VCC’s Corporate Project Manager Paul Nolde recently served as a judge in the second Bon Secours Supporting East End Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) competition. Known as SEED II, the program is part of an initiative to stimulate growth in the Church Hill area of Richmond. Seven East End startups were honored in the November competition with a total of $58,800 in grants awarded.
“The SEED program is a terrific demonstration of how Bon Secours invests in its local community and invests with an eye toward growing the economy,” Nolde offered when describing the project. “The process is competitive, offering emerging businesses a substantial dose of capital for equipment or expansion.”
Any startup in the 23223 zip code was eligible to apply. Seventeen companies completed applications.
The SEED competition is part of a larger public-private initiative led by Bon Secours in partnership with the City of Richmond’s Department of Economic Development and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The project began in June 2010.
Bon Secours has pledged to support a third and fourth round of SEED awards. And they have already asked Nolde to serve as a judge for the next cycle.
(from left) Bon Secours SEED II Grant Recipients Phillip Perrow and Caleb Shriver, owners of Dutch and Company; Evrim Dogu, owner of Sub Rosa Bread Company; and Dougal Hewitt of Bon Secours.
Photo: Doug Buerlein Photography
The winners of the SEED II competition are:
Allen Gray and Michael Johnson, All Around Painting
Michelle Peake and Phillip Perrow, Dutch & Co.
Diana Matthews and Carla Matthews, Era Vintage
Jodi Burton, J. Burton Hauling and Disposal
Neil Smith and Nicole Price, Proper Pie Co.
Evrim Dogu and Erdogan Dogu, Sub Rosa
Kendra Feather and David Rohrer, WPA Bakery
Learn more about the competition and the comprehensive plan for revitalizing Richmond’s East End at www.eastendvision.org/home.html
About Virginia Community Capital:
With offices in Christiansburg and Richmond, Virginia Community Capital (VCC) is dedicated to the prospect of building wealth for all through our lending, savings, and advisory services. As a community development financial institution (CDFI), our mission is to offer innovative, flexible financial products designed to support housing and community development ventures, increase jobs, and encourage sustainable communities. In partnership with our for-profit bank, Community Capital Bank of Virginia (CCB), the non-profit VCC offers loan capital broader and more flexible than bank lending in low- to moderate-income communities in underserved geographies and markets. Learn more at vacommunitycapital.org.
Bon Secours SEED II Grant Recipients Michael Johnson and Allen Gray, owners of All Around Painting
