Supporting Social Enterprise

United Virginia is dedicated to growing the social enterprise sector in Virginia and beyond by providing organizing, advocacy, training, and funding support.

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About

Founded in 2009 as United Virginia Education Foundation, Inc., United Virginia Enterprise Foundation is a 501(c)(3) entrepreneurship support organization (ESO) with a mission to grow the social enterprise sector. United Virginia supports the growth of the social enterprise sector by providing organizing, technical assistance, professional services, access to capital and other resources.Our mission is to empower the growth of Virginia's social enterprises and their founders to create social, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits for the 'Common Good of the Commonwealth'.

Our Partners

Learn more about our partners by visiting the links below:

Programs

The Ideas of Impact Challenge

The Ideas of Impact Challenge is a 5-week virtual program that guides participants through turning their impact-driven business ideas or nonprofit concepts into real, tangible projects using Creative AI tools. The program ends with a virtual Demo Day, where participants showcase their work and compete for recognition and rewards.Learn More

Super Habits of Independent Businesses Workshop

This program targets founder-led, locally-owned businesses with revenues between $250k and $1M that aspire to become "Small Giants" ($1M-$10M in revenue). The interactive program promises to provide a personalized plan and a new approach to success through "focused little things" done every day.A percentage of the proceeds from this workshop go to benefit United Virginia’s statewide support of startup social enterprises.Learn More

Social Enterprise Ecosystem Development

United Virginia founded and organizes the Virginia Chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance. Our organizing and ecosystem development is growing leadership in the social enterprise sector across Virginia and beyond.We maintain a database and provide digital communications and resource development among 500+ social entrepreneurs and social enterprise support organizations throughout the Richmond Region and across Virginia.

Community Incubator

Through our past and current support for community partners including The Network Incubator (TNI) and A Better Day Than Yesterday Initiative Program (ABDTYIP), we have worked to support under-resourced entrepreneurs with online and offline networking events, and delivered educational, exploratory and social opportunities to connect, create, and collaborate in non-traditional ways.TNI initially hosted monthly workshops at the Capital One Cafe, then moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic until recently transitioning to hybrid in-person/online workshops at the VCU Shift Retail Lab. TNI focuses on serving women and minority entrepreneurs (50+% of participants).

Supporting Under-Resourced Entrepreneurs

United Virginia provides support for SEEDschool, which delivers game-based tech and business training programs to forward-thinking education providers serving teens and adults. SEEDschool's founder, DJ Little, has been working at the edges of alternative economics, technology, and entrepreneurship since 2010.

Aspire to Give is a social enterprise partner in Alabama and a consulting member of the Social Enterprise Alliance. United Virginia collaborates with its founder, Greg Doepke, on developing and promoting the benefit corporation movement in Virginia and Alabama. Greg is the author of of The Aspirational Philanthropist Learning Series ℠, a program that guides donors with a learning roadmap as they seek to solidify their legacy through the giving of their time, talents, treasure, and trust to their families and those special social causes that are important to them.Aspire to Give is based on Greg’s experience as a financial advisor and philanthropist and the program trains people to be responsible stewards of their legacy with regard to philanthropy and their utilization of time, talent, treasure and trust.

The Team

Click pictures to view LinkedIn profiles

Rob Martin, Board Chair & Executive Director

Ayanna McMullen, Board Director

DJ Little, Board Director & Treasurer

Contact Us

Please fill out the contact form below to get in touch.

Super Habits of Independent Businesses

From Chaos to Clarity: Design Your 90-Day Action Plan for Profitable Growth

Are you an independent business owner (revenues $250k–$1M) who is overwhelmed and seeking
a clear path to profitable growth?

What You'll Get

Cut through the fog. Many business owners feel like a trapeze artist who has let go of the bar, and hasn't grasped the next one. You don't need a new big idea. You need the focused, repeatable small actions - the Super Habits - that consistently bring success.This is an in-person, working session, not a generic class.You will leave with:

  • A Personalized 90-Day Action Plan focused on 3-5 high-leverage priorities for profitable growth.

  • A Simple Weekly Rhythm/Checklist you can realistically sustain to ensure consistent action.

  • Increased Clarity and a proven system to reduce the feeling of daily overwhelm.

  • Feedback from our team on your growth sketch.

A More Dependable Path to Your Dreams

Too often, company founders think that if they just had the right information, success would follow. Some founders think that a big idea will save them and their business. We are not saying these factors are not useful. There is a far easier and more dependable path to your dreams.It is the focused little things that you do every day, over time, that bring the success you desire.

Program Details

  • When: Wednesday, July 15th, 9 AM - Noon

  • Where: Ours Coworking, 2309 W. Main St., Richmond, VA 23220

  • With Whom: Your Expert Guides - Shelli Jost Brady, Ajax Greene, and Mark Deutsch - Our Bios

  • A percentage of proceeds to benefit United Virginia’s support of social enterprises

  • Fee: $49 (Register early as space is limited)

  • Bonus: Network and participate in a community of peers

  • Bonus: Free Thr33 Minds Book summary

We are grateful to Ours for providing the wonderful space for this program.

Your Instructors

Ajax Greene

Shelli Jost Brady

Mark Deutsch

If you are unable to join us on this date, share your email HERE and we’ll let you know about future opportunities.

Contact: getwisdom@silv3radvisors.com

United Virginia Enterprise Foundation

By participating in this program, you are helping us expand our support of social enterprises throughout Virginia.Learn More

Silv3r Advisors

A unique advisory firm led by seasoned professionals with over 30 years of cross-sector experience dedicated to championing locally-owned, independent businesses.Learn More