• 50%+ sales growth for two consecutive years
• Five new employees added, bringing the team to 26
• Seven new international customers gained since 2024
• Multiple new motor controllers launched for electric and hybrid vehicles
• Formal export compliance program developed with SBDC assistance

After spending ten years in the mental health and social services field, Lichele White saw an opportunity to create something deeply personal and mission-driven. She founded an organization focused on supporting individuals at their present stage and assisting them on their healing journey. What started as a solo therapy practice in 2020 has evolved into Rooted in Recovery Therapeutic Services. This vibrant and esteemed mental health practice now provides individual, group, and family therapy to clients throughout Virginia.

Rooted in Recovery plays a crucial role within a larger circle of care crafted by Lichele White, who leads the nonprofit, A Few Good Roots, and manages the New Roots Treatment Center. Through these intertwined initiatives, a comprehensive continuum of support is offered. This includes counseling services and treatment for substance use, alongside essential community resources. These resources encompass food pantries, clothing closets, and a state-certified sober living home, all designed to support individuals on their journey to recovery.

This all-encompassing, holistic strategy allows her team to address every facet of well-being—mind, body, and environment.

When it was time to grow, Lichele realized she needed assistance in managing the business aspects of expansion. Motivated by her bank’s advice, she contacted the Capital Region Small Business Development Center (SBDC) just sixty days prior to finalizing the purchase of a new building. “I assumed services would be costly and complex,” she remembers. “I was delighted to learn that the support was no cost.”

Through personalized business advising, financial training, and loan preparation assistance, the Capital Region SBDC guided Lichele through the process to secure SBA funding to purchase her first building, turning her vision for growth into reality. With the loan approved and business plan refined, she quickly hired four new staff members and increased her services by 30%.

“Once I followed their process, everything fell into place,” Lichele said. “I realized I should have called the SBDC months earlier.”

Beginning in Virginia and now proudly licensed in Maryland and North Carolina, Lichele White is dedicated to broadening her impact while remaining steadfast in her mission: to guarantee that recovery and compassionate mental health support are available to everyone. Plans are underway to establish additional offices in both North and South Carolina.

Economic Impact:

KTL Restorations began as many great American businesses do, rooted in family, craftsmanship, and shared purpose. More than twenty-five years ago, Kurt Lawrance and his father, Tom Lawrance, spent evenings restoring classic vehicles in Tom’s backyard shop after his retirement from a long career in engineering, welding, and automotive work. That early work reflected more than a hobby. Attention to detail, deep respect for automotive history, and pride in doing things the right way quickly set them apart. Clients noticed. Those seeking more than a quick repair found something rarer: excellence.

Opportunity and vision prompted Tom’s move from Long Island to Danville. A newly purchased property included a five-thousand-square-foot shop that felt expansive compared to anything available in New York. KTL started modestly, incorporating initially to access discounted auto parts. Demand steadily followed. Word spread through enthusiast circles. Vehicles arrived from increasingly distant places. Along the way, the Lawrances unknowingly laid the groundwork for what would become a nationally recognized restoration facility.

Today, KTL Restorations operates as a world-renowned shop with three distinct service lines. Full restorations preserve vehicles exactly as they left the factory, honoring every original detail. Restomods blend classic aesthetics with modern drivetrains, braking systems, suspension, and comfort features. Full customs give clients the opportunity to design one-of-a-kind vehicles built entirely from the ground up. Collectors from across the United States, Canada, and overseas seek out KTL for a reputation built on precision and artistry few shops can rival.

Following Tom’s passing in 2014, Kurt and his wife Crystal stepped fully into leadership as second-generation owners. Their vision carried both ambition and personal meaning. One evening, Crystal asked Kurt where he saw the business in five years. His answer came quickly and confidently. He wanted KTL’s work recognized at SEMA, the world’s most prestigious automotive trade show. That milestone arrived in just three years. Since then, the company has grown from a team of three or four employees into a staff of fifteen, operating out of a thirteen-thousand-square-foot main facility and a nine-thousand-square-foot body shop.

Growth brought clarity that passion alone would not sustain expansion. That realization led the Lawrances to the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and advisor Michael Duncan, who soon became a trusted partner. During his first visit, Michael saw both opportunity and constraint. Continued expansion within the existing footprint no longer made sense. A multi-year advising relationship followed, defined by candid conversations, strategic planning, and decisive action.

Throughout each phase of expansion, Michael worked alongside the Lawrances, evaluating space options, exploring financing strategies, and preparing the business for long-term sustainability. Crystal describes him as both strategist and steady presence, someone who challenged assumptions while grounding decisions in reality. “We might have eventually moved without his guidance,” she said, “but we would not be where we are today.”

GCI, also known as Glenn’s Crane Institute, carries a legacy of mentorship, grit, and deep regard for an industry that quite literally keeps America standing. For more than thirteen years, K.C. Wallace worked as a crane operator, honing his craft under the guidance of a mentor who reshaped his future. That mentor, Robert Glenn, taught him not only how to handle cranes safely and skillfully but how to lead with integrity.

When Robert began planning retirement, he encouraged K.C. to return to the company with the intention of purchasing it. Robert’s unexpected passing halted that transition, yet it also sparked a fresh start. K.C. and his wife, Sarah, built their own training organization from the ground up, developing new curriculum, reconnecting with clients, and fostering a culture driven by professionalism and respect for the load-handling industry.

Today, GCI stands as a nationally accredited training provider, offering certification programs for crane operators, riggers, signal persons, and professionals working across industrial and transmission environments. Their certifications follow workers throughout their careers much like a driver’s license, giving students long-term value and access to higher-paying opportunities. Sarah manages operations as co-owner while K.C. leads instruction as CEO and subject matter expert. Together, they have shaped a company centered on safety, skill, and confidence for hundreds of students each year.

As their business expanded, GCI turned to the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for support. Entrepreneurs in their region spoke highly of the Center, and the Wallaces were connected with advisors Dana Knott and Jacob Dolence, who quickly became trusted partners. With both owners immersed in daily operations, the SBDC offered a neutral sounding board for brainstorming, growth planning, and strategic decisions essential to scaling a technical training company.

The SBDC guided GCI through an important shift in focus, helping refine their direction for 2025 and identifying new opportunities. Dana and Jacob also introduced the Wallaces to financial partners who supported two major SBA loans, enabling the purchase of commercial property and an expanded equipment lineup. Four additional cranes significantly increased training capacity and elevated the professionalism of their in-house programs.

Brilliant Beginnings Learning Center was built on purpose, determination, and a mother’s instinct for what children need to thrive. For owner Kisha, the story began long before she ever imagined herself as an entrepreneur. As a young single mother searching for affordable, dependable childcare, she understood the worry and uncertainty that many parents face. Years later, working inside a local childcare center, she saw another need. Quality childcare was in short supply, and families deserved a place where their children could feel safe, supported, and encouraged to learn and grow.

When the opportunity arose to purchase the childcare center where she once worked, Kisha took a leap of faith. With financial help from her mother, she embraced ownership with a deep belief that she could build a place where children were nurtured and parents felt truly cared for. That leap has since transformed into Brilliant Beginnings, a trusted multi-location childcare program serving infants through school-aged children across Virginia Beach. Families rely on Brilliant Beginnings for everything from early childhood education to extended hours, weekend care, and summer programs.

What began as a modest center now welcomes more than three thousand children every year, a testament to Kisha’s commitment to creating access for working families. She has built a team of dozens of dedicated educators, including several former students who have returned as adults to pour into the next generation. The environment she created blends structure and compassion, offering families stability while giving children a joyful place to learn.

The journey, however, has not been without obstacles. When a devastating flood threatened to close her doors and derail the business she had worked so hard to build, Kisha found herself overwhelmed by insurance questions, cleanup decisions, financial gaps, and operational challenges. She needed guidance, not only to recover but also to rebuild with resilience. That turning point led her to the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

From her first meeting, Kisha felt understood and supported. The SBDC helped her develop a recovery plan, strengthen financial management systems, navigate insurance and funding resources, and prepare for growth. Through one-on-one advising, she refined internal processes, updated operational structure, and mapped out strategies to stabilize and expand her programs. With the SBDC’s guidance, she did more than recover. She grew. Enrollment increased by more than thirty percent, her team expanded, and the centers became stronger than ever.

“The SBDC gave me the tools, confidence, and connections to keep going,” Kisha said. “They supported me through one of the hardest seasons and helped me rebuild in a way that honors every family we serve.”

Economic Impact

Today, Brilliant Beginnings continues to grow as a model of compassionate childcare and community commitment. Kisha remains focused on meeting families where they are, offering flexible care options, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to start strong. Her story is one of resilience and vision, and her impact extends far beyond the walls of her childcare centers. It reaches into the lives of parents who can work with peace of mind, children who feel seen and supported, and a community that benefits from a leader who believes that every beginning should be brilliant.