Successful Entrepreneurs in Lynchburg, VA: Where Are They Now?
Entrepreneurs are thriving in Lynchburg, VA, and you could be the next person to find success here. This city has all the right resources in place to help you take your business from ideation to market. The CO.STARTERS program, for example, has been helping entrepreneurs since 2016. Over 10 weeks, the cohort-based course gives participants the tools, resources and confidence needed to move their ideas forward, all while connecting them with peers, mentors and community experts. Ahead, meet two entrepreneurs who participated in CO.STARTERS and are now shaping their industries and community in Lynchburg, VA.
Lindsey Cline
Shrader Stone
Lindsey Cline and her husband, Corey Shrader, own Shrader Stone LLC. Together, they design outdoor spaces that, in Lindsey’s words, “pair artisan stone masonry with ecological landscape design.”
Corey started the business in 2008, and Lindsey joined him full time in 2017 after five years of helping with clients, layouts and marketing. Like many small-business owners, the couple faced a steep learning curve.
Lindsey Cline and her husband, Corey Shrader
“While we studied in our fields of interest, we did not have formal business training,” Lindsey says. “Everything from licenses and taxes to contracts and sales, we had to teach ourselves all of it.”
By 2018, demand for their work was growing faster than their systems could handle. Looking for support, Lindsey connected with Anna Bentson with the City of Lynchburg, who pointed her toward CO.STARTERS. The Lynchburg, VA, program for entrepreneurs proved invaluable.
“CO.STARTERS gave us a framework for thinking about our business in a more intentional way,” says Lindsey, who especially valued the sessions led by community experts. “They had a CPA visit the group, which was helpful for us to think about budgets and planning. We have a seasonal business, and that visit helped us think about planning for the year.”
Perhaps just as important was the cohort itself. Talking through challenges helped Lindsey find language to better communicate what Shrader Stone provides.
“We had a clear picture of our values and how we approached our projects,” she says, “but we needed help in how to express that to a broader audience.”
Lindsey encourages other entrepreneurs in Lynchburg, VA, to consider CO.STARTERS.
“It gives you both structure and community,” she says. “Running your own business can feel a little isolating and lonely. I think just being able to talk to other people is very helpful.”
Lindsey says Lynchburg has been the right place for the couple’s work and lifestyle.
“We love the outdoors, and I think Lynchburg does a beautiful job of having a lot of parks and taking good care of them,” she says.
Best of all, Lindsey says, Lynchburg “is big enough to support creative ideas but small enough that your business can truly make an impact.”
Amy Corbett
All Belong Co
Amy Corbett and her husband, Marc, own All Belong Co, a collective of more than 45 short-term and vacation rentals. Some are traditional homes and apartments, while others are more unique, including a newly finished silo house called Silo on the James and a train caboose called James Station. The luxury grain bin silo overlooks the beautiful James River and is in walking distance of downtown Lynchburg, as is the renovated train caboose, which is also near miles of nature trails.
Amy began renting out her basement apartment in 2017. The demand to help others create and manage their own short-term rentals continued to grow, and by 2019, she and Marc launched All Belong Co full time. The name reflects their family’s story.
Amy Corbett
“My children are both adopted,” Amy says. “My daughter has alopecia, and my son is Black. We have always been a family that isn’t typical. Part of calling ourselves All Belong Co is that we love to create spaces where truly everyone can belong.”
Like many entrepreneurs, Amy faced challenges with rapid growth and balancing risk in Lynchburg, VA.
“Sometimes, I had to take a healthy risk. I didn’t necessarily think I had the money, but I couldn’t do this alone,” she says.
A turning point came in 2019 when she joined Lynchburg’s CO.STARTERS program, which she discovered through Facebook.
“I loved CO.STARTERS,” Amy says. “Being in a community with other like-minded people allowed me to dream big. It gave me a space as a business owner to back up and think critically about the business.”
Weekly sessions with guest speakers and exercises on topics like identifying customers proved invaluable, but just as important was the sense of connection she found with other Lynchburg, VA, entrepreneurs.
“You can’t do it all on your own,” Amy says. “As a business owner, CO.STARTERS provides you with the education and community piece that you need.”
For Amy, Lynchburg, VA, is the right place for entrepreneurs to grow a business. She sees the city as the perfect combination of big-city advantages and small-town charm.
“Sometimes, Lynchburg can get overlooked,” she says. “You can maybe call us an underdog in Virginia. If you have a competitive spirit and really want to make a difference and see your impact, this is a great place to do it.”
This article is sponsored by the City of Lynchburg offices of Economic Development & Tourism and Communications & Public Engagement.