Firm forecasts: Local business experts look forward to what’s coming in 2019

Could Charlottesville rectify its dearth of commercial and residential space in 2019? Put ’17’s political and social unrest behind us? Create more opportunities for minority-owned businesses? Charlottesville Office of Economic Development Director Chris Engel thinks prospects are promising. “I think 2018 was kind of a rebound year,” Engel says. “We are putting some time between […]

Backstory: Drugstore Golden Age

In spring 1970, Charlottesville’s Main Street was an idyllic backdrop for the pomp of the Dogwood Parade. Pedestrians lined the street to watch the yearly community tradition in the month of April, while behind them, business carried on inside Wise Discount Center (pictured here, from the book Charlottesville Then & Now by Steve Trumbull).   […]

Rich soil? The rise, fall, and rebirth of Black Bear Composting

After selling the tech business he’d built over 15 years, Eric Walter wanted to do something more rewarding. “More fulfilling spiritually,” he says. “Out from behind a desk and outside.” His Chicago tech business, Gorilla, had Patagonia as a client. “Sustainability infused everything they do,” says Walter. “That changed something for me.” After considering a […]

A noble calling: Veggie burgers that taste good

Crissanne Raymond developed an original veggie burger recipe more than 30 years ago in her hometown of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Riffing off of her mother’s lentil soup recipe, she built a burger from a lentil and barley base, flavored it with roasted vegetables and tamari, and used it to feed her growing […]

Thinking outside the box(er): Max Boxxer rebrands for the future

Entrepreneur and Max Boxxer founder Richard Crisler is a man for all seasons, but summer might suit him best. His first business endeavor was Yo Wear, launched at Duke University when he was a student, which produced Duke- and fraternity-themed boxer shorts that sold on campus and through fraternal organization magazines. “After I graduated and […]

Independent funding: Navigating finances as a freelance contractor

There are more 1099 contractors in the workforce than ever before and their numbers continue to rise. The term “1099” comes from a series of IRS documents that are designed to report income received outside of salaried employment. This can include investment returns, tax refunds, and income made as an independent contractor or freelancer. The […]