Alexandria Economic Development Partnership

Don't Miss Out! ⏳ Your dream space in Old Town North is calling—bring your creativity and passion to life! 💭✨ 🔗 Click here to submit your Expression of Interest by March 31, 2025: https://lnkd.in/eJtbZt3k

✍️ Mark Your Calendars! Join the City of Alexandria, Virginia and AEDP for the Countdown to the Summit: Community Conversation event on April 10! 🤝 You’ll have the chance to learn more about economic development, commercial uses, and investment in Alexandria—ask questions, share ideas, and get involved ahead of the Alexandria Economic Summit on May 8. 🔗 No registration needed. A full recording will be posted to (https://lnkd.in/erxkCFaM) afterward if you can’t make it to the event. 

Happy Women's History Month! ✨ Meet SHAMENA NURSE-KINGSLEY, founder of Cowo & Crèche. This coworking and event space is designed to help people work, connect and thrive ✨ From on-site childcare to on-tap cold brew, Shamena has thoughtfully crafted the perfect space for Alexandrians! 🤩 "Being a female founder in Alexandria means showing up every day with purpose — to serve families, empower women, and create a space where both dreams and community can grow. It’s about making an impact right where I live and love." - Shamena Nurse-Kingsley, Founder of Cowo & Crèche 👉 Cowo & Crèche recently moved to Carlyle Plaza 🥳 You can now swing by the space at 2034 Eisenhower Ave, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314! 🔗 Read Shamena’s full story and her journey to launching Cowo & Crèche here: https://lnkd.in/e-gEbVtT #WomensHistoryMonth #EmpoweringWomen #CowoAndCreche #WorkSpace #Community #AlexandriaVA #AEDP

🌸🌸🌸 Spring has officially sprung in Alexandria! 🌸🌸🌸

✨ A Housewarming Party for Innovation in Alexandria ✨ This week, AEDP and Virginia Tech joined forces to connect local businesses with top tech graduate students at the Connecting Tech Talent event, held at the newly opened academic building in Potomac Yard. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the future of tech, talent, and business at Virginia Tech Innovation Campus—a $1 billion investment in tech education and a game-changing addition to the Alexandria skyline. As AEDP’s Business Development Manager, Kelly Martin put it: "This building came to be as part of the Amazon HQ2 project, and we’re so excited that it’s here—not just for its fabulous addition to our skyline, but as a place to serve local businesses exactly the way we’re doing today.” Beyond the striking design, the new academic building opens doors for local businesses, connecting them with top-tier engineering, business, and technology students ready to tackle real-world challenges 🚀 As Virginia Tech’s Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Barbara Hoopes said: “We imagined this event as a housewarming party—inviting our neighbors in to meet the incredible students here and explore ways to work together.” Takeaways for Local Businesses: 💡 Internships & Projects – Local companies connected with students specializing in engineering, business, cybersecurity, AI, and more. 💡 International Talent – Employers learned about hiring international students for part-time and summer roles. 💡 Collaborative Solutions – Attendees heard first-hand how Virginia Tech is making an impact on local businesses. Marsha Banks-Harold of PIES Fitness Yoga (a proud Hokie, along with her husband, Jeff!) teamed up with VT students to explore ways to expand her customer base for her Old Town studio—proving once again that innovation and community go hand in hand 🤝 👉 👉 👉 👉 Looking to connect with Virginia Tech’s international & grad students for internships or projects? Check out the resource link below! 🔗 https://bit.ly/43p87O0 #AEDP #VirginiaTech #AlexandriaVA #EconomicDevelopment #Networking #TechTalent #SmallBusiness

📢 We Want to Hear from You! 📢 The City of Alexandria, Virginia and AEDP are hosting a community-wide conversation about our local economy, and we want to hear your thoughts. What challenges do you see? What opportunities should we focus on? Your input on this survey will help shape the discussion at the Alexandria Economic Summit on May 8. Summit Details: 📅 Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:00 – 7:00 PM 📍 Location: To Be Announced 🗣️ Take the survey and be part of the conversation: https://bit.ly/3FJethk

📣 Calling all Alexandria small biz owners! 📣 Join the Alexandria Police Department on April 8 at 8:30 AM for a FREE Small Business Crime Prevention Webinar/Workshop Learn how to spot and reduce security risks: ⦿ Prevent theft, fraud & vandalism ⦿ Workplace safety and emergency preparedness ⦿ Work with law enforcement to protect your biz Captain Jamie Bridgeman will share real-world tips to help you safeguard your business, employees, and customers. Plus, bring your questions for the live Q&A! Let’s make Alexandria safer together 🤜🤛

STOP THE PRESSES: Alexandria has officially entered its main character era 🌸✨ Cobblestones? Check. Cherry blossoms? Check. Thriving small business and arts scene? Double check. The ultimate plot twist...former resident Al Roker just gave ALX a special shoutout on the TODAY Show! ⬇️ Click Visit Alexandria's post below to view the segment! ⬇️

Happy Women's History Month! ✨ Breaking the mold! Alexandria’s women entrepreneurs are redefining what it means to lead with creativity and passion ❤️ Meet Bhavani Arabandi, the creative force behind Samhara Ceramics🏺 As a woman-owned business, she continues to shape more than just clay—she’s shaping a legacy 🔥 Join us in celebrating her story, her artistry, and the incredible impact of women in the arts! “I got my hands dirty in my first ceramics class. Well... let’s be honest, it was much more. I had clay all over my clothes, shoes, and even some in my hair. I was a mess. I was hooked. Clay is challenging and predictably unpredictable. But taking clay (literally rocks and dust) and turning it into functional art feels like pure magic…and the small slopes, grooves, and imperfections you see in your piece? That’s how you know it’s a hand-crafted original and not a factory-made replica. No two pieces should ever look totally identical. We wouldn’t date someone who looked like they came out of a box. Same thing with ceramics! ” -https://lnkd.in/erHQsNhq 🔗 Click here to explore the beautifully imperfect world of Samhara Ceramics—your shelves will thank you: https://lnkd.in/erHQsNhq 💡 Do you have your business idea waiting to take shape? Click here to learn how AEDP’s Small Business services can help turn your idea into reality: https://lnkd.in/e6jwtBVa #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInBusiness #SupportWomenOwned #AlexandriaVA #ShopLocalAlexandria #SamharaCeramics #CeramicArt #HandmadeWithLove #FunctionalArt #CreativeEntrepreneurs #SmallBusinessSpotlight #MadeWithIntention #BreakTheMold #ClayAndCommunity #AEDPBusinessSupport #WomenInTheArts

Alexandria, let’s kayak and roll! 😄🛶 The Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation broke ground on the city's first fully-accessible public kayak launch earlier this month, according to ALX Now. After being years in the works, the launch is expected to be complete by mid-summer. “It will fulfill a goal of the Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan and offer paddling access in a part of Northern Virginia that the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation classifies as high-need for recreational water access”, according to the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation. Paddlers will be able to explore Four Mile Run and the Potomac River Water Trail from the launch located at Four Mile Run Park 🌊 🔗 Click here for more information from ALX Now: https://bit.ly/4bRsCoM