By Heather Michon
Correspondent
Dozens of local vendors will gather at Fluvanna County High School on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Fluvanna Women in Business Expo.
Fluvanna Women in Business (WIB) was founded in February 2020 and has not only survived the pandemic, but thrived. WIB president Elyse Wood says they currently have 148 paying members and over 800 Facebook followers.
“It started because of the need,” founder and past president Jan Tatangelo said. “They have people connect and create relationships.”
Despite the name, the group isn’t exclusively female.
“We’re not anti-men,” she said. “We have guys as members, too.”
The group keeps up a full schedule of networking and social events, including coffees at Cuppa Joes and lunches and evening events at area restaurants and wineries.
They also try to hold one major event each year. “Last year, it was a speed networking thing,” said Wood. “It worked out really great.”
This year, it’s the Expo.
“We’ve had great sponsors,” said Tatangelo. “The sponsors have really stepped up.” This includes Fluvanna County, which has also assisted with advertising the event.
Along with 48 vendors – the maximum they could fit in the space allotted – they will hold a silent auction, a raffle, giveaways, and free swag. “We have food trucks, a kids’ zone, and face painting,” Tatangelo added.
“The money that we raise goes back into our community through business grants and scholarships,” she said.
Admission is free, and holding the Expo at the high school assures that it won’t get rained out and that attendees won’t have to worry about parking. Tatangelo and Wood said they hope to draw people from surrounding counties to see what Fluvanna’s businesses have to offer.
For more information on this and other events and business announcements, follow “Your Fluvanna Women in Business” on Facebook.
