THRIVE Featured Success Stories

Written by K. Anoa Monsho

Hummingbird Gardens

Hummingbird Gardens

Amanda Montgomery transformed a half-acre suburban yard into a garden of Community Supported Agriculture with her business Hummingbird Gardens

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Pop Life

Pop Life

“Life, it ain’t that funky, unless it’s got that POP!” Prince There must be a special place in heaven for people who offer a taste of life in unexpected and delightful flavors. Certainly there is a special place in RVA. King of Pops is one place to experience a divine alchemy of eclectic iciness. You may have heard about Carse brothers’ epic journey to Central Americal where they fell deeply in love with the Latin American ice pops called paletas. The King of Pops brothers’ tale includes a corporate layoff, a lawyer choosing pops over prosecution and wild flavors sourced from local, natural ingredients. Over an insanely short period of time, the company grew from pop carts in Atlanta to locations in several cities along the eastern seaboard, including – thanks to Paul Cassimus – RVA. Paul, a college buddy of the Carse brothers and a former Spanish teacher – decided to walk away from a steady paycheck push the popular pop cart. Now, KoP is a staple at local festivals, farmer’s markets, as well as weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, company picnics, and office parties around town. And the Pop Patio, a walk-up outdoor seating spot located at 3001 W. Clay Street has become a warm weather favorite. The business grew so quickly, in part, because of help Paul got from Thrive. “We were at the point in our development when we needed to get serious about marketing, specifically social media,” Paul explains. “I’d heard about Thrive by word of mouth, that this incredible resource was available to help entrepreneurs.” He met with Thrive mentor Christina Dick to... read more