About us
RVA Works connects, inspires, educates, and empowers entrepreneurs!
RVA Works holds public events, provides cohort-based business acceleration. Through our Open Trellis technology emerging entrepreneurs attend educational events, receive business advice, credit counseling, and referrals to lenders.
RVA Works is also a promotional partner for 1 Million Cups events, a national program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that is designed to help entrepreneurs identify opportunities and overcome challenges.
In Richmond, Virginia the Robins Entrepreneur Series (formerly 1 Million Cups) is hosted by the Robins School of Business, University of Richmond, and pro bono events are offered on a hybrid basis to benefit those outside of our region.
RVA Works Enterprise Support is an independent Virginia public charity that supports this series and other free, public events through promotional support. Open Trellis, Inc is a technology firm that supports entrepreneurs through education, mentorship, and financial serices.
Speakers include entrepreneurs and those creating systems that support them. These entrepreneurs share their individual stories and motivation, their business model, and their growth strategy. Plus, attendees work to find ways that we can help the speaker.
Entrepreneurship provides society a way to change the economy and cultivate social impact through inclusion. The entrepreneurs who participate in our programming span industry sector, experience and education level, age groups, and ethnicity.
Join us, and learn more...
Upcoming events
2
Pre-Launch with NASA Technology Transfer
·HybridRobins School of Business, Univ. of Richmond, 1 Gateway Road, Rm 224, Richmond, VA, USJoin the Discussion on NASA Technology Transfer
NASA Technology Transfer is a program that licenses inventions, software, and innovations developed for space exploration to private industry, startups, and universities. It maximizes the public benefit of taxpayer-funded research, fostering economic growth through spinoff technologies in fields like medical devices, manufacturing, and consumer products. https://technology.nasa.gov/
Key aspects of the NASA Technology Transfer program include:
- Licensing & Software: NASA patents and over 900 software packages are available for commercial, academic, or personal use, often through low-cost or no-upfront-cost startup licenses.
- Technology Transfer University (T2U): Connects NASA’s portfolio with universities to provide students access to cutting-edge technology.
- Spinoffs: Annual publication highlighting technologies, such as improved cameras, materials, or medical tools, that have transitioned from space to terrestrial applications.
- Evaluation Licenses: Allows companies to "test drive" technology for 12 months with minimal commitment to assess commercial viability.
Katrina Young is a Technology Transfer Specialist at NASA's Langley Applied Research Center (LARC), where she has served for decades. Her current efforts are focused on assisting entrepreneurs interested in licensing NASA patents and software assets.
The Discussion. This series of hybrid events is perfect for budding entrepreneurs, experienced executive mentors cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, early-stage investors, and students exploring innovative product design.
At this session, business founders will benefit from the guest speaker's insight regarding NASA technology and licensing opportunities.
- Friday, February 20, 2026
- 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST
No pre-registration is required. Join us:
Robins School of Business102 UR Drive, iLab Room 123
University of Richmond, VA 23173Parking. Free parking is available in the U5 and U6 lots immediately adjacent to the Robins School. Please enter the main foyer, turn to the left and proceed to room 123 (EY Innovation Lab) on the ground floor.
Please note that visitors have a two-hour parking window.
Please sign in when you enter the room, providing your license plate number.
On Zoom Webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89608419334?pwd=am0F9r85xPfh7aBaxtdUDILYsvNAwJ.12 attendees
Past events
471
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