01/18/2021
Last week the first Issue of 💌 Startup Goodness dropped! Here’s a snapshot of what was in it:
Good News
A snapshot of the most important stories in the local startup and creative small business community
The big story:
The Fascination launched. Led by Leesa sleep cofounders and serial entrepreneurs David Wolfe and Matt Hayes, The Fascination is a shopping portal where you can shop all the best D2C companies in one place. It’s based in VB and quietly launched the week of Christmas.
The breakdown:
Anti-amazon alliances are forming since while the megastore is convenient, its interface has limited abilities for curation and shopping does not foster a sense of discovery, a la Etsy or TJMaxx.
Savvy consumers want an enjoyable experience with ethics, not a phrase that usually comes to mind with the controversy and counterfeit-laden ecommerce giant.
The Fascination bridges that gap, acting like a virtual department store + expert recommender for all the best, trendiest brands that ship to your door.
The site features virtual storefronts for over 100 companies in 7 different categories, including D2C innovators like Allbirds, Billie, and S’well and newer insta-famous brands like Parade, Our Place, and Jiggy Puzzles.
Each storefront has the company’s origin story, brand purpose, soul, and vision plus a handful of their top products.
You can shop by category or grouping (like all female led). All purchases have to be made on the vendors site, not The Fascination, which makes its money off a commission model.
With a website built by Red Antler designers on Shopify and the legendary D2C guru Nik Sharma as advisor, everything about The Fascination looks like the “next big thing”. It’s the dream resource for the modern conscious consumer.
In other news...
Sqwire acquired more financial wellness to bolster its growth. The Norfolk-based startup, founded in 2019, works with companies that provide financial wellness programming as part of their employee benefits. Sqwire recently acquired Wealthology for an undisclosed sum and its CEO Casey Halliley joins Sqwire as VP of financial education.
Newport News gets some more brews. Coastal Fermentory, a new craft brewery owned by Seth Caddell, David Lamb and Brandon Samuel, recently opened at 206 23rd St. in Newport News.
757 Startup Studios applications are open. The innovation hub will be located inside of Assembly, Grow’s stunning and ambitious coworking + innovation space in Downtown Norfolk. Accepted applicants will be up close and personal to 757Angels (also located in Assembly) with free rent for 6 months.
With Good Cheer:
W/P/A Architects closed out 2020 by adding 7 new employee-owners. One of the most prolific and easily the most community-centric architecture firm in Hampton Roads, you’ve probably seen them as one of the engineers of OpenNorfolk and Boush Street’s new bike lanes and free parking. One of their founding goals was to be a 100% financially transparent business and they finished a wild year by coming one huge step closer to that goal. Congratulations!
Where you’ve seen their work: Assembly, COVA, the Chrysler Museum of Art.
💌 There was a heck of a lot more in Issue. #1, so please subscribe to get more goodness in February!
💌 A newsletter about the intersection of new business and branding for Hampton Roads hustlers. Love it but haven’t subscribed yet? Sign up for all that Goodness here.
