Mentors: COMMUNICATIONS
Summary of Qualifications Ty is the Chief Growth Officer of the Frontier Project, a boutique business strategy consulting firm here in Richmond. Ty’s career has spanned both the non-profit and for-profit worlds, with a focus always on building the systems and processes to grow your business. Ty was responsible for contributed revenue for the YMCA of Greater Richmond and the Valentine Museum in his non-profit career. Now at the Frontier Project, he oversees business development, marketing, and client satisfaction. If you are looking to raise start-up capital, build your business development and sales function, or tell your organization’s story better, Ty can help. His off-the-clock habits match his on-the-clock work: An amateur tinkerer and handyman, he thrills at finding the right tool for the right job. A collector of experiences, he’s constantly populating his list of Adventures To Be Had — and promptly checking them off: Driving an Indy race car, scaling a mountain, roaming the winding path of a bourbon pilgrimage, and renovating a 150 year old home in historic Church Hill. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Christina consults on social media, public relations, content strategy, marketing, blogger/influencer outreach, media buying, customer/user experience, advertising, content creation/copywriting and branding (brand voice, community management, customer relations). Christina has worked with large, national brands through The Martin Agency and Capital One, and has a passion for bringing those big ideas to small businesses. She also works as a recruiter, and can consult about hiring, recruiting, talent management, workplace culture – basically, connecting entrepreneurs to the right types of people. Christina is a social recruiter for AQUENT and a creative communications consultant for agencies and small business. She began her career at The Martin Agency, buying media and then developing social strategies and building communities for Kraft’s Cool Whip and Stove Top, Walmart, GEICO and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Christina has also worked on Capital One’s social media team and built a social media and content strategy offering at Big River Advertising. She is an adjunct professor Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned a bachelors in Mass Communications with a concentration in Strategic Advertising and a Minor in Marketing. Christina is also active in the Richmond Ad Club, serving as the current president while working to grow the club’s mentor and speaker series programs. In a partnership formed through her personal blog, Tiramisu For Breakfast, she launched and manage the Elements Beauty Bloggers program for ElementsBeautyshop.com. She loves the local arts community and chairs the Richmond CenterStage Associates Board. Ready to meet with this Lead Mentor? Schedule an initial...
Summary of Qualifications Doug Carleton is Chairman of the Board of BizWorks, a small business incubator in Chesterfield County. Doug Carleton has been a SCORE mentor for over three years. He has over 20 years of experience in small business finance, including twelve years in SBA lending. Prior to that, he spent 18 years in real estate development, construction and finance. He has been a frequent speaker and author on SBA and small business finance, and is also Chairman of the Board of BizWorks, a small business incubator in Chesterfield County. Ready to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications In Tom Lawrence’s forty-year entrepreneurial career, he has progressed from owner of a Valpack franchise, to President of the Valpak Dealers’ Association, to VP of franchise operations for Valpack. As founder and CEO of Richmond-based FranNet, Tom makes time to consult, teach, and speak at the Small Business Development Center, the SBA, and SCORE. He enjoys putting his experience to use helping others who wish to start their own business. Tom began his entrepreneurial career in 1975 with the purchase of Valpak of Virginia. Initially specializing in direct sales, in 1981, he became President and the sole owner of that business. Valpak of Virginia was repeatedly ranked in the top 5% of the over 200 Valpak franchises. In 1987, Tom was elected President of the Valpak Dealers’ Association and served three terms in this position. In this role (held concurrently with ownership of his own franchise), Tom represented, to the franchisor, the interest of all Valpak franchisees, heading policy-making and marketing committees and was the chief adjudicator of intra-franchise disputes. In 1991, Tom sold the Valpak of Virginia franchise and was hired by Cox Enterprises, the corporate parent of Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc. His new role involved the design and implementation of Valpak’s first Field Support program and involvement in the recruiting of potential franchisees. In 1994, he was promoted to Vice President of Franchise Operations. In this position, he retained responsibility for field support, had increased involvement in franchisee recruiting and was given management responsibility for Valpak’s five franchisor-owned operations. Additionally, he assumed responsibility for designing training programs for new franchisees as well as...
Summary of Qualifications Jeff is a founder of Kelley Communications and has helped companies large and startup with communications guidance, issues management, and public relations strategy. A former business reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Jeff Kelley has worked in PR and digital agencies. Prior to starting his own communications group, he served as director of marketing and public relations for Health Diagnostic Laboratory, a national cardiac lab in downtown Richmond. He has a particular interest in media and public relations, content development and digital strategy, and crisis and reputation management. He regularly contributes to the city’s Grid magazine, and can probably found on or in the James River, with his family, or firing up a charcoal grill. Ready to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
