Geoff Orazem launched Federal Foundry in 2016 to help small business owners succeed in the federal market. When his company struggled to grow, Geoff realized he needed a better understanding of his business and target customers.

After consulting with the Virginia SBDC Network, Geoff was advised to enroll in the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP). Participating in ICAP influenced Geoff to make fundamental changes to the way Federal Foundry operates.

“I made assumptions about my customer base that were wrong,” Geoff says. “Fortunately, ICAP was there to point out my mistakes.”

Virginia SBDC-ICAP, part of George Mason University and the Virginia SBDC Network, is a statewide collaborative network that supports tech startups during the critical initial phases of business development. Geoff connected with the Virginia SBDC-ICAP through his friend, ICAP Mentor Gary Grenter, who has extensive experience in production management and has founded four companies.

“Gary’s an excellent coach,” Geoff says. “Everything about ICAP is great, but the most valuable piece for me is customer discovery.”

Before founding his business as a government contractor, Geoff served as a Marine infantry officer. After leaving the Marine Corps, he graduated from Harvard Law School, and worked as a government contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Drawing on that experience, Geoff was well equipped for the ICAP program and compared it to military boot camp: “It’s a process requiring hard work and discipline but with a big payoff. Once ICAP showed me the value of customer discovery, I started doing it — still do it when considering a new capability.”

Since completing ICAP, Geoff has incorporated those customer-centered practices into his business. As a result, Federal Foundry has experienced newfound growth. One of the company’s tools, the FedScout app, currently has 1,300 users and was awarded a major contract of $1.5 million in federal grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Geoff credits Gary and the Virginia SBDC-ICAP program for that success. “Gary has a ton of experience and networks, plus he’s a good sounding board,” Geoff says.

Geoff considers ICAP’s free service a big win. “It’s been a good couple of years for Federal Foundry,” he concludes. “In the past I made business assumptions that were wrong. Thankfully, ICAP was there to help me correct the errors.”

While living in Colorado at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott and Rebecca Ramsey helplessly watched as grocery store shelves became empty.

“In the Rocky Mountains, we were basically at the end of the food chain,” says Scott. “Neither my wife nor I have a horticulture background. We’d never gardened before. We didn’t even know where our food came from. So, it was both scary and kind of a wake-up call.”

As COVID progressed, the couple bought an RV to travel the country, staying at state parks and Harvest Hosts farms and talking with families who had worked the land for generations. Scott and Rebecca started formulating their own plans. In November 2021, they reached out to the Virginia Highlands SBDC and connected with Director Cindy Fields, bringing her an idea for an agritourism business — plus a 10-year roadmap they had already designed.

With the SBDC at their side, Scott and Rebecca purchased property in Abingdon, launched Wyndale Gardens in April 2022, and brought their first produce to market within seven months. Today, their multifaceted endeavor features an aquaponics farm, apiary and agritourism business.

To support their growth, Cindy shared startup resources, including pitch competitions and grant suggestions. Alongside Virginia Tech, she supported Wyndale Gardens throughout the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit, as the aquaponics farm sought to be the first in Virginia to carry the GAP certification. Scott notes, however, that Cindy’s greatest contributions to Wyndale Gardens are the connections she helped them formulate.

“Cindy being that conduit to help us network has been vital.”

Cindy connected Scott to an advisor at George Mason University to assist with technical questions on hydroponics. Through pitch competitions and other events, she plugged them into a local support system for entrepreneurs.

“Just for networking alone and getting connected into the small business community in your area, the SBDC is absolutely vital,” says Scott. “You need it in terms of, ‘Hey, who can I sell to? Who can I partner with?’”

In fact, community partnerships have been key to Wyndale Gardens’ ability to scale up after only a year in business.

The business started with a small subscriber program, but now Scott sells his romaine lettuce to the largest local grocery chain, Food City, and to the farm-to-school program, serving the city of Bristol as well as Washington and Tazewell counties. He’s currently working to form a co-op of farmers so that local schools can access other fresh produce. He’s also in the process of producing a honey beer in cooperation with local brewery, Sweetbay Brewing Co.

Since launching, Wyndale Gardens has tripled production and secured loans for $76,000. Four farmers have signed on for the co-op, and Scott and Rebecca plan to expand their agritourism focus by adding a boutique campground.

Throughout its first year in business, the company has continued to work with the SBDC and prioritize regional partnerships. In fact, Scott recommends the SBDC to all aspiring entrepreneurs wondering if they should take the leap.

“It’s like a support system,” he says. “We just have to wait for our food to grow.”