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Richmond Times-Dispatch – April 1, 2018

“Moving into the 1717 Innovation Center was a ‘no-brainer’ [April Palmer, co-founder of Pivot Pass] said. ‘We came to Richmond because we felt the startup scene was right for us here,’ she said. ‘It is a market on an upward trend, and where we wanted to be,’ [Brig Leland, co-founder] added. ‘We could be in New York or Boston, but we chose Richmond because we see the potential in the area.'”

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Richmond BizSense – March 27, 2018

“Gilbane Building Co. and SMBW Architects were the builder and architect on the project, respectively. The former tobacco warehouse could house up to 50 startups. Startup Virginia’s members can use the building and get access to mentorship, investors and events. Current members include DineGigs, ReRunner and Seasonal Roots. About 40 startups are signed on to be in the building, and they take month-to-month leases for different spaces, similar to how coworking spaces operate.”

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Dogtown Dish – March 25, 2018

“Our next task was to decide where to set up the brewing/bottling operation and tasting room for Climax Beverage Co. We intend to locate Climax in Swansboro, just west of Manchester, as part of a destination based development that will focus on food & beverages. This large Swansboro development will include the old Siegel’s grocery store we have already begun restoring. (…) To flesh all this out, we have engaged SMBW architects to assist with the master planning. Climax Beverage Co. will be folded in as one component of a broad vision for this multi-faceted re-development effort. The hope is that the revitalized area will include a whole swath of purveyors including food vendors, restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and fresh produce/market items to help serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. ”

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Richmond Times-Dispatch – March 5, 2018

“[Alex Papajohn, Executive Director of the Virginia Wine Expo], said the Victorian-era train station (…) is a ‘world-class venue’ that represents ‘a major reset’ for the event.'”

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Richmond Magazine – January 1, 2018

“PIEtech, a fast-growing Powhatan-based company that creates financial-planning software, tapped SMBW to design its second location in Midlothian. The 17,000-square-foot space aesthetically speaks to PIEtech’s quirky and colorful identity, while also encouraging the company’s day-to-day operations to run as a well-oiled machine.”

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Related Project: PIEtech

Richmond Times-Dispatch – February 14, 2018

“‘It is cool, beautiful, spectacular, and it’s a destination-worthy venue,’ [Alex Papajohn, creator and director for the Virginia Wine Expo] said. ‘We need to show we have a wow factor.'”

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NPR, WVTF Radio IQ – February 11, 2018

“We’re cognizant of the fact that we don’t know all the answers,” says [Michael Bolling, Executive Director of CodeRVA Regional High School].”We’re a lab and innovation school that’s taking chances to hope to influence, or change, education in the state and also the nation.”

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Fortune.com – December 22, 2017

“Banking and cutting-edge design don’t automatically go together. But Capital One has adopted design thinking as a mantra to reinvent itself as a software company and innovation incubator, rather than a traditional bank. After acquiring design firms Adaptive Path and Monsoon, Capital One has recently rolled out fresh digital features, from an emoji-enabled SMS chatbot to GPS-tracked transaction histories. In early 2018 it will unveil its 1717 Innovation Center in Richmond, a 42,000-square-foot facility housing an experience design research lab and, through a partnership with an incubator program, some 50 startups.”

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SMBW – January 11, 2018

SMBW is proud to announce that Sierra Roman, CID, has been promoted to an Associate in the firm. Roman, a 2006 James Madison University graduate from Chester, VA, has been with the firm for eight years and became a certified interior designer in 2010. Using a client-centric approach with an unrelenting passion for design, Roman has worked on an array of project types including commercial offices, higher education, community non-profits, outpatient healthcare facilities, and retail.

Tamara Van Meter, Firm Principal and Head of Interiors: “Sierra’s passion for design and sensitivity to the client’s vision are tremendous assets to our firm.   As a mentor, she works with young designers on maintaining design integrity with fresh creative ideas.  We are thrilled to welcome Sierra as an Associate and emerging leader at SMBW!”

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Richmond BizSense – December 29, 2017

“‘One thing it is easy to forget is that Capital One was a startup,’ said Jay Sanne, vice president of technology at Capital One and a Startup Virginia board member. ‘We look back on those times and we have a deep sense of responsibility to the Richmond area, and really to entrepreneurs and disruptors,’ he said. ‘They are trying to do the same thing that we did over the course of the last 25 years. We truly hope that this incubator creates companies that have the kind of impact that Capital One has had on this region.’

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