Posts by Anna Grace
Local Business Digital Survival Guide: Part 1
You could have the best product in Lynchburg, the most skilled team in Central Virginia, and five-star service that would make your grandmother proud. But if potential customers can’t find you online, you might as well be invisible. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most local businesses are losing customers every single day, not because they’re doing…
Read MoreBuilding Bridges: Why Strategic Partnerships Are the Key to a Thriving Lynchburg Community
Greater Lynchburg’s nonprofit community is vibrant and collaborative. Every visit to a local organization reveals partnerships in action—sharing resources, co-hosting workshops, and volunteering at each other’s events. This spirit of cooperation is one of our region’s greatest strengths. Yet, through my role as Business Development Specialist at Freedom First Credit Union and service on multiple…
Read MoreFinding Your Place: My Experience with Young Professionals of Central Virginia
When I first joined Young Professionals of Central Virginia (YPCV), I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Like many of us balancing career growth with community involvement, I wondered if it would just be another networking group where business cards get exchanged but real connections are rare. Instead, what I found was a community that…
Read MoreHow AI is helping Lynchburg Businesses
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately: Lynchburg businesses are caught in a tough spot. You need to compete with bigger markets like Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Richmond, but you can’t lose the personal touch that makes local business work here. AI-powered marketing is changing this equation in a way I didn’t expect. For the first…
Read MoreDrawing Strength: How Archery Silences the Noise of War
In 2015, I came home from Afghanistan carrying memories that never slept: the sights and smells of combat and cowardly suicide bombings; the faces of brothers and a sister who didn’t make it back from that mission. Survivor’s guilt, depression, and constant flashbacks followed me everywhere. Then one afternoon I picked up a bow for…
Read More2025 Economic Outlook Recap
The Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance’s Annual Economic Outlook Breakfast, presented by BWXT, offered members a clear and data-driven look at the year ahead. Keynote speaker Eric Scorsone, Executive Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Virginia, outlined the forces shaping Virginia’s economy and…
Read MoreAEDO Accreditation
The Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance is proud to announce that we have officially earned the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) designation from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This accreditation is held by only 91 organizations worldwide, placing the Lynchburg region among an elite group demonstrating excellence, professionalism, and proven economic development success. Achieving AEDO…
Read MoreOn Purpose: Emerge Women’s Leadership Summit
There’s something powerful that happens when women gather with intention. At this year’s Emerge Women’s Leadership Summit, over 150 women came together to connect, learn, and grow, all centered around one simple but profound theme: on purpose. From the start, the energy in the room was undeniable. Women from every stage of life and career…
Read MoreCultivating Connection
I attended a family wedding recently and it reminded me of how blessed I am to be a member of my family. Being with this group means you will be entertained, listened to, supported, and loved. And on this particular weekend, after a great reception filled with dancing and laughter, many were heard to say,…
Read MoreLunch & Learn with Alicia Childress
As young professionals, we often find ourselves in the hustle and bustle, balancing careers, family, businesses, and personal growth. But one thing that often gets pushed aside is financial strategy. How do we not just work, but make our money work for us? The recent Luncheon & Learn with Alicia Childress hosted by YPCV reminded…
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