5 Companies Thriving In Crystal City's Nexus Of Innovation
Crystal City has evolved into a true hub of innovation. Many companies are recognizing the benefits of the neighborhood-wide incubator where WeWork, Eastern Foundry, 1776, WeLive, SinWave Ventures and TechShop combine to form a creative ecosystem. In Crystal City, new ideas can be inspired, developed, prototyped, funded, incubated and grown to maturity without leaving the neighborhood.
We partnered with the team at the Crystal City Business Improvement District to present a sampling of five exciting companies that call Crystal City home.
Description: HackEd is a seven-week, hands-on-keyboard cybersecurity training, certification and job placement program. Accepted applicants pay no tuition; instead, candidates are quickly discovered by recruiters who pay HackEd a fee for the privilege of raiding the program for top talent.
Why Crystal City works for this company: HackEd’s team likes 1776’s Crystal City campus for the inviting community that pairs well with what the company envisions building. HackEd’s people teach classes, host alumni and guest speakers, coordinate events and meet-ups and generally feel supported by 1776. The campus vibe complements HackEd’s program by giving participants a sense for what other fledgling companies are like. Rather than teach in a traditional classroom setting, HackEd selected 1776 because it is dynamic and vibrant.
Description: StandCrafted designs and manufactures wall-mounted standing desks with an emphasis on the minimalist's lifestyle, sustainability, health and ergonomics. It caters to the diverse functional needs of individual computer users and entity-level clients.
Why Crystal City works for this company: TechShop enabled StandCrafted to, from concept to product, invent its own creative standing desk in just a few weekends. With TechShop’s help, StandCrafted engaged a local manufacturer to take the product to market. StandCrafted’s people love Crystal City because of its proximity to their homes, its buzzing business community, and local shops, restaurants and transportation options.
Description: Sunniva is on a mission to inspire healthy, productive lifestyles through better-for-you bottled coffee. It was founded by three brothers, each a college student-athlete, who were frustrated by the energy boosters broadly available — bottled coffees and energy drinks loaded with sugar, additives and artificial ingredients. Sunniva brews organic Colombian coffee. It blends it with lactose-free protein for nourishment and coconut oil-derived healthy fats for sustained energy.
Why Crystal City works for this company: The Crystal City WeWork is an ideal HQ for innovative companies. According to the Sunniva team, it represents a workplace that is energetic and inspiring that also allows for focused, efficient work. The team reports its neighbors are motivating to collaborate with, and exhausting to party with — fortunately, they can turn to their inventory for a pick-me-up. The team likes that WeWork cultivates a community for creators, doers and innovators who mutually challenge and drive each other.
Description: Trustify is the world’s first technology platform providing highly accurate trust and safety checks on-demand. It connects firms and individuals with highly trained private investigators nationwide.
Why Crystal City works for this company: Arlington recognizes the important contributions innovative startups make to its community. It offers incentives to attract them and help these growing businesses realize their potential. Trustify benefits from these, and its team feels Crystal City's central location and access to public transportation make it a convenient place to work.
Description: Zimpatica is a tech company that enables businesses to increase efficiency, reduce errors and lower operating costs. It implements Business Process Management solutions after taking a customer-centric approach to understand stuck points, document them and build custom software solutions.
Why Crystal City works for this company: Eastern Foundry represents the intersection of professional office space and a community of eclectic, sophisticated small businesses. It facilitates networking and provides services that perfectly meet the varied needs of startups. Zimpatica’s team enjoys Crystal City’s proximity to DC, easy access to public transportation and array of restaurants.
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