Mentors: IDEAPRENUER
Summary of Qualifications A tech startup veteran with a diverse background in economics and music, Luke Rabin is an expert in the very first steps of turning ideas into excitingly simple products. Luke Rabin has had the rare opportunity to spend much of his career in the very first steps of some of Richmond’s most heavily funded tech startups. These hard-earned experiences on top of his background in economics from UVA and a stint in the music industry have made him extremely well prepared to help new teams navigate the uncertainty of creating new companies and products. After being both an in-house Product Manager and a consultant, Luke and his design partner Brandon Lewis started BLDR to put all of their lessons learned the hard way into an accelerated service for creating and validating new products. Luke’s experience and skillset are vital when it comes to problem and market validation, prototyping, messaging, and proving measurable traction without investing in code. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Grant is a Fractional Product & Marketing Manager, specializing in small to mid business growth through customer engagement and product innovation. Grant Mizell’s career spans traditional advertising, PR, community management, digital strategy, SEM/PPC and product development. Most recently, acting as Head of Product, he oversaw the transformation of PartyRVA, a successful and award-winning prototype e-marketplace for group planners, into OccasionGenius, overhauling the customer conversion funnel, shifting the business model and repositioning for national scale. A graduate of VCU’s Advertising program, he uses a foundation in conceptual thinking and design as a heightened UX perspective in targeting business growth opportunities through user-centered engagement and innovation. In 2013, he traded in 7 years of Adjunct instruction at VCU Advertising, for a leadership role on the Byrd Theatre Foundation. Grant serves as Vice President and Programming Chair, where he applies lean startup mentality to marketing and new program development, in support of the 87-year-old institution’s evolution into a center for film and film literacy. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Jevata Herman is the co-owner of Canvas The Salon, an upscale boutique salon in the heart of Historic Jackson Ward. She created the salon, formerly called Jeveta The Salon, in 2004 out of her passion to have more creative freedom and provide a unique space that embodies her journey as a stylist and business owner with a span of over 25 years. Jevata enjoys creating opportunities to inspire, inform and share her experiences to encourage other women, current business owners and aspiring business owners. As a small business champion, Jevata has helped others understand the importance of setting boundaries (and sticking to them), balancing the demands of business ownership and family, and prioritizing. Exposure, creativity and passion have allowed Jevata to stand out as a career entrepreneur in RVA. Richmond is a thriving birthplace for ideapreneurs and small businesses, and it offers a plethora of resources to meet the growing demands we often face along the way. Jevata recognizes the vital catalyst of connecting strategically in our community, and she enjoys serving as that link to aspiring creatives. From creating step by step strategies for business growth, knowing the importance of team building and when to ask for help, and bringing in the right resources, Jevata’s experience is invaluable. She has founded the Glamour Initiative, a creative collective that allows industry professionals to collaborate to offer scholarships, and has raised the standards consistently while nurturing the creative aspect of their businesses. Throughout her career, Jevata has primarily worked for herself. On a daily basis, she finds an opportunity to share “how to’s” or “where do I?” with other...
Summary of Qualifications John Rabil is the founder of Launch, a Richmond-based strategy and legal management firm. John is the founder of Launch, which provides Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel services to businesses. The firm is dedicated to developing and managing company strategy while simultaneously handling legal needs that arise in small business. Throughout his career, John has worked with some of the most well respected Fortune 500 companies including SunTrust Bank and Coca-Cola, helping him hone in on business and strategy skills. His true passion lies in entrepreneurship; helping companies start, grow and move forward. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Nathalia Artus is the Regional Lending Manager at the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA), the lending arm of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Nathalia is responsible for promoting economic development through financially assisting all businesses, including small, women, minority and veteran owned businesses. Her work focus is to develop partnerships with financial institutions and economic development authorities in the Greater Richmond and Northern Virginia areas, aiming to provide businesses with resources and opportunities. A native Brazilian with over 10 years of experience in financial services, Nathalia has been living, working and playing in the Greater Richmond area for 6 years. Her passion for small businesses and nonprofits has prompted an extended interest in the community. Nathalia is actively involved, serving as board member of many nonprofit organizations and committee member of local chambers of commerce. In the last two years her work has led her to receive the Style Weekly Top 40 under 40 Award, the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce HYPE Icon Award in the Front Runner category and the Top Intermediate Lender Award for the SBA Richmond District office. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
