Two Virginia Beach Business Start-ups Selected for the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Program

​Virginia Beach Economic Development, in collaboration with 1701 coworking, has selected the next two participants for the EIR program: Stasis Performance and ViBe Repair.

Stasis Performance is a human performance platform specializing in breathwork, exposure training, and stress management. Stasis is not only a small Virginia Beach business but also a veteran-owned and run business. They offer a virtual program that is designed for military, first responders, medical professionals on the front line of the pandemic, and law enforcement.

“We are very excited to be accepted into the program and working closely with the mentors. I also hope that we can give back to the program and the community during this time,” said Josh Duntz, co-founder of Stasis.

ViBe Repair is a veteran-owned electronics repair company established in the ViBe Creative District. They work on all types of repairs from laptops to gaming devices and are able to make repairs quickly and locally, reducing downtime for their clients. ViBe Repair is supporting the community during the pandemic by offering free repairs for health care workers and first responders. Founder Mark Bright wants to continue to support the local economy by training homeless and jobless vets to join his team.

“I’m excited to be part of the next EIR cohort. This is an invaluable opportunity to gain direct access to experienced business owners like Lisa & Jeff. I hope to learn from them strategic lessons that make a small business successful to apply to my own endeavors. Specifically, it’s my hope that they’ll teach me how to succeed in entrepreneurship more than self-employment,” said Bright, founder of ViBe Repair.

The three-month-long program offers a unique way for entrepreneurs to learn and grow. “This program focuses on mentoring and educational assistance and provides networking opportunities with fellow members that are difficult for people to cultivate on their own,” said Ray White, Virginia Beach Economic Development.

“Feedback from previous cohorts of the EIR program was positive. The participants felt particularly appreciative of the assistance they received related to technology, hiring, and strategic planning,” Lisa DeNoia, 1701 co-founder, explained. “We’re very excited to kick off the next quarter with our new entrepreneurs-in-residence and look forward to helping them grow their businesses in Virginia Beach.”

The Department of Economic Development and 1701 will also reach out to the startups not selected for the program to connect them with community resources. 1701 will offer a free week of residence as well.

A total of eight participants will be selected throughout 2020 to participate in the program. Selectees will be chosen every three months. The next session starts this fall, and the deadline to apply to be considered is Aug. 14, 2020. For additional information, visit 1701VB.com/eir.