Follow and engage: Charlottesville’s social media business influencers

The world of social media marketing—particularly Instagram—is increasingly dominated by influencers, individuals who have amassed a sizable social media following, who’ve gained their audience’s trust, and who can sway consumers’ purchases—or even what they think. Yet many businesses today—and the strategists behind them—are becoming influencers in their own right, with the power to move products, […]

Bio builder: How to grow biotech right here at home

Charlottesville’s biotech industry—of which the University of Virginia is a major driver—is lively and growing, employing around 1,800 people. Nikki Hastings, formerly an executive at two of those companies, recently took the helm at CvilleBioHub, a local industry group with an ambitious vision: “to double the size of the biotech industry over the next 10 […]

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).   […]

Serene romance: An easy, breezy summer wedding

Michelle Cheng & Yang Zeng | August 10, 2018, at The Market at Grelen Photography by Jen Fariello The happiest days comprise many little moments—some unexpected details and some planned. For Michelle Cheng, one of the best moments of her wedding day was an ATV ride with her photographer, planner, and new husband, to the top of a […]

A wild, magic mood: An at-home wedding and a forest full of love

Delilah Ohrstrom &  Alexander Harris | August 25, 2018, at home Photography by Ashley Cox While Delilah Ohrstrom and Alex Harris met in the fifth grade, they didn’t start dating until they were 19. But growing up in the same town meant that their families were already well-acquainted, so a wedding at Delilah’s parents’ Virginia home made sense, […]