Alexandria's business community gathers as AEDP tallies first results of ALX Forward

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership used its annual impact meeting Wednesday to make the case that ALX Forward, the economic development strategy City Council adopted in January, is producing results in its first year.

The meeting drew city officials, business owners and partner organizations to AEDP's office at 1940 Duke St., where the organization presented early results of the strategy through the stories of three people it has worked with: a developer, a coffee roaster and a startup founder.

AEDP announced it has been awarded $200,000 from the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation to expand its technology and innovation programming. The grant follows the launch of Accelerate ALX, an accelerator developed under the strategy, which drew 41 applicants.