Mission
To make the journey of entrepreneurship easier to navigate and more straightforward — because when businesses thrive, our whole region moves forward.
Vision
A Greater Richmond where every entrepreneur and business owner can find the support they need to succeed — no matter who they are, where they live, or where they start.
How We Work
The four pillars.
Good Company works at the crossroads of community and economic development, and we serve two audiences. To business owners, we're a friendly guide — helping you find your people, programs, and support. To entrepreneur support organizations, we're the liaison and the backbone of the ecosystem.
Resource Navigation
We create tools to organize and clarify the business support landscape. No buzzwords or gatekeeping, just real hospitality and clear roadmaps.
Convenings
We get everyone together regularly to keep information flowing, encourage collaboration, and foster a collective vision for the ecosystem.
Storytelling
We market the entire support network and aggregate stories from across the regional ecosystem — entrepreneurs, businesses, and creatives — and make sure their voices stay at the heart of our region's ecosystem design.
Solutions Lab
We make the ecosystem work better by empowering entrepreneurs and support providers to identify challenges and co-create solutions.
Leadership
Heather Lyne
Director of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Connecting entrepreneurs and support providers across Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond through regional knowledge, navigation resources, and meaningful relationships.
Our Story
How We Started.
In 2024, seven organizations serving Richmond entrepreneurs made a simple but powerful observation: the support system was fragmented. Entrepreneurs were getting overwhelmed or going it alone. Organizations were duplicating efforts. Success depended too much on luck—knowing the right person, finding the right organization, or having the time to tackle a confusing landscape.
Bridging Virginia, Capital Region SBDC, BLCK Street, Lighthouse Network, Metropolitan Business League, Startup Virginia, and the Women's Business Center of Central Virginia envisioned "a Greater Richmond where every entrepreneur and business owner can find the support they need to succeed — no matter who they are, where they live, or where they start." With support from Altria, Capital One, and the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, the informal "1717 Collective" launched an effort to strengthen the entire ecosystem. Good Company is the answer.
Serving Chesterfield · Hanover · Henrico · Richmond
Watch
A short film from the Community Foundation on the regional ecosystem — who we are, the business owners we serve, and why this work matters for Greater Richmond.