Five DC businesses selected for Seed to Storefront Ward 8 Pilot will receive storefront space, capital and hands-on support through a new model designed to build long-term wealth
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF), D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Building Bridges Across the River (Building Bridges) and Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), announced that four small businesses including a bookstore, grocer, boxing studio and restaurant collaboration were selected to participate in the Seed to Storefront Pilot, a 12-month, multi-sector collaboration designed to support small businesses and build intergenerational wealth in underinvested communities East of the Anacostia River. The Seed to Storefront Pilot is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation with a grant of $500,000 to create a holistic support system that helps entrepreneurs grow, secure space, and build long-term stability. Selected entrepreneurs will receive free technical assistance, pro bono legal support, financial capital, and reduced-rent retail space at the Anacostia Arts Center and the Edmonson at Barry Farm. These are structured as retail incubation partnerships rather than traditional leases, pairing space with sustained coaching and technical assistance, cohort-based learning, and long-term investment in each business’s growth.
The selected businesses were chosen through a competitive application process that prioritized entrepreneurs rooted in and committed to the Anacostia community. Together, the four partner organizations remain committed to ensuring that as investment in Ward 8 grows, East of the River residents and businesses who have long called these neighborhoods home share directly in that growth.
The Selected Businesses Are:
The Selected Businesses Are:
Pages and Volumes (Bookstore) – Anacostia Arts Center
Pages and Volumes is opening a full-service bookstore in Anacostia, designed as a gathering space as much as a place to browse, with author signings, book clubs, and creative workshops for readers of all ages.
Dreaming Out Loud (Nonprofit Grocer) – The Edmonson at Barry Farm
Founded in 2008 by Chris Bradshaw, Dreaming Out Loud has spent over a decade building community-based food systems East of the River, from farms and food business incubation to its recent launch of the Marion Barry Avenue Market and Cafe — a full-service grocery store addressing one of Ward 8’s most persistent food deserts.
Major Boxing (Boxing Studio) – The Edmonson at Barry Farm
Major Boxing is a premium, culture-driven boxing club co-founded with professional boxer Jalil Hackett, bringing the authenticity of a real boxing gym into a modern club environment through training, performance, recovery, community, and content.
Eatopian Eats and Dionne’s Good Food (Restaurant Collaboration) – The Edmonson at Barry Farm
Eatopian Eats and Dionne’s Good Food, two Black women led businesses, will bring their concepts together under one roof. Founded by chef Chekesha Rashad, a fifth-generation Washingtonian, Eatopian Eats offers plant-based, sustainability-focused fare. Dionne’s is a family-owned kitchen founded by Dionne in partnership with her nephew, Andre “Dre.” Proud fourth-generation DC natives, they serve soulful DC classics with a signature twist, including their award-winning crab fries and fried chicken. Dionne’s is rooted in family, culture, community, and the rich flavors of Washington, DC. Together, the two will create a joint dining destination East of the River that blends healthy, plant-forward options with soulful comfort food.
“Small businesses are powerful drivers of economic growth. When entrepreneurs have access to capital, space and resources, they can grow their businesses, create jobs and help communities thrive,” said Victor Burrola, Executive Director, Senior Lead Community Impact & Sustainability Specialist, Wells Fargo. “Through this collaboration, we’re helping Ward 8 business owners build lasting roots, expand opportunity and strengthen long-term prosperity East of the River.”
“For WACIF, this partnership builds on the work we’ve been doing for almost 40 years. Our team will be working directly with these four entrepreneurs over the next year, providing the same hands-on technical assistance that consistently makes the difference in whether a small business succeeds long after opening day. We’re building relationships with these retailers, not just providing resources, but giving them a partner on this journey” shared WACIF CEO Shannan Herbert.
“East of the River communities deserve a thriving business environment, and this collaboration is a testament to our commitment to achieve that end. Entrepreneurs face a number of barriers to succeedand this multi-prong approach will provide support to these businesses from start to finish”, said Anna McCorvey, Senior Equitable Development Manager at the 11th Street Bridge Park, a project of Building Bridges Across the River.
“We envisioned The Edmonson as more than a place to live, it is an opportunity to create a vibrant community where residents and local businesses can grow together,” said Maia Shanklin-Roberts, Vice President of Real Estate Development at POAH. “We’re excited to welcome these entrepreneurs and see them become an important part of the next chapter of Barry Farm.”
“We look forward to extending our system of legal support services to businesses at The Edmonson,” said Jason Qu, Director of Nonprofit and Small Business Legal Assistance Programs and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. “By providing training, on-demand resources, and direct access to volunteer attorneys, the Pro Bono Center is working to remove legal barriers for entrepreneurs and established businesses in underinvested communities.”
Over the next 12 months, the four businesses will participate in a structured cohort program, receiving hands-on advisory support through WACIF’s Retail Ascent Technical Assistance Program and the 11thStreet Bridge Park’s Small Business Preservation Program, access to working capital through WACIF’s lending programs, and legal readiness training through the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. This announcement builds on the Seed to Storefront Pilot’s founding commitment: aligning technical expertise, legal resources, and real estate and capital solutions to establish a powerful, community-centered model for inclusive economic development — one that strengthens today’s entrepreneurs while building pathways to intergenerational wealth in Wards 7 and 8.
For more information about the Seed to Storefront Pilot, visit: https://bit.ly/4ccyxq6
Washington Area Community Investment Fund
Kaelyn Green
202-964-5875
Building Bridges Across The River
Scott Kratz,
202.669.0951