Passion for parties
Janice Choudhury (B.S.’12/H&S) finds joy in hosting dinner parties and themed get-togethers at her house for friends, and she’s never short on decor. One day, she realized she had accumulated an overabundance of decorations and put two and two together. Why not take her passion for parties and penchant for crafting and start a business? […]
Alumna carries on family traditions at 94-year-old bakery
Tracy Stevens (B.S.’00/H&S; M.T.’00/E) remembers her grandma and her mom taking her to The Mixing Bowl Bakery in Richmond, Virginia, to pick out her birthday cake. Opened in 1926, the bakery has a longstanding tradition in many local families, and Stevens is sustaining those food memories as its owner since 2009. “The orders come in […]
Spread holiday cheer by supporting alumni-owned businesses
The VCU Office of Alumni Relations is proud to support small businesses near and far this weekend for Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The alumni-owned business directory lists more than 250 businesses from around the country. Use the directory to find the perfect gifts for your family and friends this year. Spotlights Read about […]
The makeup artist: Turning passion into profession
Christal Davis (B.S.’14/E) started experimenting with makeup as a drama kid in high school. When she came to Virginia Commonwealth University to study health, PE and exercise science in the School of Education, she took a part-time job scooping ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery to help pay for books and other expenses but, she […]
From historian to horticulturist
When John “Ike” Carter Jr. (B.S.’82/H&S) graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, he faced a job market with few opportunities for newly minted history majors. So he got innovative and turned to his past experience working for nurseries and maintaining landscapes at Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown to cultivate a new career path. When did you start […]
Ride-booking platform transports patients to doctors
Ankit Mathur (B.S.’03/B; M.B.A.’12/B; M.S.’13/B) wants to get you to the doctor. In particular, he wants everyone to have transportation to the doctor. A three-time Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus who’s devoted his career to building software systems and improving inefficiencies, Mathur is co-founder and chief technology officer of RoundTrip, a startup that connects people to reliable medical […]
A Blooming Business
Former teacher Deanna King blossoms as a flower shop owner As a teacher, Deanna King (B.A.’94/H&S; M.T.’97/E) found herself looking to fill her summers off with something creative and colorful. A gig at Strawberry Fields Flowers & Finds in Richmond, Virginia, turned into an opportunity for King to grow the business she always wanted. As […]
Sweet success
Alumna’s D.C.-based ice cream brand expands to a retail location in Richmond For nearly five years, Ruby Scoops has been dishing up locally sourced, small-batch ice cream at farmers’ markets and events as well as to online sugar shoppers in the Washington, D.C., area. “Our priority is to create happy and sweet memories,” says Ruby […]