RVA Works

Helping People Overcome Barriers and Become Business Owners

RVA Works Enterprise Support, Inc is a tax exempt organization

Are you interested in growing your business?

Our Mission

What We Do: RVA Works is a nonprofit in Richmond, Virginia that helps entrepreneurs start businesses. RVA Works offers a variety of resources such as business training and network building to help entrepreneurs at all levels to grow their businesses.

Why We Do This: RVA Works' mission is to eliminate barriers to business ownership to give everyone a chance to become a successful entrepreneur. We provide educational and financial services to help those in need use their passions to build a robust business.

Who We Serve: We support prospective entrepreneurs of all backgrounds. We make it our goal to allow everyone the opportunity to learn more about business to help them grow their passions. Regardless of one's business stage, industry, or revenue, RVA Works offers resources for all.

Our Programs

Network Building and Access to Business People

Who it's for:

Entrepreneurs at all stages of their careers

What we provide:

Our promotional support of 1 Million Cups, ensures a unique forum for building connections with peer entrepreneurs. 1 Million Cups is a national program of the Kauffman Foundation, and hosted at the Robins School of Business, University of Richmond. This weekly meetup includes free coffee, an entrepreneur speaker, and facilitated discussions. Through the discussion all participants benefit from peer learning, identifying insights, applying those insights to their own business, and exchanging valuable referrals.

One on One Credit Counseling

Who it's for:

Entrepreneurs at all stages of their careers

What we provide:

Introduced at the request of Capital One, we provide a one-on-one "deep dive" into entrepreneur's credit report and budget, and provide recommendations for lower cost products. Plus, through larger roundtable discussions, we cover managing free cash flow, preparation for a loan underwriter, and reducing interest rates.

Startup Accelerator to Build a New Business

Who it's for:

People thinking about starting a new business.

What we provide:

A 12 week educational experience, with a cohort of peer founders. First, decide if an entrepreneurial lifestyle is a good fit for you. Second, use the Kauffman Fasttrac program and other mentor insights to clarify the idea, and validate whether customers will purchase what you will sell. Third, develop the organization, so you can start making sales. After you finish, you'll benefit from alumni-only events and professional referrals.

Main Street Mastermind

Who it's for:

Alumni of the accelerator program

What we provide:

A monthly pro bono meeting of RVA Works Accelerator alumni. Join a supportive community of peers. Discussion focuses on continuous improvement of your business, a roundtable format for each person to share their current business challenges, and an opportunity for the group to express helpful experiences overcoming the particular difficulty.

Capital Access through a New Loan
(Coming Soon!)

Who it's for:

Small Business Owners Making Sales

What we provide:

We're developing a new loan fund for qualifying small business borrowers. These unsecured term loans are designed to provide working capital, which helps small businesses grow. Borrowers typically meet underwriting requirements within several months of opening their business, and they rely on other aspects of the RVA Works support system.

Software Platform for Small Business Owners
(Coming Soon!)

Who it's for:

Small Business Owners Making Sales

What we provide:

We're developing new software to allow small business owners to exchange insights, connections, and to qualify for a loan. For more information on this product, and to sign up for email updates on product releases, please see www.opentrellis.org.

Our Impact

130

Founders have entered the accelerator

95%

Women-owned or ethnic minority-owned

110

Of graduates start their businesses

400+

Free, public meetups for business owners

38%

Average annual income increase graduates report after launching their business

15,000

Online audience of emerging entrepreneurs and supporters

Thank You Kauffman Foundation:

The Board of Directors of RVA Works would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for consistent collaboration. Starting in 2014, RVA Works and the Richmond community of entrepreneurs have benefited from the Kauffman Foundation's leadership in advancing the 1 Million Cups® peer learning program, the Fasttrac® curricula for entrepreneurs, and collaboration in community-engaged research with Virginia Commonwealth University. We truly value the Kauffman Foundation's advances in research, advocacy, and programs that assist in expanding access to entrepreneurial opportunities.

1 Million Cups Sponsorship

We are pleased to sponsor 1 Million Cups, a national entrepreneur program of the Kauffman Foundation. Our local community began in 2014, and includes founders, investors and startup community builders. Together we hold hybrid events, and reach an online audience of over 15,000 people. For more details, please see our event listing on Meetup.com.