UnBoundRVA is a Richmond-based non-profit organization that connects high potential individuals from low-income communities to the resources, training, and the support needed to successfully launch, own, and operate new businesses. We aim to change the way Richmond thinks about impoverished communities by highlighting their most talented leaders, and giving them the opportunity to affect change through entrepreneurship.
While teaching in the inner city after college, UnBoundRVA co-founders Sarah Mullens and Richard Luck saw an incredible amount of talent going underutilized. They noticed that individuals weren’t pursuing the college track or other avenues for a number of reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with ability or work ethic. After their stint with Teach for America was over, Richard and Sarah set out on a mission to develop a process that would help encourage and create successful entrepreneurs, utilizing the untapped talents individuals already possessed. After months of researching, studying, and combining entrepreneurial programs and micro financing models from around the world, they developed UnBoundRVA. In April 2014, the pilot class began workshops with 12 individuals. From there, the team selected the first five entrepreneurs to launch their own small businesses. UnBoundRVA has now completed three classes and launched seven small businesses, with five from Class Three soon to be launched. In addition, the group has a strong volunteer group, amazing community partners, and a staff of five full-time employees working towards the mission of UnBoundRVA. Today, we are a non-profit focusing on empowering individuals from low-income backgrounds through the opportunity to own their own business and transform their lives. We’ve now grown and evolved to bring 20 hopeful entrepreneurs together for the goal of launching five new businesses each year.
