Tysons Company Gets Millions to Scale Up — “Qrvey, the next-generation analytics platform built to change the way companies interact with their data, today announced the close of a $7.5 million Series A investment round to scale up its revenue operations.” [PR Newswire]

Fundraising for Firefighters — “The Woman’s Club of McLean on May 4 donated $5,000 to the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, representing some of the proceeds from the club’s 2019 Holiday Homes Tour.” [Inside NoVa]

Uncertain Reopening Date for Nine Metro Stations — “Metro will only say that it will end in the fall, but is no longer promising it will end the day after Labor Day as originally expected… Metro says the closed Silver Line stations will not reopen until the Orange Line stations are able to reopen also.” [WJLA]

Local News Outlet Honors High School Seniors — Virginia Patch is celebrating graduates by publishing mini-profiles of them from forms that families can fill out. [Patch]

The McLean District Station recently received a kind surprise from a neighborhood in their district – Residents lined up in their yards & driveways, with posters & signs, to thank the first responders for their service. We are grateful to serve in such a great community! #FCPD pic.twitter.com/woyS6rgjkJ

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 6, 2020

A Tysons teenager decided to use his newly found free time to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts by creating his own campaign to help health care workers and local eateries.

Arul Nigam, who is 17, founded Heroes of COVID to arrange food deliveries to hospitals in pandemic hotspots around the country and support local eateries in the process by paying them for their services.

Thanks to donors, Nigam uses funds from a GoFundMe page to purchases meals from struggling eateries to give to hospital workers.

So far, Nigam said the project has raised around $9,000 and has helped people not only around the Tysons area but in nine different states as well.

Just last Wednesday, Heroes of COVID delivered a meal to Inova in Falls Church, according to its Facebook Page.

Each meal that is delivered to a medical worker also features a personal note, Nigam said.

Along with meal deliveries, the organization also features medical professionals who work in challenging conditions and gives them a platform to voice their experiences.

“We are creating a platform for health care workers to share their message and share what it’s like working on the front lines, he said. “A lot of health care workers want to use it as a platform to educate people on the types of precautions they should take during this time to protect themselves and everyone around them.”

Anyone who works in the medical field and wants to share their experience can message the Facebook page or drop a comment on one of its recent posts.

“We hope that showcasing their stories and broadcasting their messages will help spread awareness, build confidence, and foster safety, while encouraging us all to be more cautious and cognizant,” the Facebook page said.

People can also follow the Heroes of COVID’s Instagram account if they’d like to hear about the personal narratives from healthcare workers.

This experience helped Nigam to hone his networking, logistic and coordination skills, he said. But, this isn’t his first experience with campaigning.

He previously started an organization that works with companies to host community service events that allow staff members to bond with their co-workers while helping their community. A popular project, Nigam said, is gathering members of a company during a lunch break to assemble meals to give to homeless shelters.

As a junior in high school, he added that his peers are really interested in his work.

“A lot of them have shared information about it with friends and family, which has helped elevate us on social media,” he said. “That has been really helpful.”

As of last week, Heroes of COVID has managed to help feed workers at roughly 17 different hospitals around the country.

Photo courtesy Shirali Nigam

Wegmans announced today (Tuesday) that 300 part-time employees are currently being hired and trained for the upcoming Tysons store.

The supermarket chain previously said that it plans to employ roughly 480 people at the store at 1835 S. Capital One Drive. Right next to the McLean Metro station, the 80,000-square-foot store will be a part of Capital One’s campus.

Now, Wegmans says that “the vast majority [are] hired locally.”

More from Wegmans on its job opportunities:

Part-time positions are available in all departments, offering competitive pay, flexible scheduling, and a workplace known for a caring, family atmosphere. Select full-time openings remain for cooks, produce, and bakery…

Applicants may apply online at jobs.wegmans.com/tysons-corner or call 571-423-0707 for more information.

Wegmans also announced the Tysons store’s leadership.

Kevin Russell, who started as a produce clerk at a Wegmans in New York and was most recently the store manager for one in Massachusetts, is the opening store manager in Tysons.

As the executive chef, Patrick Deans will manage a team of 135 culinary employees. Meanwhile, Matt Collalto will be the service area manager and Claudia Worley will be the merchandising area manager.

Photo courtesy Wegmans

A new Tysons tech startup imagines a world where people can pay for goods and check into their favorite fitness studio with a smile.

Yombu, a biometrics and “identity management” company, is already working with more than 350 businesses around the world to manage the way clients check-in their patrons and manage payments using fingerprint identification, facial recognition and similar biometrics, according to Derek Sanford, the CEO and one of the company’s three co-founders.

Biometrics, according to the Department of Homeland Security, are defined as unique physical traits that can identify a person and are already used by government agencies like at immigration checkpoints.

Instead of governmental uses, Yombu is trying to set up a system where users won’t have to go through the process of setting up new accounts every time someone visits a different salon or a new service.

With the software, people can be identified by their biometrics and auto-populate basic information with a tap of a finger or glance at a camera.

“You have to fill out your name, birth date and all of that information every single time. With our system, you can just access your account and repopulate all of that,” he said.

Yombu also allows for “customer and employee check-in, access control, liability waiver verification, payment acceptance, [and] employee attendance,” according to the company’s website.

The founding trio settled on Tysons as a headquarter because a lot of the team was already located in the Northern Virginia area and happened upon a co-working space at 1751 Pinnacle Drive they liked.

Since its founding roughly five years ago, Yombu recently partnered with Mindbody, a California based scheduling company, to serve fitness centers and spas to help with digitization services.

Part of the reason Yombu has been successful, according to Sanford, is because of the growing trend to declutter front desks and modernize a hassle-free check-in process.

“It’s where everyone really wants to go. There’s a lot of systems out there, but not a lot of cohesion,” he said, adding that many systems don’t work well together and people don’t want to see printers and clutter on a desk.

Instead, Yombu’s leadership sees a future where a check-in desk involves a computer and tablet to the side.

Though the company has “fingers in a lot of different pies,” Sanford told Tysons Reporter that it is ahead of competing companies because the team is willing to reiterate products, push forward to meet ever-changing demand and blend several services into one package.

As the company looks to the future, Sanford said that the company is putting a heavy emphasis on facial recognition, since customers seem to be requesting it at a higher rate. With the rise of COVID-19, people will be less inclined to touch communal surfaces in the future, he added.

“Fingerprint is tried and true, fast and cost-effective, but a lot of people were asking about facial recognition,” Sanford said. 

For people who are concerned about security in an increasingly digital world, Sanford said the company doesn’t sell any personal data and closely follows the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations, which he thinks are stricter than regulations in the United States.

People have control over their own data, he said: “If they want to delete their data or change it, that’s their prerogative.”

In the next several years, Sanford said he hopes Yombu becomes worth billions of dollars and focuses on innovating to help consumers and build alliances with partners.

Photo via Yombu/Facebook

Tesla Pursuit in Tysons — “Police officers chased three Tesla vehicles likely stolen from a Virginia dealership overnight Friday, ending with two drivers fleeing and another driver getting caught, police say… A Fairfax County Police officer noticed a Tesla driving on Route 7 near the Beltway about 3 a.m.” [NBC 4]

Local Companies Going Green — “Can you imagine finishing a meal by eating the very same utensils you used to consume it? How about the ability to choose between plain, sweet, and savory flavored edible utensils? If the folks at The Mather have their way, plastic utensils will soon be a thing of the past and the planet will be better for it.” [Inside NoVa]

Shop Local on Saturdays — “Falls Church Mayor David Tarter signed a proclamation Friday declaring all Saturdays in May as ‘Small Business Saturdays 2.0’ to encourage citizens to direct their buying to the City’s small businesses during the lockdown over the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Tysons CEO Talks COVID-19 — “Tysons-based business intelligence software firm MicroStrategy Inc. is heading into an economic minefield caused by the spread of Covid-19 — but CEO Michael Saylor said he feels pretty good about the future.” [Washington Business Journal]

https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1257284370920022016?s=20

(Updated at 2 p.m.) The Virginia Chamber of Commerce unveiled its list recognizing 50 small, fast-growing companies — and 10 businesses in Tysons and McLean are included.

Now in its 25th year, the “Fantastic 50” list highlights private Virginia companies that received high marks on their four-year revenue history, according to a press release from the chamber.

Eligible companies must have revenues between $200,000 and $200 million and demonstrate positive revenue growth and net income from last fiscal year to the most recent one, the press release said.

“Small business is the heart of our economy and we are pleased to honor the entrepreneurial spirit and hard work of Virginia’s fifty fastest growing businesses,” Barry DuVal, the president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said in the press release.

Tysons-area businesses that are 2020 Virginia Fantastic 50 winners:

• Alpha Omega Integration, LLC, Tysons
• The Author Incubator, McLean
• Spatial Front Inc., Tysons
• Criterion Systems Inc., Tysons
• Artemis Consulting Inc., Tysons
• MicroHealth, LLC, Tysons
• DayBlink Consulting, Tysons
• ValidaTek, Inc., Tysons
• E3/Sentinel, Tysons
• M2 Strategy, Tysons

Additionally, Alpha Omega Integration, LLC in Vienna received the 2020 Virginia Vanguard Service Award.

“Although we are unable to honor these business leaders and their dedicated teams in-person, due to COVID-19, we applaud each of these companies who continue to set the bar higher every year and want to ensure they receive the recognition they deserve for their contributions to the commonwealth,” DuVal said.

The full list is available online.

Crews have been busy working on projects in Tysons connected to the first phase of the Silver Line.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project shared photos of the work has been like in Tysons throughout April.

Phase 1 includes the four stations (McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro and Spring Hill) in Tysons and the Wiehle-Reston East station.

The photos above show a variety of activities, from crews placing concrete near Leesburg Pike for a new ADA ramp to excavation work along Old Meadow Road.

Photos courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Takeout and Delivery List for Tysons Area — Washingtonina has compiled an alphabetical list of eateries in Tysons, Vienna and McLean offering takeout and delivery. [Washingtonian]

Locals Helping to Save McLean Restaurant — Chris Mylonas, who help start Mylo’s Grill at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center says that locals have been helping the restaurant stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. [Connection Newspapers]

McLean Student Teaching Knitting Classes — “McLean High School Senior Amanda Mullet is working hard to bring both stress relief and a new hobby to her neighbors and friends through her Girl Scout Gold Award Project… She set about teaching her friends and peers how to knit.” [Connection Newspapers]

Little City Turns to Public to Support Grants — The City of Falls Church is asking residents and businesses to submit comments on the West Falls Church Connection to W&OD Trail and the Downtown Falls Church Multimodal Improvements projects to help the city get grants from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. [City of Falls Church]

People looking to exercise with someone while staying home can turn to their local gyms and fitness studios.

While Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order is in place, many fitness studios in Tysons have decided to offer virtual classes.

A few months ago, Tysons Reporter rounded up the gyms and fitness studios around Tysons. Now, we took a look to see which ones have pivoted to online services, including group classes and one-on-one sessions.

From boxing videos to yoga classes, here’s what we found:

• [solidcore]: As of yesterday (Tuesday), all of the chain’s studios are closed but people can sign up for virtual live classes
• 1TO1 Fitness: virtual personal training program
• Fitness Together: virtual one-on-one personal training
• F45: at-home workouts
• The Bar Method Tysons Corner: virtual classes
• 24 Hour Fitness: home workouts and live classes
• Tysons City Boxing: boxing videos on Facebook
• Hot Yoga Tysons: virtual classes
• BREAKAWAY Fitness: virtual training sessions
• CrossFit: workout guides online

Interested people can check out each studio’s website for more information.

Photo via BREAKAWAY/Facebook

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Though many in-person events are canceled, organizations and businesses are setting up digital events to keep people occupied.

Tuesday (April 28)

• How to Market When Nothing is Business as Usual — noon to 1 p.m. — This free webinar will help business owners attract clients despite the economic concerns with COVID-19. Hosted by the Tysons Chamber of Commerce, people can connect with other entrepreneurs in the area. Susan Trivers will be the primary speaker for this event.
• Sweatworking — 5 to 7 p.m. — People have the chance to combine networking with their daily exercise schedule with a Vinyasa Flow Yoga class led by Candace Harding and the Tysons Chamber of Commerce followed by an hour of networking with other participants, the event page said. This event is free. Registration is optional.

Wednesday (April 29)

• Playwriting Workshop — 7 to 8:30 p.m. — This adult workshop is part of an eight-week course beginning this week. People will learn about character development, plot and best practices for emotional impact, according to the event description. It is taught through Creative Cauldron in Falls Church and the price is $240.
• An Evening With Local Poets — 7 p.m. — One More Page Books is hosting a free poetry event with Katherine Gekker and others who will be sharing their works. The event is free and open to the public, the event page said, adding it will be hosted on Facebook Live.

Thursday (April 30)

• Virtual Tasting With Tröegs — 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. — Black Dog Beer Shop will be doing a virtual tasting on Facebook Live for anyone who wishes to watch, according to the event page. People can order prearranged four-packs beforehand and get them delivered or just pick them up with curbside drop, the event page said.

Sunday (May 2)

• Traveling Players Auditions — time slots vary — The Tysons-based theater group is still hosting auditions for its summer series. Kids ages 4-12 are invited to audition through Zoom for their spot in an upcoming performance, according to the website. Parents can sign their kids up online for a spot.

Photo via Carl Barcelo/Unsplash