Spring semester is finally coming to an end. The Shift Retail Lab will be taking a break this summer to make repairs and update our shelves, which means open hours will be closed.
Scheduled events will occur as usual. Open hours will resume in Fall semester. Until then, please reach out to us at [email protected] for inquiries about renting space.
What an exciting year it has been! From classroom workshops, to building with LEGO Bricks, to launching our new Food Shelfie Program, to not one but TWO Demo Days, this has been a very fun and full year.
Thank you to everyone who has come through the Shift Retail Lab with your ideas. Your collaboration, creativity, and willingness to try something new is inspiring!
Congratulations to all of the Shelfies who are graduating this week 👏 May innovation follow you wherever you go ✨🎓
More magic from Demo Day Spring 2026 ✨
Couldn't make it to the event? No worries, our Shift Retail Lab interns helped us capture all of the best moments from this semester's pitch competition.
Congratulations to everyone who presented their idea, you made this Demo Day the best one yet! 🌱
This week we celebrated Earth Day at the library with our friends from @vcusustainability !
We asked students how they thought VCU could be a more sustainable campus and had them build their solutions using Legos ✅
Thanks @vculibraries for having us!
Last week was National Student Employment Week! Thank you to all of our hard working student workers who help make the da Vinci Center and Shift Retail Lab run smoothly 😊 We appreciate all that you do and are so grateful for your contributions to our team!
And a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Ngoc for running the Monument 10k this past weekend! Way to go Ngoc, you're a rockstar 🌟
Another AMAZING Demo Day in the books!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support and see entrepreneurship blooming at the Shift Retail Lab! Each of the participants did an incredible job pitching their ventures, identifying their problems, and presenting their solutions. And our Food Shelfies handed out some delicious samples of what they've got cooking (literally!) 😋
We're especially appreciative of the support from wonderful partners like @capitalone who sponsor so much innovation in Richmond, organizations like @thejwcfoundation who walk the path with entrepreneurs, and friends like Louise Guy and Todd Waldo who help make events like this fun!
Congratulations to our 8 awardees - Twist n' Shout, GlowMouth, Hit The Town, Chilicopter, Gentle Strength Training, AidCompare, Pi's Coffee, and Zola's World 👏
We're excited to continue sharing more from Demo Day Spring 2026 🌷
Demo Day Spring 2026 is finally here 🌷
We have 22 incredible pitches lined up tonight from VCU students, alumni, and Richmond business owners. Join us at the Shift Retail Lab from 4-7 pm to cheer them on!
The stage is (almost 😉 ) set for Demo Day Spring 2026 🌷
This Friday, 23 participants, across three entrepreneurial categories, will pitch their business ideas at Shift Retail Lab and compete for seed funding to GROW their ventures! It's going to be a night full of innovation, creativity, and community that you don't want to miss.
Help us cheer on the participants, and choose our People's Choice Awardees, on April 17th, from 4-7 pm at the Shift Retail Lab 🌟
Details and registration are in the link in our bio!
Meet the judges for Demo Day! This semester, we're joined by incredible partners from across the Richmond ecosystem to help choose our Judge's Choice Demo Day awardees.
Thank you to Chrystie Kallis from @capitalone , Rasheeda Creighton from @thejwcfoundation , and Louise Guy from Trellis Creative Consulting for supporting entrepreneurs at VCU and beyond!
Join us this Friday, April 17th, from 4-7 pm to see our participants pitch, and YOU can help choose our People's Choice Awardees! Register now via the link in our bio 🌷
We're celebrating da Vinci's birthday this week!
Stop by the Shift Retail Lab on Wednesday, April 15th, from 12-3 pm for snacks, games, crafts, and a chill place to hang before finals season 🥳
Free and open to everyone - just drop by
Want to see the innovation happening inside the Shift Retail Lab? Join us on April 17th for our Spring 2026 Demo Day!
Demo Day is our bi-annual pitch competition where VCU students, alumni, and Richmond community members bring their ideas to life, connect with resources, and compete for funding.
All friends, family, and community members are welcome and encouraged to attend and cheer on the pitches. Following the pitches, everyone is invited to stay for an awards ceremony and networking session.
Details and event RSVP are in the link in our bio!
Kendall Liverpool is a VCUarts student whose creativity shines not only through visual work but also through storytelling. At last fall's Demo Day, he presented The Ballad of a Senior Hawkeye, a novel crafted by a rising author with a clear voice and a strong sense of character.
During Demo Day, Kendall delivered a memorable pitch that highlighted the heart behind his work and the importance of stories that reflect real experiences. His ability to communicate the power of his narrative resonated strongly with both judges and attendees.
Kendall was honored with the Judge’s Choice Award for his compelling storytelling and his promise as an emerging author.
Join us for our Spring 2026 Demo Day on April 17th to hear inspirational pitches form students, alumni, and Richmond business owners! Link to RSVP is in our bio!
