This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

By Tara Palacios

What do CFO Services Group, Horizon Paramedical, Jamie Nicholas Printing & Graphics, Digital Recollections and Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant have in common?

All 5 businesses were started by members of Arlington’s LGBT community. A recent study by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce found, “…if all LGBT-owned businesses in America are projected, their contribution to the economy exceeds $1.7 trillion.” The impact of entrepreneurs in the rainbow community is priceless.

Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, which began on June 28, 1969. Each year, Pride events are held during the month of June to recognize the millions of moments of LGBT Pride, and the impact they have had on the world, and to understand the path to equality.

2019 is special because it marks the 50th Year Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Events around the world culminating in New York City will celebrate and honor the history of LBGT people and their fight for equality.

In Arlington, we celebrate 50 years of Pride by honoring our local entrepreneurs on June 5 who have had such a great impact on our community. Hear the personal journeys of business owners as they describe how they live their dream of entrepreneurship each day.

Understand the founder’s challenges and celebrate their victories at our final Brunch and Business: BizPride, Celebrating Arlington’s OUTstanding Entrepreneurs.

For more information or to register click here.

Brunch and Business is a quarterly series of hot business topics sponsored by BizLaunch, the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. We hope you attend our final Brunch and Business for the season on June 5.

We look to inspire you into next season! Brunch and Business will return in the fall.

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

With nearly $20 million in recent growth, IT startup DivvyCloud based in the Courthouse neighborhood has announced plans for new tech and personnel growth.

The gist of DivvyCloud is pretty simple: scan for security holes in cloud data systems and close them.

The company recently announced that it had achieved $19 million in funding in a recent growth round, bringing the total capital raised to $29 million.

The press release said the new funding will allow the company to extend the policy enforcement capabilities of the software and allow the software to be more easily integrated into other third-party solutions.

“The added investment allows DivvyCloud to make specific technological advancements to its cloud security and compliance solution,” the company said in a press release, “as well as expand sales and marketing efforts and customer success programs to meet rapidly increasing demand.”

DivvyCloud was founded in 2013 as hybrid cloud concepts were coming to the market. Hybrid clouds are systems where some data would be hosted on a public platform while other data would be on a private cloud only accessible within the company. The hybrid system allows employees to access some company data without going through IT, but also opens the company up to more security holes.

DivvyCloud scans that barrier and helps to close unintended openings to the internal company cloud through the public platform.

It has been a year of growth for the company, which doubled its customer base — including new contracts with Kroger and Pizza Hut — and doubled its staffing over the last year, according to the press release.

This column is written and sponsored by Arlington Arts / Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Experience hands-on making and innovation…

Learn new skills, from papercutting, calligraphy and mask making, to weaving, pottery and more. Not an arts and crafts fair, the Make Your Mark! festival on Saturday, May 18 lets you immerse yourself in a multicultural coming together of artists and makers ready to ignite your creativity.

Working in fields ranging from food to crafts to technology, the emergence of these innovators marks a transformative time in history when creatives… make their mark!

The Maker Movement is a community of millions of people who are taking the entrepreneurial leap to start their own small businesses dedicated to creating and selling self-made products. The movement is a feverishly creative intersection of technology and the arts, bringing together the most advanced computer innovations, with artistic skill as ancient as mankind.

Just in time for #BusinessAppreciationMonth, Make Your Mark! is presented by Arlington Arts, in partnership with Arlington Public Library, The Washington DC Modern Quilt Guild and New District Brewery.

Event Sponsorship is provided by ServiceSource-Arlington Weaves, Etc., Palette 22, Food. Art. Fun. and their Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program.

Modern technology allows the individual to create and distribute unique items, skipping the middlemen like manufacturers. This entrepreneurial mother and daughter are just two examples of the entrepreneurial spirit that will inspire you at Make Your Mark!:

During her 20+ years in corporate America, Tracy Wilkerson raised an entrepreneurial daughter who learned early how to market her own artistic talents. But Tracy’s own creativity didn’t kick in until 2006, when she began making hand-made greeting cards that continue to be sold in retail stores, online and at vendor shows.

In 2008, she expanded to working in 2D and 3D mixed media artwork utilizing anything that might otherwise end up in a landfill, including VCR tape, CD’s, floppy discs and circuit boards.

Meanwhile, her youngster Tamara Wilkerson got a head-start on mom, started to make jewelry in 2003. In 2006, she realized the potential of her hobby, earning enough money to pay her own way on international travel. Through high school and college, she focused on designing and improving the quality of materials to launch a fun small business, also incorporating her love of graphic design, marketing and dance.

Today, her company WiRealm is the result of a natural creator and entrepreneur who creates wearable art while staying true to her style and passion.

Make Your Mark! is fun for your whole family (…including those with four legs).

Join us on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at 3700 South Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22206. Admission is FREE.

For info call 703-228-1850, or visit www.arlingtonarts.org.

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

So many pet owners have been there…

You’re sitting in your living room watching TV while snuggling with your best bud, when all the sudden you hear a startling noise. You both jump with fright, but soon realize it was just a car backfiring outside. The next thing you know, you’re overwhelmed by what smells like a garbage full of raw fish or a pair of old unwashed gym socks.

You look to your right and see your furry pal — back arched, hackles up and a guilty look on his face. What is that?! That, my friend, is the smell of anal gland secretions. (Flip to the next photo in the gallery below to see where they come from.)

Most mammals have anal glands, which secrete a scented material for varying purposes. Skunks use them to create their characteristic stench as a weapon against their predators. Opossums use them to add a scent factor to the illusion of “playing dead.”

Dogs and cats use them as a means of marking their territory and identifying each other with their own unique “perfume.” This is why most introductions between dogs start with a good sniff of the derriere.

Dogs and cats have anal sacs, little pockets that store this foul-smelling sebaceous secretion from the anal glands. The anal sacs are located just inside the anus at the 4 and 8 o’clock position and are about the size of a pea to a small marble, depending on the size of your pet.

The material in the glands is watery, beige to brown-tinged and it is meant to express naturally on a regular basis during normal defecation. Sometimes, it can also be excreted unintentionally when your pet tenses when startled.

Many pets don’t need any help expressing their anal sacs if nature is doing its job. There are several factors, however, that might impede this natural process. With all the anatomic variation among breeds of dogs and cats, some may have slightly unusual hind end anatomy.

Also, stools must be regular, formed and large enough to facilitate expression. Pets with chronic soft stools may have a harder time expressing their anal sacs naturally. Lastly, sometimes the sacs become inflamed and abnormal due to an underlying allergy.

If the anal sacs aren’t able to express, they can become impacted or infected, and this will require treatment by your veterinarian.

Symptoms to watch for that would indicate your pet is having an anal sac problem include excessive licking around the rear, brown staining of the fur around the rear, red and irritated skin around the rear, a swelling or discharge around the rear, a very continuous foul smell from the rear, or the dreaded obsessive butt-scooting (always seems to be when you have company over, too).

Unfortunately, the occasional slip when a car backfires outside your window is actually normal and one of those things we have to endure as the price for our pal’s unconditional love.

This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

By Tara Palacios

Calling all Arlington, Virginia business owners!

Is your business stuck, and not growing year-to-year? Are you looking for new tools to take your business to the next level? At BizLaunch, we have discovered the secret way to grow your business in 2019 — Scaling4Growth.

BizLaunch, and the Virginia’s Department of Small Business Supplier Diversity division are pleased to announce a free opportunity for Virginia-based businesses to Scale4Growth.

In partnership with Interise and using their StreetWise ‘MBA’, business owners who are selected for this 6-month business co-hort will increase their network, further their business knowledge and enhance their management know-how to grow their established business.

In 2017, 70% of Interise businesses who completed the Streetwise MBA increased their annual revenue by an average of $399,600.

If you are interested in applying for this innovative program, class begins May 23, and will meet every other Thursday through November from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arlington Economic Development, 1100 N. Glebe Road, 15th Floor, Arlington, Virginia.

According to Tracey G. Wiley, Agency Director of Virginia’s Small Business Supplier Diversity, “Executive education is the key differentiator for businesses experiencing exponential growth… This is the Commonwealth’s investment in partnering to grow small businesses through development opportunities.” All businesses selected for the program will attend with no fees.

Basic requirements for the program include the following:

• Certified by Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity as a Small, Women or Minority-Owned (SWaM) business (Note: If your business is currently not SWaM certified the SBSD will work with you to receive this certification ahead of class)
• $250,000-$10,000,000 in annual revenues
• One other full-time employee besides the owner(s)
• Been in business for at least 3 years
• Willingness and ability to attend class for 6 months, complete mandatory assignments and complete program survey’s as requested.

Testimonials from recent alumni of Virginia’s Scaling4Growth can be found here. This is the first time Scaling4Growth is held outside of Richmond, Virginia.

If you are ready to apply today click here!

It is a simple process, and will be a rewarding opportunity for all local businesses interested in taking their firms to the next level. If you have additional questions please contact Kathy Dolan, with Virginia’s SBSD at 804-786-1087.

This column is written and sponsored by Arlington Arts / Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Few commuters would consider their morning rush to the office to be an artistic experience.

But thanks to the nine year-old Art on the ART Bus program — a partnership between Arlington Arts and Arlington Transit — instead of the ads for soap, salsa and soda that usually are installed in the overhead frames, thousands of Arlington commuters regularly experience original artwork as they head to their jobs.

The latest installation is Immigration/Assimilation, a series of collages by photographer Gail Rebhan. Currently installed on a specially-outfitted Arlington Transit (ART) bus that is scheduled randomly on routes which take it to different parts of the county each day through the Summer of 2020.

However, replicas of the panels are now on display in the lobby of the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center (2100 Clarendon Boulevard) through the Summer of 2019.

“Except for Native Americans, this country is made up of immigrants,” Rebhan said of the exhibit in a recent article in The Washington Post. “I really liked the idea of doing this as a public art piece and to foster empathy and understanding.”

The stories are varied and fascinating: from a Dominican who went from being a health club laundress to a Business Systems Analyst; to a family journey from indentured servitude in London, to plantation owners, to sharecropping, to real estate wealth.

Artist Gail Rebhan has fashioned these remarkable stories and artifacts from six Arlington residents and digitally assembled into thirteen panels that will be displayed inside the bus. The artist’s goal with this project is to convey a message of tolerance and to promote understanding.

The subjects for the project were identified with assistance from the Arlington County Department of Human Services.

Currently, there are two specially outfitted Art on the ART Bus vehicles in circulation, each scheduled randomly each day, bringing art to a different route through Arlington. The exhibit in the Bozman Center (2100 Clarendon Blvd) is free, and open during lobby hours.

For more information about the Art on the ART Bus program, click here.

Photos via Gail Rehban

This regularly-scheduled sponsored column is written by the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy team (AIRE). This county program helps you make smart energy decisions that save you money and leaves a lighter footprint on the environment.

This week we are highlighting an upcoming event sponsored by EcoAction Arlington, Coalition for Smarter Growth and Encore Learning.

On April 9 from 7-9:00 p.m., former Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette will present Al Gore’s compelling slide deck on the climate crisis. Mr. Fisette will then facilitate a panel featuring:

• Demetra McBride, Bureau Chief, Arlington County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management
• Timothy DelSole, George Mason University Professor and co-Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate
• Paul Bledsoe, Progressive Policy Institute and national media contributor on climate policy and politics
• Scott Sklar, President of the Stella Group and an expert on clean energy technologies.

The panel will cover the challenges we face, progress made and the path forward. What is Arlington doing to respond to climate change? What is the Green New Deal? And what is the status of batteries and EVs?

This event is free and open to all, but space is limited. Register here.

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic and winner of a 2017 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

Chances are that, in addition to chasing squirrels and keeping watch over the Amazon package delivery man, one of your dog’s favorite pastimes is chewing.

Bones, rawhides, sticks, your most expensive pair of shoes… you name it — your dog can demolish it in a matter of seconds. While chewing is a natural behavior for dogs and a great way to keep them occupied, it is important to remember that their teeth are not indestructible.

Many chewing materials are hard enough to break or wear your dog’s teeth or damage your dog’s gums, putting them at risk of oral pain and infection.

Keep in mind that even if a chew is sold at your local pet store, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe. There are plenty of products on the market that have less give than your furry friend’s fragile teeth. Antlers, natural bones and nylon or plastic toys without any flexibility can all cause a tooth to break.

If you would be concerned about breaking your own tooth while chomping on the toy or chew, then you should be equally as concerned about your dog’s teeth. A general rule of thumb to use when selecting an appropriate chew for your pet is to try to bend it with your own hands to see if it has any flexibility and indent it with your thumb. If the chew is too hard to do this, then it is too hard for your dog’s teeth.

In addition to fracturing teeth, some chewing materials can cause significant dental wear as well, which can also eventually lead to pain or infection if the wear extends far enough into the tooth.

The surface of a tennis ball can act like sand paper and wear down teeth over time, especially when it accumulates dirt and sand. Devoted retrievers are more prone to dental wear from the friction of a tennis ball or a Frisbee rubbing against their teeth over time.

If you aren’t sure about the safety of a product, ask your veterinarian before giving it to your pet. You can also access helpful information and approved products from the Veterinary Oral Health Council and the American Veterinary Dental College’s websites.

We suggest a Classic Kong toy appropriate for your dog’s size and age. We recommend spreading a little bit of peanut butter or canned pumpkin on the inside to keep your dog occupied.

Approved rawhide chews are safe only when used under your direct supervision. Your dog should chew the rawhide slowly and soften it as he chews, and you should remove the chew when there is only a small piece remaining to prevent choking or gastrointestinal disease. Happy chewing!

This article was written by Alex Taylor, Senior Business Development Manager for Arlington Economic Development.

For the third consecutive year, Arlington County was ranked the #1 Digital County in the United States.

But what does this really mean? What is a digital county and why should Arlington residents and businesses care about residing in one? Well, you may know that the internet (ARPANET), GPS, Siri and other high-profile technological advancements were pioneered right here in Arlington, thanks to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency calling the County home for decades (see that historical placard in Rosslyn re: the creation of the internet? DARPA now calls Ballston home).

But it isn’t the many innovations that have been envisioned within the boundaries of the County that has led to this distinguished title, it is County government’s efforts to tap these technologies to positively impact the efficiencies and effectiveness of government programs.

Last July, The Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties recognized Arlington for its best technology practices in areas of open government, transparency, public engagement, planning, cybersecurity and operations.

Here are just a few examples:

In 2010, Arlington County partnered with the District of Columbia to pilot a bikeshare system across jurisdictions. Today, Capital Bikeshare is the largest bike sharing program in the United States. But bikes aren’t digital, are they? Well, the infrastructure that allows for them to join the sharing economy is, and Arlington was and continues to be a pioneer in transit advancements (hello, scooters and transit screens).

The ConnectArlington dark fiber network that the County has rolled out over the last few years connects all schools, County facilities, traffic signals and emergency management offices on one closed circuit system.

What many don’t realize is that as the technology becomes commercialized over the next five or so years, this system provides the infrastructure necessary to allow citizens to text pictures and videos to 911, which will then be routed by dispatchers to police officers, firefighters and paramedics arriving at the scene of an incident.

Live streaming video from over 200 CCTV cameras in the County, which are located at most signalized intersections and major roadways, according to Director of Transportation Dennis Leach. Those cameras can be easily accessed by emergency response personnel, allowing for quicker and more efficient response.

Arlington also has the ability to remotely manage its traffic signals to mitigate the travel impacts of accidents and maintain the flow of traffic around emergency and special events. The ConnectArlington system gets resources to where they need to be quicker and more effectively, and this will only improve as next generation 911 applications become commercially available in the coming years.

When the news broke that Amazon had chosen Arlington as the home for its HQ2, the County was quick to reach out to the community with a series of digital engagements across web and social media platforms. This quick reaction informed and engaged the public in a forum that could be the most impactful and responsive.

And just last month, the County rolled out Arlington Wallet, a new online financial transparency tool. The resource allows anyone to access data to better understand the County’s financial information and is just one of the many ways Arlington County is sharing data with the community.

So yes, Arlington County is very digital. It might not be in ways that most people would identify or that would make splashy headlines, but your government is taking aggressive steps to enhance its ability to connect to, and share resources with, its citizens; and it has certainly been recognized.

It also makes it very easy for economic development staff to promote the County at a national level. Companies want to locate where innovation is the backbone of a community. That is very much the case in Arlington, whether it is local government services or world-changing federal government innovations (or Amazon).

In December, Arlington County was featured on the CES 2019 Tech Talk Podcast Series. In the podcast, Arlington Economic Development Director, Victor Hoskins, Director of Transportation, Dennis Leach, and Director of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management, Aaron Miller, break down what it means to be a digital community.

It is an interesting listen, and they cover everything from emergency response to the future of transportation, or “people moving” as Leach puts it. Have a listen to learn more!

Rendering by JBG Smith

This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

It’s that magical time of year, where flashes of not-miserably-cold weather fool a percentage of us in the area into thinking spring is here, and that we won’t get tagged by one more winter outburst.

As we dare to venture from our hovels and spend time with — hold on, what was that word? Ah, yes — “people” again, the occasion might call for something not quite packed to the gills with hop material.

With that in mind, here are some recent arrivals I’ve been recommending for those looking for tasty, non-IPA/hop-driven options — with one partial exception (you’ll see).

Rocket Frog Wallops Island (5.3% ABV)

Wallops Island, from Sterling’s Rocket Frog Brewing, checks a few boxes for me. It fills a need I’ve had here at Arrowine for a classic American Brown Ale, for one. It’s also is a great example of the style, with loads of caramel, chocolate and coffee malt flavors but dry, as it should be.

It picked up a Bronze medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival, to boot. Not bad for a beer from a brewery in its first months of operation.

Von Trapp Helles (4.9% ABV); Pilsner (5.4% ABV)

Vermont’s Von Trapp Brewing (yes, those Von Trapps) has been available in Virginia for a little while now, specializing in Lagers that are both well priced and readily available. The Bohemian-style Pilsner and German-style Helles are both done in the classic style: the Pils has a crisp feel with pleasing floral/peppery aromas from its hops — but not IPA-level hoppy by any means.

The Helles adds light, bready malt notes to grassy, clean Noble hop flavors. Bonus: both are now available in cans!

Photo via Von Trapp Brewing Company

Väsen Savvon (9.2% ABV)

So this’ll be the outlier on the list; nearly twice as strong as the rest and with a notable dry-hop addition, but too cool not to mention. Richmond’s Väsen Brewing Company combines a number of influences, from Belgian Farmhouse beers to American IPAs, with ingredients mixing and matching as much as styles.

Savvon, the first beer of theirs to hit Northern Virginia in package, is a great example: a Brettanomyces-fermented, bottle conditioned Farmhouse Ale dry-hopped with a pair of Southern Hemisphere hops — Galaxy and Enigma — typically found in Hazy IPAs. Tropical hop flavors and aromas play well with the funky, fruity Brett character.

Green Man ESB (5.5% ABV)

An easy way to win my heart, as a brewery, is to produce a solid version of just about any British beer style. Asheville’s Green Man Brewing does just that with their ESB, with it’s crackery/bready/fruity malt character and traditional level of hoppiness.

Since I first got to try this about 8-9 years ago, I’ve wanted this beer in Virginia. Finally, it’s here and it’s not leaving Arrowine’s stock if I can help it.

Let me know in the comments if you’re looking for something new and I’ll try my best to make a suggestion that works.

Until next time.

Title insurance is boring, but Allied Title & Escrow is here to decode the jargon and make it (somewhat) more interesting. This biweekly feature will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Boring Title!

This week, Allied Title & Escrow’s CEO, Latane Meade, sits down with CEO of Congressional Capital, Brian Athey.

Brian talks about how Congressional Capital is different than other hard money lenders, why you would use a hard money lender instead of a conventional bank, gives a market update and more.

Have questions related to title insurance? Email Latane and Matt at [email protected]. Want to use Allied Title & Escrow when you buy a home? Tell your agent when you buy a house to write in Allied Title & Escrow as your settlement company!