Though Richmond's tech and startup scene is difficult to define as a whole, one of the best ways to gauge the future potential of a business ecosystem to take a look at a region’s youngest entrepreneurs.
From the hallways of Richmond high schools to universities, coworking spaces, support organizations and incubators, the newest generation entering the technical workforce has more startup resources than ever – and they're making good use of them in Central Virginia.
To highlight some of the Richmond area's most accomplished young techies and entrepreneurs, we reached out through our newsletter, social media, community leaders, startup accelerators and schools for nominations. We’ve trimmed that to a list of 10 local innovators who are 25 years old or younger.
Check out Richmond's 2019 Inno Under 25:
Juliana Keeling – 23 CEO, Terravive
Julianna Keeling is developing solutions that improve the lives of people and their environment as the co-founder and CEO of Terravive. Her green packaging company has produced marine degradable and home compostable products since 2016. Keeling studied chemistry and environmental studies at Washington & Lee University, where she was awarded the Earle Bates Prize in Environmental Citizenship. She holds six patents in plant-based materials and finished products, and this summer was one of eight startups in Target’s new accelerator program.
Brett Bowker – 22 Founder, Peerspective
VCU alumnus Brett Bowker is the founder of a socially conscious startup that aims to educate people about bullying and harassment. The award-winning VCU student has been gaining steam as he finishes the Lighthouse Labs summer cohort for his technology, a virtual reality-based anti-bullying training experience called PeerSpective. In his free time, he also works at BLDR as a product designer.
Salman Habib – 23 Co-founder, Hellofriend
Salman Habib is a founder of 2-year-old Hellofriend, a marketplace for social experiences. The tech platform aggregates and finds deals for activities, businesses, restaurants and other outings in an effort to connect people and places offline. The startup, born out of Harvard, is currently participating in the fall accelerator cohort for Lighthouse Labs in Richmond.
Kara Dickerson – 24 Sales Rep, MajorClarity
After graduating from the University of Virginia and spending time in customer service at Pure Barre, Kara Dickerson joined MajorClarity as the fourth member of the sales team and quickly grew through the ranks. She has been the top-performing sales rep at MajorClarity over the last 18 months, directly bringing its platform to over 100,000 new students herself.
Kaelum Hasler – 20 CEO, Rendyr
Virginia Tech student Kaelum Hasler is the creator of Rendyr, a desktop robotics company looking to maximize access to rapid prototyping by eliminating the constraints of conventional machines. The startup’s forthcoming device is a “laptop version” of an industrial laser cutter that supports working environments that don’t have the space or budget for regular fabrication machines. Rendyr has won $35,000 from startup competitions within a year of launching, and is currently working out of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.
Sarah Olivia Hipwell – 22 Founder, Sarah Olivia Marketing
During her senior year at the University of Richmond, Sarah Olivia Hipwell started Sarah Olivia Marketing, a Richmond-based digital marketing and public relations business. Hipwell took her knowledge gleaned from internships at London’s UK2 Group (now The Hut Group) and Pure PR to create a luxury lifestyle branding agency focused on social media marketing strategies. Her young company already has landed global clients including a real estate group specializing in luxury homes, a popular wine and spirits firm, and a high-end skin care company.
Trent Jackson – 19 Founder, Lil’ Sprouts Microgreens
Trent Jackson’s entrepreneurial spirit has led him to work in the health/wellness and farming industry before starting his own venture, Lil’ Sprouts Microgreens, which is developing its food product at the newly opened Hatch Kitchen RVA. He’s also the market manager for Sprout About Mobile Market, and on top of all that, he just started as a full-time student at VCU.
Logan Deyo – 22 Founder, ByDesign
Logan Deyo is a graduating interdisciplinary studies major from VCU, as well as the co-founder of byDesign, a brand and product development agency located in Richmond and Los Angeles. After falling in love with entrepreneurship at a young age, following in his parents' footsteps, he’s founded multiple companies across different industries, all while still in school. Today, he’s growing his current venture to focus on not only creative work, but also helping new ventures and startups grow through strategic business development. By the end of the year, he also plans on launching two passion projects focused on social impact.
Charlett Stevenson – 25 COO, Hat Factory Design Lab
In 2017 Charlett Stevenson paired with a fellow University of Richmond alumnus to launch Hat Factory Design Lab, an interface design agency for innovative companies around the world. Through the startup, she helps companies manage app development from consultancy to design implementation. Hat Factory also has its own innovation center, through which it’s planning to launch its own app this year.
Liam Rose – 22 Founder, Horus
After graduating from the University of Richmond with a degree in business administration, Liam Rose dove head-on into his startup Horus. The time management tool is designed to encourage users to input all activities in their schedule to view how their time is allocated, categorizing them as health, occupation, responsibility, social or unique. Rose teamed up with Vanderbilt University grad Thomas Lux to launch the venture, and plans to release the app to the public this year.
