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Alexandria’s Women In Business Come Together To Talk Economic Growth

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — On May 8, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) hosted its third Women in Business event at Periwinkle Boutique’s courtyard on South Columbus Street.

The three-hour event brought together women influencers in business for networking and a short presentation by AEDP CEO Stephanie Landrum who gave an update on current city projects. Northern Virginia has made national headlines over the last six months after Amazon announced its intentions to open their second headquarters here.

Virginia Tech has also announced its plans to bring its Innovation Campus to Alexandria where it hopes to triple the university’s footprint in Northern Virginia. According to the university, it will include:

  • 300,000 square feet of academic space and cutting-edge research and development facilities.
  • 250,000 square feet of partner space dedicated to startups and corporate facilities.
  • 350,000 square feet of housing space for students and faculty. 
  • 100,000 square feet of retail and support spaces.

The Innovation Campus will be located in the Alexandria portion of National Landing near Potomac Yard, about two miles from Amazon’s new location in Arlington. The Innovation Campus would be an expansion of the university’s Alexandria presence. Its Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, located on Prince Street, is an extension of their college of Architecture and Urban Studies which was founded back in 1980.

The other business development projects women were updated on included Eisenhower East, an urban mixed-use community centered on the Eisenhower Avenue Metro Station. The 2003 plan recently went through an update to reflect market conditions.

“We’re revisiting the mix of uses and the total density and later this summer the Planning Commission and City Council will really take a look at how much density can and should be encouraged in that market. That’s what sets the stage for winning deals like Amazon,” Landrum said. “So, frankly, all of us kind of weighing in and supporting growth in places where there’s infrastructure to support it is very important.”

Women were welcomed by Periwinkle owner Elizabeth Mason and treated to hearty hors d’oeuvres, drinks and the opportunity to shop at the boutique.

About the author

Natasha Zena

Around age eight Natasha Zena was told it was a woman’s job to take care of the home and since then she has built a career out of telling women they can do whatever the hell they want to do. She is the co-founder of Lioness, the go-to news source for everything female entrepreneur. Natasha was recognized as an emerging leader in digital media by The Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists. She has mentored women entrepreneurs and moderated panels at a number of national accelerators, Startup Weekends and conferences such as The Lean Startup Conference, the Massachusetts Conference for Women, Women Empower Expo and Smart Cities Connect. Natasha is also the author of the popular whitepaper, "How To Close The Gender Gap In Startup Land By 2021." In her spare time, she writes short fiction and hangs out with her son, Shaun.

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