Alumni Biz Spotlight: Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox
Christophile Konstas (B.F.A.’00/A) and Elizabeth Ellen (B.F.A.’00/A) were randomly assigned as roommates at VCU, which led to a lifelong friendship and, eventually, a business partnership. The idea first germinated as they chatted over endless cups of coffee in between art classes, way before the third-wave coffee scene of today. After moving away from Richmond (then […]
Immersing herself in art
Christine Stoddard (B.A.’12/A; B.A.’12/H&S; Cert.’12/B), can’t be defined by one form of expression. The multitalented artist and writer’s new feature film, “Sirena’s Gallery,” tells the story of a Salvadoran American art gallery owner, played by Stoddard, who has to adapt to self-isolation, visions and navigating the world of e-commerce in the wake of her husband’s […]
Alumni Biz Spotlight: Studio 4 Dance
Alumna Deandra Clarke(B.S.’02/H&S) started dancing at VCU. A non traditional student of the art form, she found herself in love with the opportunity to try something new. As a radio broadcasting major she learned the skills necessary to become a professional in LA and then start her own Agency and Studio back in Richmond. How […]
A shop worth checking out
Alumnus-owned indie bookstore in Baltimore doubles as a community hub Located in Baltimore’s historic Pigtown neighborhood, Charm City Books offers the quintessential quirkiness and warm personal service indie bookstores are known for but also doubles as a community hub. “Pigtown doesn’t have a lot of retail locations but has a really vibrant population and a […]
Sowing success
Savvy gardener plants the seeds for a blooming business Alex Little (B.S.’14/B) was working at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Richmond, Virginia, running their garden program and working with children on garden education, when a volunteer asked if she wanted to start a gardening business. She took a leap of faith, and thanks to her […]
Need an angel investor?
Alumna Bethann Kassman, D.B.A., shares what it takes to get that check As co-founder and chairman of the board of Go-Beyond AG in Zurich and co-founder and CEO of Go Beyond Network in Naples, Florida, both angel investment companies, Bethann Kassman, D.B.A. (M.S.W.’74/SW), funds the dreams of entrepreneurs, allowing their businesses to grow wings and […]
Celebrating alumni nurses during National Nurses Month
During National Nurses Month this May, VCU Alumni extends a special thanks to our alumni nurses, as they continue to provide the highest level of quality care to their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Nurses Association first declared May 6-12 as National Nurses Week in 1993 “to recognize the vast contributions and positive […]
Empowering Nonprofits: Alumnus creates an organization to helps other organizations achieve their mission
Growing up in Northern Virginia, Correy Faciane (B.S.’16/H&S) volunteered with Eddie’s Club, a nonprofit recreational center that provided events and activities for disabled youth. He returned in 2013, on a trip home from Virginia Commonwealth University, and was disheartened by what he found. “The organization was completely different. I was taken back by the condition […]
Brewing up a partnership: VCU Alumni and Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery celebrate National Beer Day with the “Don’t Start No Stuff” Hazy IPA
The craft beer industry has cultivated creative ways to give back to the community. For Ryan Mitchell (B.S.’12/H&S), supporting his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, began when he opened Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery in Carytown in 2015. “I really enjoy community outreach, and one thing that I’ve always said is that owning a business […]
Solving problems by creating balance
Alumna’s second career positions her for success Robyn Bentley (B.S.’85/MC) found her first career as a radio broadcaster at an early age. Her father owned a radio station where she worked as one of the first females on the radio in Virginia (and then followed in his path). While earning a mass communications degree from […]