Woodbridge, Va. ââ The high-tech firm, Vectare, in June outgrew its office space at the Mason Enterprise Center at George Mason University.
The small company gained 10 employees and chose to move out of its incubator space fostered by the center and into their own office. The Enterprise Center calls it âgraduating.â
Vectare was located at a business incubator office in Fairfax, one of several Mason Enterprise Centers in Northern Virginia. Thereâs also one in Woodbridge, and it, like the others, is open for small business owners looking to transition from a home office to a workplace setting.
âGeorge Mason University focuses on education, research, and outreach – to include economic development initiatives in the surrounding communities. The Mason Enterprise Center serves as a significant interface supporting local and community-based entrepreneurship initiatives,â said GMU Associate Vice President for Economic Development Keith B. Segerson.
For a fee anywhere between $49 for a virtual membership and over $1,000 for an actual office, small business owners can utilize conference space, and get professional consulting to help them solidify their business plan, create a marketing strategy, and find all important sources of funding.
âMost clients utilizing the incubator office space are early stage companies with under 20 employees,â said Segerson.
These incubators are not new to the region. The Virginia Business Incubation Association was founded in 2000, and has fostered small businesses across the state. The Mason Enterprise Center in Woodbridge comes after the federal government in March decided they were no longer going to fund a telework center just a few blocks over from the incubator center.Â
Forming partnerships with the community, Mason Enterprise Center also works with area chambers of commerce, government offices and other community organizations to further their goals of business expansion.
In addition to its location in Woodbridge, there is another Mason Enterprise Center in Prince William County outside Manassas.
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OmniRide has announced its service schedule for Monday, January 20, 2025, coinciding with both the Presidential Inauguration and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Riders are encouraged to plan ahead as some services will not be operating.
Service Schedule for January 20, 2025
OmniRide Express: No Service
OmniRide Metro Express: Regular schedules to both Franconia-Springfield and Tysons. Rides will be free.
OmniRide Local & East-West Express: Regular Service
OmniRide Access Paratransit & OmniRide Connect Microtransit: Regular Service
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced significant highway changes and closures to support the Virginia State Police during the upcoming Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump. Drivers traveling from Virginia into Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 20, are urged to plan ahead and use alternate routes as multiple bridges and ramps will be closed. Portable and overhead message signs will provide reminders of the closures.
The closures will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, January 20, and remain in effect until the conclusion of inaugural events. Hereâs what drivers need to know:
Prince William Times â For Heather Payne and her family, paying their annual car tax bill has been difficult. Together, she and her husband owe about $600 a year on two older cars, one of which is a 2014 model.
The Paynes have five children, and theyâve struggled since the pandemic. Payne said her husband was laid off from his job in sales, and she has juggled up to four jobs at a time to pay the bills.
Now, Payne has two jobs but she and her husband are still behind on their car tax payments. In June, she was surprised when her wages were garnished to pay the bill.
The Center Square â Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted a press conference Tuesday with other state leaders and advocacy groups supporting legislation that would only allow biological females to compete on womenâs sports teams in Virginia.
âVirginia will never roll back Title IX under the guise of false equity,â Miyares said. âLet us stand firmly with every girl and woman in Virginia to protect fairness, ensure safety, and uphold the opportunities they have earned.â
Women from the Roanoke College womenâs swim team were also in attendance, as a transgender student temporarily joined their team in 2023. So was Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who became a voice for the Save Womenâs Sport movement after competing against transgender athlete Leah Thomas.Â
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Experience the passion and drama of Pucciniâs âThe Girl from the Golden Westâ.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra, this performance brings Pucciniâs masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
Featuring:
