LoudounPossible Pod

Today, we have a special edition of the pod with Pete Snyder.  Pete Snyder is the man behind the VA 30 Day Fund, which is currently open to Virginia Small  Businesses. The Fund’s goal is to help save as many Virginia jobs as possible while small  businesses await recently approved federal funding. Virginia businesses that qualify for assistance  from the Fund are:

* Small businesses that employ three to 30 people;

* Based in Virginia and have been operating for at least one year;

* Owned and operated by a Virginia resident.

More specific information and the link is on our website at biz.loudoun.gov/covid19.  

We spoke with Mary Ellen Taylor, President and general manager of Endless Summer Harvest. Mary Ellen is a retail executive  with over twenty years of staff leadership and client counseling. Mary Ellen has served as the  President of the Loudoun County chapter of Business Network International, is a former chair of the Loudoun County Rural Economic Development Council. Mary Ellen has also served as the president of the Loudoun Valley Home Grown  Market Association. She has pivoted her business during the pandemic and is thriving.

We spoike with Justin Li of Qore Performance. During the global ebola outbreak, Qore Performance created garments, such as underwear and arm bands, designed to hold cold thermal packs in place on those pulse points without compromising a person's  range of motion. The cooling systems allowed first responders to spend twice as long in the suits  before suffering from heat-related issues, and this will likely be an issue in combating coronavirus as well. We talked to Justin about that and more.

We spoke with Scott Harris from Catoctin Creek Distillery.  Scott, Becky and team have jumped in the fight against the coronavirus by producing hand sanitizer at the facility in Purcellville.

Scott founded Catoctin Creek with his wife Becky in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun since prohibition.  They source their grain from local sources, free of pesticides and chemical additives. The results are the finest, cleanest spirits possible, with the greatest attention to detail in every single bottle they produce. 

If you own a business or have been impacted financially by COVID-19, this is an episode that you'll want to listen to carefully. I'm happy to talk to two of my favorite Loudouners...Alice Frazier from BCT, the Communities Bank and Chauvon McFadden from Crimson Wealth Strategies. Alice is President and  CEO of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. and BCT, The  Community’s Bank. Chauvon is the Principal of Crimson Wealth Strategies. If you benefit from this episode, please call another business owner, in Loudoun or not, and tell them to listen because these two great people dropped some serious knowledge and inspiration today. 

We welcome Loudoun's Workforce Development Analyst Nancy Evanko to talk about the debut of a Loudoun job board. We also speak with Molly Kroiz of Georges Mill Farm. Georges Mill has consistently been one of the most innovative Loudoun farming operations,  embracing traditional agriculture, value-add products, in-person events, baby goat cuddling, bed and  breakfast, farmers markets, collaboration with other farms, and an on-site farm store that’s based on  the honor system. Many of those outlets for money are being threatened by the virus, but they’re  exploring ways to innovate.  Molly has details and insight into the challenges faced by our rural businesses during the pandemic. 

We spoke with Dr. Crystal Icenhour of Aperiomics. Aperiomics is a Loudoun-based company that has made great strides forwarding diagnosis tools in the identification of parasites. Over the past few weeks, they have shifted operations to creating covid-19 tests. Dr. Crystal Icenhour is one of the rising stars of American biotechnology. After more than 25 years in medical research and biotech, she was named founding CEO of Aperiomics, a company that harnesses the power of next-generation DNA sequencing to identify any known pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungi or parasite). Aperiomics is the only company of its kind and scope in the world. Throughout Dr. Icenhour’s career, she has demonstrated strong leadership in business and science and has dedicated herself to “bridging the translational gap between these two worlds.”

An interview with United States Senator Mark Warner. From 2002 to 2006, Senator Warner served as Governor of Virginia. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2008 and reelected to a second term in November 2014. He has been a champion for business and technology throughout his time as Governor and as Senator.  He's currently the Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Co-Chair of the Senate Cyber Security Caucus, and has been a leader on legislation to support and encourage innovation. nterview with United States Senator Mark Warner. From 2002 to 2006, Senator Warner served as Governor of Virginia. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2008 and reelected to a second term in November 2014. He has been a champion for business and technology throughout his time as Governor and as Senator.  He's currently the Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Co-Chair of the Senate Cyber Security Caucus, and has been a leader on legislation to support and encourage innovation. Senator Warner provides insight into the multi-trillion dollar relief package for the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis.