This week’s guest editor, Leah Fremouw is a familiar face and dynamic force in the economic development community. She currently serves as the President & CEO of Bridging Virginia - a newly established community development loan fund. In this role, she partners with businesses, nonprofits, and localities in a variety of industries and growth stages to support their capital needs and movement to the next level. In 2020, she led the relaunch of the Richmond region’s small business development center (SBDC) and in 2021 helped secure $10 million from the General Assembly to establish and fund the new VA CDFI (community development financial institution) Fund, later founding and chairing the VA CDFI Coalition.
Previously, Leah was SVP and Director of Community Innovation at Virginia Community Capital, driving impactful financial services statewide. Her diverse background includes roles at CarLotz, VCU’s Performance Management Group, and Richmond’s public housing communities.
Leah is deeply involved in her community, serving on boards like ChamberRVA and the Partnership for Housing Affordability, and launching the Renegade Capital podcast. She has led TEDxRVA, chaired Impact 100 Richmond, and earned accolades like the VCU Top 10 Under 10 award. Appointed to the GO Virginia Board by Governor Northam, Leah is also a real estate and business investor, contributing to projects like the Regency Mall pickleball facility.
Take it away, Leah…
PopUp RVA
PopUp RVA is back for its fourth season, offering Richmond’s largest weekly vendor market at The Diamond. Featuring 50-70 local businesses, including artisans, food trucks, and dessert stands, the event also boasts live music, a margarita bar, and various beverages. Free to attend, each week presents a new lineup of vendors and entertainment, ensuring a unique and fun-filled experience supporting local businesses and enjoying great food and music.
Vitals:
PopUp RVA / Saturday, May 25th, 10am - 3pm, free / The Diamond, 3001 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard Richmond, VA 23230
Richmond Liminal
Heed the call to adventure in Carytown! In this city-wide game of art & wit, you'll join the Wandering Liminal Society in their quest to fight the Void. Use your wits to find remnants of inspiration from the past and your artistry to create something beautiful for the future in the secret and forgotten spaces of the city! Bring your whole squad or fly solo. All experience levels & abilities welcome. Voted Best Interactive event at its world premiere at Adelaide Fringe in Australia, this is a co-project of local creators, Sam Chan & Carmel Clavin.
Vitals:
Richmond Liminal / every Friday in June, 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM, $32+ / VMFA Sculpture Garden, 1613 W. Laburnum Ave Richmond, VA 23227
The Hello Summer Festival
The Love Movement Social Event Series presents The Hello Summer Festival, a community celebration to kick off the summer season. The lineup is filled with incredible music from The Love Movement, DJ Adapt, DJ Kirven, and DJ E1, hosted by the energetic Chey Butta. Enjoy live performances from R&B sensation LoveJoi and Washington DC’s own Go-Go legends, The Experience Band and Show! The festival will also feature a variety of vendors, food trucks, drinks, and plenty of fun, all in support of a great cause.
Vitals:
The Hello Summer Festival / Saturday, May 25th, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, $15 tickets / Main Line Brewery, 1603 Ownby Lane Richmond, VA 23220
More From Leah...
We're honored that Bridging Virginia has been nominated for Richmond Times-Dispatch's 2024 Richmond The Best Awards. Nominations close May 29. Click here to learn more and nominate us!
On a more personal note, I’m compiling my summer reading list, starting with my friend Andrea Longton’s new book, "The Social Justice Investor." You can order it at a local bookstore like the Book Bar RVA. Also, pick up Jessica Norwood’s book, "Believe in You Money"—you won’t regret it!
My weekends are packed with pickleball games and tournaments. As an investor in Performance Pickleball RVA, I plan to play in many tournaments. The upcoming Body Armor 804 Open, featuring pro divisions, live broadcasts, food, and music, promises to be fun for players and spectators. See you on the courts!
Meet Rachel Scott Everett, this week’s guest editor and Co-Founder & Creative Director of EVERGIB, a nomadic creative studio specializing in strategically led advertising and branding.
As an alum of the VCU Brandcenter, Rachel worked at ad agencies in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas for 12+ years before returning to Richmond with her partner in work and life, Brian Gibson. In addition to creating ad campaigns for national clients like Atlantis Resort and Dollywood, she’s developed impactful branding work for local non-profit organizations including Richmond Ballet, Startup Virginia, The Richmond Forum, VPM, and VoteEquality US. She recently shared her journey in a talk for CreativeMornings Richmond here.
While based in Richmond, Rachel travels extensively and has backpacked through more than 60 countries across six continents. She recently shared her journey about creating her own rhythm in a talk for CreativeMornings Richmond.
An avid supporter of local arts and culture, she feels hopeful about the city’s continuing evolution as a capital of creativity. When not working or wandering, Rachel practices yoga and loves to dance any chance she gets.
Fan Arts Stroll is an annual event bringing joy to the community through local art and music in Richmond’s historic Fan neighborhood.
Initially a grassroots effort run by a tiny team of volunteers (myself included), the Fan District Association now heads up the stroll with the support of local sponsors. This year’s event will feature 125 artists, musicians, vendors and performers along the 10-block strolling path. Brian and I are excited to welcome back students from GreenSpring International Academy of Music to play on our front porch.
Fan Arts Stroll is free and open to everyone (tips are greatly appreciated for our performers.) As street parking can be limited, walking, carpooling or Uber/Lyft is recommended.
Fan Arts Stroll / Thursday, May 16 & Friday, May 17, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm, free / The Fan: 2000-2500 blocks of Hanover Avenue & 2200-2500 blocks of Grove Avenue
After the stroll on Thursday, all roads lead to Havana 59 for Tropical Thursdays in downtown Shockoe Bottom.
I’ve been salsa dancing at this iconic Cuban bar & restaurant for over a decade. I love how diverse, inclusive and welcoming the salsa community is — not just in Richmond, but around the world. A group lesson starts at 8pm followed by social dancing that includes salsa, bachata, merengue and more.
Can’t make it Thursday? No worries, there’s somewhere to dance nearly every night of the week - check out the FB group: Richmond Salsa Community.
See you on the dance floor!
Vitals:
Tropical Thursdays / Thursday, May 16, 8:00 pm - midnight, $5 (21+) / Havana 59: 16 North 17th Street
May kicks off VMFA’s After 5 Fridays outdoors — my favorite place to be on Friday evenings in the spring and summer.
On a beautiful night, there’s nothing better than relaxing with a drink in hand and people-watching on the hillside. This Friday, the River City Taiko Drummers will perform. While there, don’t miss the museum’s surprisingly stylish exhibit on Samurai Armor.
Vitals:
After 5 Fridays / Friday, 5:30 pm - 8pm, free / Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Robins Sculpture Garden: 200 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Since 2016, I’ve worked to leverage my creative expertise in activism and speak out where I can. As a contributing writer for RVA Mag and other publications, my essays have promoted action and advocacy related to some of the most pressing issues facing our community. In under six months, we'll vote in a pivotal U.S. election. While many are rightfully disheartened about the state of U.S. politics and our country’s role in worldwide affairs, it’s important we choose action over apathy. Shaping the world we want to live in requires everyone’s participation and it begins on a local level. Virginia's Primary Elections are on June 18, with early voting from June 8, and the U.S. Presidential Election on November 5, with early voting from October 26. I'm participating in Vote Save America's initiatives. Remember to vote and inspire others to do the same!
Meet Vincent Ellis White, this week's guest editor. Vincent has impacted the Richmond community as a human services worker, child welfare advocate, and as a mentor. He is the initiator and moderator of the impactful panel series, Difficult Conversations/Stronger Communities, addressing crucial community and cultural issues. Vincent is also the author of the best-seller “Finding Chris, My Father,” and a traveling stage play. His heartfelt life story and journey has been featured on ABC in New York, CBS, NBC, and featured in numerous lectures at universities across the country. He has been recognized as one of Style-Weekly's Top 40 under 40 recipients, Richmond’s Hometown Heroes, and a recipient of countless honors for his work in foster care and fatherhood initiatives. His greatest achievement remains raising his son, Jordan Ellis White, who's embarking on a pre-med journey at Kent State University.
Take it away, Vincent!
The Well Collective
One of my all-time favorite places to go for therapeutic services and to get centered, is The Well Collective. Located in the heart of Shockoe Bottom, Well Collective is a space for conscious community offering multicultural, intergenerational wellness, equitable healing modalities, educational workshops and an apothecary for individual and collective well-being. Recently, owner Ashley Williams purchased the six-story, 158 year old Branch Building on Main St. to make it the headquarters and hub for education and retreat.
As a community partner with The Well Collective since 2023, I'm thrilled about the upcoming event, "Difficult Conversations: Co-Parenting and Custody: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." This topic is a community request and part of the 'Difficult Conversations, Stronger Communities' series. These panel events encourage candid discussions on current issues affecting our community. Each event features experts, fostering healthy, respectful dialogue in an open forum. Unexpected moments of laughter, tears, and revelations create an atmosphere of healing. Join us at The Well on May 14th for an enriching experience.
Common House Richmond bravely opened in the fall of 2020, right in the heart of RVA's Arts District. I became a member in December 2020 and have been adoring the space since then. It's a social club equipped with all the amenities you could think of -- a podcast room, screening room, open co-working floor, wine cellar, in-house restaurant, open courtyard, rooftop pool, and more. It truly feels like my home away from home. The food is top-notch and there are always live bands playing. And you never know who you might bump into! I've made new friends, sealed business deals, learned about wine pairing, and experienced so much more at the Common House. I've also been a programming partner with Common House since 2022, and thoroughly enjoy collaborating with their staffing team. Their next event is a Mother's Day Brunch, taking place on Sunday, May 12th at 10:00 am, which will serve as a toast to all the Moms across the city.
Oh, now one thing I love to do is EAT. I actually have a running list in the notes section of my iPhone of restaurants that I'd like to visit. But I always go back to The Lilly Pad, Richmond's only waterfront bar and restaurant! It's a bit of a drive from the city center, but well worth it. As you arrive, you instantly feel like you've found an escape from the hustle and bustle, a little slice of paradise. On a sunny day, you can sit by the water, rent boats, listen to a live band, mingle with friendly strangers, and savor some of the best food you've ever tasted. Don't miss their weekend brunch on May 11th & 12th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
Vitals:
Brunch at The Lilly Pad / Saturday & Sunday, May 11 & 12 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm / 9680 Osborne Turnpike
More About Difficult Conversations.
In early 2022, Vincent formed a partnership with Common House which allowed him to create a quarterly series focused on facilitating difficult conversations. Understanding the significance of these types of discussions, he established a safe space where people could be vulnerable, transparent, and openly engage in challenging dialogues without fear of judgment. The inaugural event, held on March 9, 2022, was an immediate success. It organically gained momentum with each subsequent event, drawing attention to the significant impact it was having on attendees. Now in its third year, Vincent has secured new partnerships with The SPOT Event Center in Petersburg and The Well Collective. He is set to return to Common House on July 25th and plans to expand the series to various other locations in 2024.
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