reproduction creates the elaborate designs that merit her popularity among discriminat-ing seekers of indelible body art. Geraldine Duskin, Thea’s mother who also curates the Ghostprint Gallery [top photo], has been a twentieth-century decorative and fine arts dealer for the past three decades.www.ghostprinttattoo.com | ghostprintgallery.com

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CAnDELA BOOKS + gALLEryCurate exhibits and publish complementary art editions. Founded by photographer Gordon Stettinius, Candela Books+Gallery rec-cently opened on Broad Street in the Downtown Arts District. Candela Books is publishing fine art photography books and will be bringing na-tionally known photographic talent to Richmond to exhibit in their newly renovated gallery space. candelabooks.com

LIFt CArEgIVIngCompile an online comprehensive resource for family caregivers. After conducting countless interviews and re-searching generational trends, Katie Gilstrap and Ted Ukrop put together a plan to bring practical solutions, trusted services and helpful advice to those caring for aging parents or relatives. Gil-

strap was struck by the overwhelming feeling of isolation reported by care-givers. “They felt they had nowhere to go,” explains Gilstrap, who left

First Market Bank when it was bought by Union. “I felt that there was a real opportunity to build a resource that served this rapidly growing com-munity with expert and actionable advice, trust-ed local service providers and helpful tools.” www.liftcaregiving.com

Recognizing that arts, culture and en-tertainment can be catalysts for eco-nomic development and revitaliza-tion, Mayor Dwight C. Jones initiated ArtBusiness Richmond—a program designed to transform under-utilized and distressed property into viable commercial and residential spaces.

While accommodating new businesses and residents, the em-phasis is also to continue to grow the arts and cultural vibe in Downtown. “The city’s arts and cultural organiza-tions are among our greatest assets.

Arts and culture at every level are critical to the future of our city,” Jones said. Through ArtBusiness Richmond a city-wide loan fund of $2 million was made available to stimulate the revitalization of Richmond’s neigh-borhoods and promote permanent job creation for low and moder-ate income residents by helping to bridge the credit gap for indepen-dent real estate developers and smaller employers.

At his State of the City Address, Mayor Dwight Jones announced

his intentions to create an Arts and Cultural District (ACD) in Downtown Richmond “The City’s arts and cul-tural organizations are among our greatest assets,” Mayor Jones stated regarding the proposed ACD. “Arts and culture at every level are critical to the future of our city.” The pro-posed arts and culture district will help promote the improvement of the city’s urban core by leveraging arts and culture for their maximum economic development and revital-ization benefit.

ArtBuSInESS rICHMOnD & tHE ArtS AnD CuLturAL DIStrICtDevelop the synergy between art and commerce.


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POSHtOtSEvolve children’s fantasies into a line of lyrical accessories and furnishings. From princess palaces to cowboy corrals, PoshTots creates fanciful spaces where pint-sized dreamers can rest and play. Channeling the creative bounty of childhood imagination into world-class interior design, Andrea Edmunds and Pam O’Hallaron cater to the unique fancies of children the world over. “Celebrating its eleventh year,” Founder/CEO Edmunds explains, “PoshTots has grown into the ‘chil-dren’s room designer of choice’ for set decorators, interior designers and style-conscious parents in Hollywood and around the globe.” www.PoshTots.com

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PASturEPioneer the renaissance of a shopping district and set a standard for social consciousness in the dining industry. With Chef Jason Alley behind the new eat-ery’s small plate Southern dishes, Pasture’s fare promises to please. But the nascent E. Grace St. venture is also a model of ecologi-

cally mind-ful business practice. Tak-ing great care to serve Fair Trade Certi-fied organic sodas and to

order from vendors within a limited shipping area, Pasture also reduces packaging waste by eliminating bottles and cans (with the ex-ception of wine) and serving only draft beer at its lovely bar fashioned from reclaimed wood. “We’re trying to function as green as pos-sible,” Alley explains. The restaurant location is the first project funded by Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ ArtBusiness Richmond initiative. The revitalized retail space, that formerly housed the Montaldo’s women’s clothing store, is part of a $1.5 million adaptive historic tax credit rehabilitation project. pasturerva.com

525 At tHE BErry BurKRestore a Downtown corner to its former glory with a fresh take on New American cuisine and ageless style. Poised to open in April by cofound-ers Thomas Haas

and Taylor Hasty, 525 at the Berry Burk will ca-ter to a broad range of appetites and budgets while paying homage to the lively and el-egant past of its site at Grace and 6th Streets. Haas explains, “We envision our restaurant as a meeting place that bridges the gap be-tween ‘Old Richmond’ society and the newer ‘RVA’ movement that seeks to define the next chapter in Richmond’s storied history.”525rva.com

SOunD OF MuSIC rECOrDIng StuDIOEmbrace new technology while staying true to classic recording methods and good old-fashioned savvy. “We know how to make records,” explains Miguel Urbiztondo of Sound of Music, whose high-quality work has drawn well-known artists from around the globe. Currently in production with DC solo artist Harris Face, with Alan Weatherhead as engineer, the studio anticipates upcoming showcases such as live recordings by the likes of Kaat and Daan, indie rock musicians from Holland. Of the studio’s recent relocation to its beautiful home on Foushee St., Urbiztondo says, “I’m per-sonally inviting everybody to come see our new facility.”www.soundofmusicrva.com

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tHE HIPPODrOME tHEAtEr & tAyLOr MAnSIOnRejuvenate an historic entertainment venue with meticulous renovation and contemporary music acts. Jackson Ward’s historic theater, the Hippodrome, has undergone a renovation that is part of an in-

novative approach to redevelopment. Developer Ron Stallings packaged four buildings, including “The Hip,” into one mixed-use development with 28 apart-ments above, which allowed him to get financing in a challenging economy. The result is a stunning renovation of The Hip which is opened for concerts, meetings and events and the Taylor Mansion, which has a restaurant and Speakeasy on the first floor with apartments above. The Mansion-five26 “Southeastern Cuisine” Restaurant and The Speakeasy at The Mansion have opened and are serving up some savory food and sophisticated fun.www.thehippblog.blogspot.com

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A team of Virginia Commonwealth University pediatric surgeons made headlines this past November with the successful separation of the 19-month-old conjoined twins Maria and Teresa Tapia of the Dominican Repub-

lic. The first surgery of its kind at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, the 20-hour procedure was led by David Lanning, M.D., Ph.D.—associate professor in the

VCU Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief—along with an additional 45 physicians and pe-diatric subspecialists who volun-teered their time. As amazing as the operation was, it was only part of the story.

In the months leading to the surgery, several schools in VCU rallied to support the twins transition. This in-cluded a dress-making workshop led by Kristin Cas-key, associate professor and interim assistant chair of VCU’s Department of Fashion Design and Merchandis-

ing. Caskey, along with a group of students and other volunteer faculty, provided the girls with a comfortable and stylish selection of dresses as they awaited their separation surgery. The girls also received bumble bee Halloween costumes they wore for a party at the World Pediatric Project.

Another effort was a plaster body casting mold created by Morgan Yacoe, a senior in VCU’s Depart-ment of Sculpture. Yacoe and VCU Sculpture graduate Kristi South collaborated with Rhodes to devel-op an accurate mold of the twins

that assisted plastic surgeons in determining the best way to cosmetically care for them after separation.

In addition, Audrey Kane, a VCU occupational therapist and certified car seat technician, designed a special car seat large enough to accommodate the twins for com-fortable vehicle travel. As a result, the twins did not need to depend on ambulance transportation and could even safely take part in other activities such as play dates and a visit to a garden.

“It’s made me very proud to be part of this organiza-tion to see everybody rise to the occasion and deliver the care with such a high level of expertise and in a compassionate way,” said Lanning.www.vcu.edu

Solve a multifaceted challenge through multiple perspectives, skill sets and disciplines.

VCu’S MuLtI-SCHOOL COLLABOrAtIOn

CrEAtEAtHOn On CAMPuS Combine brainstorming and mentoring to build portfolios and nonprofits. A 24-hour, work-around-the-clock creative blitz during which student teams provide non-profit marketing services on a pro bono basis, Createathon On Campus launched in 2007. Since then, 264 volunteers have served 46 nonprof-its—delivering projects valued at over $700,000— all to help organizations

meet their missions. Students can be involved at a variety of levels. Team leaders enroll in a semester-long spring course where they learn account management, leadership skills, strategic and project development, all while serving one non-profit client. Team members commit to the 24-hour creative blitz held during spring break. Local professionals and faculty mentor the participants to develop and produce a wide range of work with inspiring and fulfilling results for both the community and the students. createathononcampus.org


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ytHE IngEr & wALtEr rICE CEntEr FOr EnVIrOnMEntAL LIFE SCIEnCES Build a stone-age home for a prehistoric species along the James River. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rice Center joined with community and corporate partners to embark on a landmark project to restore the At-lantic sturgeon to the James River. If the project succeeds, it could be a bell-wether signaling that the ecosystem of the James, and perhaps the entire Chesapeake Bay, is taking a turn for the better.

The ambitious effort began with piles of rocks. The rocks—more than 2,000 cubic yards of them donated by Gooch-land County-based Luck Stone Corp.—were dropped from a barge into the James River near Presquile National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County to form a 300-foot-long artificial stur-geon reef, the first of its kind for the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the en-tire East Coast.

It is hoped that the Atlantic sturgeon, a fabled prehistoric species of fish that has been sighted in the area, will spawn and deposit their eggs on the reef. Sturgeon merit an historic foot-note in Virginia history, because they are credited with being a critical food source that helped the Jamestown colonists survive when there was little else to eat.

The Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences is Virginia Commonwealth University’s field sta-tion devoted to a broad array of en-vironmental research, teaching and public service. Located on 494 acres along the historic James River, midway between Richmond and Williamsburg, the Rice Center is rich in natural and cultural resources. The center has a va-riety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats that provide many research and educa-tional opportunities.www.vcu.edu/rice


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unOSDevelop a national data center for organ donations and a memorial to honor donors. United Network for Or-gan Sharing (UNOS) is the private, non-profit organization that man-ages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. Launched on October 25, 1999, the UNOS online database, called UNettm system, contains data regarding every organ donation and transplant event

occurring in the United States since 1986. UNOS headquarters at BioTech features the National Donor Memorial, which honors America’s organ and tissue donors [photo].www.unos.org

VEnEBIOGather a braintrust to determine the causes and trends of public health patterns by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Venebio integrates the expertise of a global network of scientists in a broad range of biomedical fields and uses strategic collabora-tion and comprehensive project management to deliver start-to-finish problem solving in epidemiology, biomarker discovery, de-velopment, and validation as well as clinical trials. Venebio recently completed a study for the Healthcare Division of MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of MWV’s Shellpak® brand reminder packaging in improving long-term medication adherence. Venebio designed and conducted

a retrospective analysis of anonymized prescription dispensing data for more than 3 million adult Walmart pharmacy patients. The results of the study were compelling: use of calendar blister packaging alone, unaccompanied by any instructions to patients or pharmacists about how to use it or its purpose, was associated with significant improvement in both refill adherence and persis-tence compared with loose pills in vials.www.venebio.com

VIrgInIA DEPArtMEntOF FOrEnSIC SCIEnCEPioneer DNA technology to solve crimes. In 1989, Virginia became the first state to use DNA evidence to win a capital-murder conviction. That same year, it also became the first to create a DNA databank for testing fel-ons. Located in BioTech Two, the department has access to nearly 1,200,000 fingerprint cards and to a database with more than 34,000 unsolved latent prints [photo below].www.dfs.virginia.gov


HDLProvide a personalized method of diagnosing disease— as well as create 650 new jobs for the region.Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced the expansion of Health Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc. (HDL) in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park. In just two years, the company has

grown to more than 300 employees, and now has a major ex-pansion planned. “This $68.5 million capital investment and 653 net new jobs will bring HDL’s employment to over 950 employ-ees and makes HDL a major employer in the City of Richmond,” said Mayor Jones [shown in photo with Tonya Mallory, B.S., M.S. HDL President, CEO and Co-Founder ]. “This is a great example of the importance of cultivating our existing business base, and we are proud that HDL has chosen the City of Richmond to expand and grow their business.” HDL, a CAP accredited leader in health management, offers a comprehensive test menu of risk factors and biomarkers for cardiovascular and related diseases. As an added value, patients receive a personalized overview of their risk factors along with intensive counseling from expert Health Coaches at no additional cost, improving compliance and en-hancing satisfaction.www.hdlabinc.com

CuPrOnAccess the restorative and antibacterial nature of copper to create health and beauty products. Copper is an essential nutrient in the human body. It also effec-tively kills many species of bacteria, fungus, dust mites and virus-es. It has been used for health, wellness, and antimicrobial purpos-es for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Aztecs. Cupron’s Copper Oxide Technology can be embedded into textiles, polymers and other substrates to activate wellness and beauty products. In the medical arena researchers have also documented copper’s value in stimulating the produc-tion of hemoglobin (red blood cells), collagen and other key pro-

teins that help stabilize skin layers and promote wound healing. In cosmetic applications copper im-proves the look and appearance of skin—thus the creation of copper-laced pillows and gloves and sleep masks to reduce the appearance of wrinkles from aging. Cupron’s socks were given to the Chilean miners on day 36 when they were trapped in the mines, playing a major role in protecting the miners’ feet and helping enhance their well-

being. Also Cupron supplies anti-microbial socks to soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF became the first army in the world to order anti-microbial socks based on the innovative copper-based technology that, in addition to its anti-microbial activity, also has skin-enhancement qualities. www.cupron.com

j. SArgEAnt rEynOLDS COMMunIty COLLEgE Anticipate innovation and train the transportation technicians of tomorrow. J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College was recently awarded an $800,000 grant from the National Science Foun-dation for the development of new automotive courses fo-cusing on Accident Avoidance Systems and Autonomous Controlled vehicles. Today’s vehicles have advanced safety features such as back-up cameras, self parking, and lane de-parture notification systems. Further advances are planned that will permit vehicles to operate autonomously with minimal input from the driver. As these new systems are incorporated into vehicles, the automotive industry must deal with developing and maintaining qualified technicians. The grant will allow JSRCC to maintain its position of pro-viding leading edge automotive education to its students. As manufacturers rapidly move toward new and advanced electronic systems, JSRCC will be able to provide highly qualified graduates for these emerging technologies.reynolds.edu

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BIKE SHArrOwSApply street art that guides motorists and bicyclists through shared streets and avenues.

Adding to RVA’s growing reputation as a mecca for bi-cycle enthusiasts, in November the City of Richmond began installing the first of approximately 80 lane miles of bike sharrows that will be placed along specif-

ic corridors in the city. The pilot corridors include Meadow Street from Broad Street to Cary Street and Harrison Street from Broad Street to Idlewood, representing about three miles of bike sharrows thus far. Sharrows are shared lane markings that are utilized to improve bicycling conditions on roads where designated bike lanes are either infeasible or inappropriate due to traffic conditions. This simple, yet visible way of improving conditions for bicyclists also rein-forces safe and appropriate bicycling habits, which in turn make bicyclists more predictable in mixed traffic conditions.

[ Standing second from right ]: the administrator of the grant, Dr. George Flowers and students gather in front of an electric vehicle (Chevy Volt) that Dominion drove over that day for a class demonstration.

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ArCHItECturAL ExCELLEnCEBuilding on our architectural legacy.Some of the most creative and innovative spaces Downtown are the adap-tive re-use of some of RVA’s architectural gems. The historic rehabilitation of so many of the old buildings Downtown has created a unique, authen-tic sense of place. Here are some examples of those transformations:[ Clockwise from top left ]Dovetail Construction Company Headquarters, designed by Walter Parks Architects.The Commons at Plant Zero, designed by SMBW.American Civil War Center, designed by 3 North.The Hippodrome Theater and Taylor Mansion, designed by BAM Architecture.Miller & Rhoads building designed by Commonwealth Architects ( photo credit: Lee Brauer ).The Power Plant at Lucky Strike, a joint venture development by Macfarlane Partners, Property Results and Odell Associates.Canal Crossing, designed by Baskervill.

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Dovetail Construction Company’s new headquarters is the first building in the US that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is certified LEED Platinum and net zero energy.

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