Mentors: PUBLIC RELATIONS
Summary of Qualifications Chantel is a Master Tax Advisor for Block Advisors and an Enrolled Agent authorized to represent all clients before the Internal Revenue Service. Chantel Buchin, whose career has focused on the numerous tax implications of individuals, small businesses and corporate mergers, has spent 27 years in Richmond working in a number of different taxable organizations. Most notably, she managed a small business LLC focusing on all aspects of limited liability formation and compliance with Virginia SCC, and IRS and SSA regulations. A graduate of the New York University School of Law, while practicing Chantel specialized in the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions and employee benefits. She subsequently held positions as a small business manager, tax office leader, and tax professional. Her passion is educating small and new business owners to get the best possible tax outcome. A recent client stated, “Chantel was very professional in every sense of the word. She helped us through the tax season as first-time business owners and was very articulate and clear about every step in the process. We didn’t know where to turn as first-time business owners and feel like we either made the perfect choice with Block Advisors or got really lucky with Chantel. Probably both.” Chantel also has an extensive background in education. She was a substitute teacher for 14 years ranging from elementary through high school grades. Currently, she teaches basic and advanced taxation courses for H & R Block. Want to meet with this mentor? Schedule an...
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 Lindsay Grant is part of The Hodges Partnership, a PR & communications strategy firm based in Shockoe Bottom. With a career spent at PR and marketing agencies, Lindsay has the pleasure of advising clients – big and small – on how to approach their communications strategy. As a senior-level account director at Hodges, she focuses on strategic planning, writing, media relations, content marketing and internal communications. Clients over the years have ranged from local start-ups to household brands and nonprofit organizations all with varying budgets and unique goals. And at the end of the day, no matter the budget and resources, Lindsay believes that a smart communications strategy is within reach for every business. Her campaigns have won industry awards and her clients have turned into long-lasting business relationships. She’s a VCU grad, PRSA Richmond board member, APR certified and an adjunct faculty member at the VCU Robertson School of Media and Culture. She lives in the city and is known to cheer on all things Richmond, including the Rams. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Stephanie is a Co-Founder and Senior Associate at Venture Frameworks, a financial consulting firm focused on working with early-stage and growth-stage businesses. She helps make numbers less scary. Stephanie has always loved numbers. Graduating with a degree in Finance and International Business from the University of Richmond, she jumpstarted her career in the investment banking industry in Charlotte, NC. As an investment banking analyst, Stephanie worked extensively with Middle Market companies to raise capital or participate in M&A processes. She quickly learned about the power of numbers and analytics in businesses of any size. Taking a Wall Street skill set with no Wall Street attitude, Stephanie moved back to Richmond to co-found Venture Frameworks. As an avid believer of the “See One, Do One, Teach One” mantra, Stephanie now collaborates with local businesses to analyze their financial situation, deliver uncomplicated financial models and empower company leaders to not only manage their unique model, but also feel confident that they know their numbers well enough to present them. Stephanie offers a missing piece of financial and investment analytics to help businesses take the next step, grow and thrive. She can be found around Richmond trying a new French cheese, reading or practicing yoga. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
Summary of Qualifications Anika Horn has devoted her career to working with social entrepreneurs from around the world building mission-driven businesses. Her studies took her from Germany to France and Australia before graduating with a Master’s degree in Sustainability Sciences (M.Sc.). Drawing from her experiences across all sectors, Anika has established herself as both a startup coach and mentor. At Social Ventures Australia, she specialized in funding and performance evaluation of social entrepreneurs focused on indigenous communities. As a freelance consultant, Anika devised corporate sustainability strategies for small and medium-sized companies and provided business development support to social startups. At the DO School, an impact accelerator, she trained and mentored over 60 social startup founders from around the world, devised curricula and massive open online courses (MOOCs), and managed a global online learning community. Most recently, Anika launched Social Venturers, a think tank that analyzes best practices in empowering social entrepreneurs. In this role, she explores the potential of social enterprise with incubators, accelerators, and impact investors across Europe and the U.S. (www.socialventurers.com). Based in Richmond, Anika is in charge of mentor relations at local business accelerator Lighthouse Labs. She is a guest-lecturer for social entrepreneurship at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. Most recently, she organized #RVABiscuitLove with a team of devoted volunteers and runs VCU’s pre-accelerator for student entrepreneurs. Ready to meet with this Lead Mentor? Schedule an initial...
