vol. 199 / richmond water

vol. 199 / Richmond Water

VOL. 199 / RICHMOND WATER

This week's guest editor is Will Melton, the founder and CEO of RVA marketing agency Xponent21 and visionary behind Richmond Water. With a true entrepreneurial spirit, Will kicked off his career in 2004, selling and servicing computers in Williamsburg, VA. In 2012, he launched his first marketing agency, later relocating to Connecticut before founding Xponent21 in 2015.

Specializing in sustainable businesses, Will and his team integrate insights, strategy, impactful messaging, and digital marketing tools to help clients succeed in the Information Age. Committed to "courageous creativity," they initiate projects like America’s Healthiest City, a grassroots effort to make RVA the healthiest U.S. region by 2033, and Richmond Water, a sustainable brand meeting local demand for eco-friendly goods.

Inspired by a ChamberRVA visit to Washington D.C., Will formed AI Ready RVA, a group preparing the community and its workforce for the future. Advocating for positive impact, Will focuses on Richmond as a model for change, aiming to inspire other communities to follow suit.

Take it away, Will ...

Chandler Matkins’ A Cold Richmond’s Night

I happened to scroll upon Chandler Matkins’ hit single Figure It Out (now exceeding 3,000,000 plays on Spotify) when I was building Richmond Water’s Instagram page. We reached out and he attended the Richmond Water launch party as one of our celebrity guests. He has been a supporter ever since. Chandler’s making-it story has twists and turns and the pandemic was likely a contributor to his rapid rise to fame. I’ll be at his show at The Camel on December 22 and hope others can come out and celebrate this local star.

Vitals:

Chandler Matkins’ A Cold Richmond’s Night / Friday, December 22, 9PM, $10 per ticket / The Camel: 1621 W. Broad Street

Dominion Energy Gardenfest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Recently rated the top botanical garden in the United States for holiday lights by USA Today, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, run by my friend Brian Trader, is keeping its celebrated holiday light show open through January 7. With a mountain of regret for not making it to Lewis Ginter for Incanto before the exhibit closed, I won’t be going through this holiday break without paying a visit to the Gardens to see this one-million-plus light display.

Vitals:

Dominion Energy Gardenfest of Lights / Runs through January 7, 2024 / Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: 1800 Lakeside Avenue

Decemberween - Diversity Richmond

I’ve always wanted to go to Burning Man, but after this year’s event was mired by unexpected torrential downpours, I am not sure I will ever have that urge again. If you have similar feelings, you might consider checking out Decemberween, an eclectic and festive celebration to ring in the new year at Diversity Richmond. The party, hosted by the Party Liberation Foundation, is a favorite for my wife Courtney and me as it coincides with the anniversary of our meeting and becoming engaged. We’ve invited friends to purchase tickets, take a look at photos from past events, and plan their outfits because it’ll be a night to remember.

Vitals:

Decemberween / Sunday, December 31, 8PM / Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Ave

More About Will & Richmond Water…

Some of you have been following my journey to launch a sustainable water brand that weans Richmonders off of single-use plastic water bottles. My team and I introduced Richmond Water earlier this year with an official launch taking place this summer. Since then, we’ve brought our refillable water bottle into a dozen new retail locations and it continues to be a favorite gift for corporate events and visitors to our region.

As we set our sights on 2024, expect to see Richmond Water in more stores across the region and look out for our free refill stations soon to be at RVA’s most notorious events and, with some ambition, at stationary locations around the region. Fans and customers can also expect a new look in 2024 as we transition to our second featured artist, Matt Lively, but only after we move through our initial 25,000-bottle inventory.

Fun Facts from Will:

I currently serve on the boards of directors for Housing Families First, ChamberRVA, and Leadership Metro Richmond.
After 18 years in business, one day this year I woke up and realized I should be focused on becoming a better artist, not a better business person.
I dropped out of VCU after a semester in 2003 with zero college credits. This year, I was honored to be a panelist at the VCU International Business Forum.

Purchase Here

Richmondclaire prendergastDecember 21, 2023go, see, meet