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SCCF Blog


V Braids: Investing in a side hustle
Varlina Jackson went from helping mom to hairstylist. The owner of V Braids in Terry Court, Jackson never envisioned braiding to be more...

Chris Lassiter
Apr 14


Coushatta’s Creations: Adding to the family recipe
Photo by Chris Lassiter It’s a taste of Texas just like Mama used to make. Otis Hawkins and Coushatta Hawkins moved from Houston, TX, to...

Chris Lassiter
Aug 19, 2024


Carlton Melton: Making a pivot
Once Carlton pictured a new vision for his business, he picked up a camera. The founder of Take One Imaging – a company that caters to...

Chris Lassiter
Aug 12, 2024


Kyle Alston and Sunqueet Pepper: A serendipitous partnership
Photo by Chris Lassiter Kyle Alston and Sunqueet Pepper made good on their fresh idea. Now they’ve got the juice. The friends and...

Chris Lassiter
Jul 29, 2024


Taylor Redmond and Whitney Vaughn: Running the numbers
They had a fresh idea to squeeze out more income. Now the husband-and-wife tandem, co-owners of Nolia’s Lemonade, are reaping the fruits...

Chris Lassiter
Jul 22, 2024


Eric Vasson: Cooking up an idea
Photo by Chris Lassiter Eric Vasson just wants to be the second-best cook in his family. The number one position isn’t up for debate. The...

Chris Lassiter
Jul 15, 2024


Simone McKelvey: Building a homemade business
Photo by Chris Lassiter Simone McKelvey went from gifting soaps to becoming a gifted soap maker. The founder of Simone & Tuesday LLC,...

Chris Lassiter
Jul 8, 2024


The Goodmans: From passion to paycheck
Photo by Chris Lassiter Ray Goodman told his wife Charlotte to turn her passion into a paycheck — the result: Charlotte’s Kitchenette....

Chris Lassiter
Jun 27, 2024


Staunton Black Business Collective
A group of community stakeholders has organized to help grow Black business in Staunton. The Staunton Black Business Collective was...

Chris Lassiter
Jun 20, 2024


Nadia Ware: All-natural entrepreneur
Photo by Chris Lassiter It started as making a strawberry mask for her niece. Now Nadia Ware, founder of Honey Sweet Face and Body LLC,...

Chris Lassiter
Jun 13, 2024


Tony Davenport: Turning a skill into a business
Photo by Chris Lassiter Tony Davenport found a silver lining during the pandemic. He also found a black turntable. A huge music fan – who...

Chris Lassiter
Jun 6, 2024


Teaming up with the NAACP
This past summer, SCCF partnered with the NAACP and People Inc. to facilitate our Business Bootcamp entrepreneurship program for Black...
Jessica Bond
Oct 2, 2023


Vocal About What Matters
“When I first explored my creative side, I bought a silhouette cutter (device for printing on apparel) and immediately hated it. What had...

Anika Horn
Aug 29, 2023


Building a strong foundation
Last summer, we met Daniel Kelly II, the founder of M.E. Opus, a music and entertainment venture in the Northern Valley. M.E. Opus is the...

Ashley Wenger
Jul 30, 2023


RISE
When you first visit RISE Organization in Waynesboro, you don’t simply walk into an office. Upon entering, Founders Sharon Fitz and...

Anika Horn
Feb 21, 2023


B-Cubed: Black and Brown-owned Business Growth Program
When COVID-19 broke out in March 2020, small businesses struggled to remain open during lockdowns and the subsequent economic standstill....

Anika Horn
Feb 6, 2023


Pink Ambition Pole Fitness
What do you do when your business partnership starts to go south? For many entrepreneurs, having a business partner is a huge weight off...

Ashley Wenger
Jan 8, 2023


The Walker Program: A renaissance of Black business in the Southern Valley
Once an important destination in the Motorist Green Book, Black-owned businesses dwindled for a half-century in Lexington, VA, until the...

Anika Horn
Nov 28, 2022


Axe Warehouse
Starting a business is time-consuming enough as it is. Starting a business while you’re a student in school is even busier still. But...

Ashley Wenger
Nov 21, 2022


Simply Clean
When Mallory Douglas moved her cleaning business, Simply Clean, from Virginia Beach to Lexington, she had 40 dollars and the...

Ashley Wenger
Nov 15, 2022
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