alexandriaecon, Alexandria, VA (2026)

05/29/2026

✨ As AAPI Heritage Month comes to a close, we're reminded that the entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners who help make Alexandria such a vibrant community deserve to be celebrated not just this month, but all year long ✨

Meet Jade Kim Trusso, founder of Nothing in Between Studio, a wellness-focused beauty studio bringing a fresh approach to self-care to ALX 💅🌿

After moving to the U.S. from South Korea in 2014, Jade turned her passion for wellness and healthier beauty standards into a growing business with locations in Falls Church, Tysons, and right here on King Street.

More than a nail salon, Nothing in Between Studio is built around transparency, wellness, and community—offering non-toxic nail care, holistic treatments, and a space where people feel genuinely cared for.

As Jade says...

"Nothing In Between is more than just our name—it's our mantra. Transparency is at the core of everything we do. We believe you shouldn't have to choose between effectiveness and safety, luxury and sustainability."

🔗 Treat yo' self and see what makes Nothing in Between Studio an Old Town fave: https://bit.ly/4x2CuWY

05/29/2026

📣 NEWS: Alexandria Businesses 🤝 Virginia Tech Students = Nationally Recognized Impact

The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and Virginia Tech have been recognized by Business Facilities with a 2026 Economic Development Award for Connecting Tech Talent.

Launched in 2025, the program connects Alexandria businesses with Virginia Tech graduate students for real-world consulting projects, internships, and future hiring opportunities. In its first year, student teams helped local entrepreneurs tackle projects ranging from inventory management and facility planning to financial dashboards, web tools, and AI automations.

The collaboration has already delivered hands-on support for Alexandria businesses, from helping PIES Fitness Yoga & Studio rethink its facility layout to building a financial data dashboard for Old Town Curated to better track business performance.

🔗 Read the Business Facilities award announcement here: https://bit.ly/4u3oKZg

Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing

05/20/2026

AAPI Heritage Month is bringing the flavor, the culture, and the stories—and one Alexandria business owner is serving up all three! 🥢✨

This month, we’re spotlighting Soomin "Mina" Kim, who is turning Annandale’s Koreatown into one of the DMV’s most flavorful hidden gems through her business, Virginialicious—leading immersive food tours packed with Korean cuisine, culture, history, and stories you won’t find on a menu.

What started as a weekend passion project has become a two-year journey connecting Korean-owned businesses and the wider DMV community.

Kim credits AEDP with helping turn her idea into reality after her spouse registered the business as a Christmas gift in 2023!

“As a small business owner, one of the scariest things was simply getting started,” Kim shared. “From the very first paperwork, through consultations, and into daily business management, AEDP has been an invaluable resource.”

Now, through Virginialicious, Kim is not only shedding light on Korean cuisine and culture, but also supporting local restaurants, donating proceeds to food banks, and giving back through Meals on Wheels.

🔗 Go ahead and take a bite! Read her full ALX Now feature: https://bit.ly/42NiwS3

05/14/2026

Mission Accomplished: Sparks were flying this week...🚀

AEDP hosted Network ALX this week, bringing together founders, startups, investors, employers, creatives, and community leaders focused on strengthening Alexandria’s growing business and innovation ecosystem.

The mission? Make meaningful introductions, ignite new partnerships, and create the kind of 'let's go grab coffee' moments that help businesses (and communities) grow.

Throughout the evening, one idea kept orbiting the room: Alexandria’s greatest strength comes from the people 💫

As Kelly Dickerson, LF Partners and QED Senior Advisor, shared during the evening, “the goal is connection—not just familiar connections.” He challenged attendees to build the kinds of partnerships that “unlock opportunities, solve problems, attract investment, launch companies, and shape the future of the economic identity of this great City.”

Attendees also got an early preview of AEDP’s upcoming Alexandria Business Accelerator, launching this summer in partnership with FedTech to support high-growth startups and emerging tech companies. Marian Marquez, Senior Vice President at AEDP, acknowledged the enthusiasm for the upcoming program and encouraged anyone interested to reach out, noting that “it takes a village to run the ecosystem,” while Ellen Erickson of FedTech spoke about helping founders tap into the many “resources in our backyard” across the region.

🔗 Come along for the ride! 🚀 Fill out the Accelerator Interest Form to receive updates on application deadlines, announcements, and upcoming events 👉 https://bit.ly/4do31ES

📘 Special shoutout to Samantha of Right Place Studio for the hand-done gold foil notebook engravings. Here’s hoping the next big idea gets written in one! ✨

05/12/2026

📣 Luxury Senior Living Sees Big Investment in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard

Alexandria’s senior living market continues to see major investment, according to the Washington Business Journal. Chiron Real Estate Inc. announced plans to acquire two luxury senior living communities in Potomac Yard for $249 million as part of a larger $425 million regional deal. The acquisitions include The Landing Alexandria and The Riviera at Alexandria.

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4d72ZCJ

05/11/2026

📣 BREAKING: AEDP Selects FedTech to Launch the City of Alexandria’s New Startup Accelerator

Chosen from a pool of more than 20 applicants, FedTech will develop and operate a high-touch accelerator program supporting up to 15 Alexandria startups in industries shaping the future, including robotics, aerospace, quantum, AI, cybersecurity, energy tech, and defense.

FedTech has operated more than 130 accelerators and innovation programs worldwide, with alumni companies raising more than $5 billion in investment.

This marks a major step forward in building Alexandria’s innovation economy and creating new opportunities for founders right here in our community.

🚀 Applications to open in the coming weeks. Interested founders and entrepreneurs can fill out the accelerator interest form to stay updated on timelines and future announcements 👉 https://bit.ly/4und1WB

🔗 Read more in the Washington Business Journal: https://bit.ly/3Reh8oX

AlexandriaVA.gov

05/08/2026

On the final day of Economic Development Week, we’re looking ahead to Alexandria’s future ➡️

Exactly one year ago, the community came together to shape what economic growth should look like for Alexandria. The result: , the City’s first economic development strategy in more than 15 years and a roadmap for the next five.

As part of the community conversation with over 890 touchpoints, consultant TIP Strategies and the City team developed recommendations under three main goal areas:

✔️ Transformative Place-Based Investment
✔️ Business Retention & Recruitment
✔️ Entrepreneurship & Innovation

And now, those priorities are turning into action.

As part of the FY27 budget adopted by City Council last week, Alexandria is investing more than $1 million into new initiatives designed to advance the goals of ALX Forward and strengthen the local economy.

Highlights include:
⦿ $350,000 to improve the 200 Block of King Street
⦿ $250,000 in lease incentives for arts, entertainment, and innovation uses
⦿ $200,000 for the Alexandria Investment Fund to attract and retain high-growth businesses
⦿ $200,000 for a new innovation lab in Potomac Yard
⦿ $100,000 for expanded outreach efforts and programs that support local businesses and shopping local

Economic development is about more than business growth. It’s an investment in the community—to generate jobs, housing, and tax revenue that fund the services residents rely on every day.

👉 More details on these initiatives are coming soon. Learn more about ALX Forward and the community-driven process behind it at: https://bit.ly/4dxPLyU

🔌 Stay plugged in! Sign up for the AEDP weekly newsletter at: https://bit.ly/4wjKvq6

AlexandriaVA.gov

05/08/2026

What do moms, Alexandria, and Kylie Jenner all have in common?

The answer lies with Lansinoh Laboratories 💜

Headquartered right here in Alexandria, the maternal wellness brand has supported more than 100 million moms worldwide with everything from ni**le cream and wearable breast pumps to baby bottles and more.

In our latest business spotlight, Global CEO Julie Talbot shares what’s next for the heritage brand, why Alexandria has become Lansinoh USA's home base, and how motherhood continues to shape the company’s mission.

🔗 Read the story here: https://bit.ly/4tY1pc1

And to all the moms, grandmothers, caregivers, and mother figures out there...

Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at AEDP 💐

05/07/2026

🏗️From Landmark Mall ➡️ Landmark Healthcare Project 🏥

As we celebrate with , projects like this are a reminder that economic development is about more than buildings. It’s about creating places that serve communities for generations to come.

What once was a vacant mall site is now rising into one of the region’s most ambitious healthcare redevelopment projects.

Last month, AEDP celebrated the topping out of the future Inova Alexandria Hospital campus in the West End.

“The building behind me, the new Inova Alexandria hospital, will reflect the support and elevate the excellence of the people who will serve inside it.” - Dr. Rina Bansal, President of Inova Alexandria Hospital

And behind the scenes? A unique partnership involving the Industrial Development Authority (IDA), which helped make this catalytic redevelopment possible.

🔗 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4tRfl7M…

📧 Have a project in mind that the IDA can help move forward in Alexandria? Email Wynn Hunsaker at AEDP: [email protected]

AlexandriaVA.gov International Economic Development Council

05/06/2026

📣 Happy Economic Development Week!

Led by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), join us in celebrating as we recognize 100 years of impact in the economic development profession 💪

Economic development touches more of daily life than people may realize. It helps build the tax base to support schools, roads, parks, public safety, transit—the services communities rely on every day.

The next time you walk into a new local business or pass a residential building that used to sit vacant as office space, you’re seeing the impact in action 💥

📉 Office vacancy dropped from 21.6% to 18.9%
🏗️ 4.1M+ SF of development approved
💼 4,106 jobs added or retained
🏘️ Obsolete office buildings are being reimagined into housing
🛍️ Local restaurants and independent retailers kept showing up strong

🔗 Want a closer look at the projects, trends, and developments shaping the City? Explore the 2025 Market Report: https://bit.ly/4wjFSfO

AlexandriaVA.gov

alexandriaecon

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

05/20/2026

05/14/2026

05/12/2026

05/11/2026

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category