PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – The Mustard Seed Place, a place to empower women, is now officially open in Olde Towne Portsmouth.
Dr. Angela D. Reddix, CEO and Founder of The Mustard Seed Place, invites women to join the Womanhood Initiative.
“I endeavor to be the light,” Reddix said. “Coming from where I came from, a single mother, a teenage mother, I was in Liberty Park. I’ve been on both sides of the tracks. So, you can’t tell me that where you’ve been has to be the single indicator of where you’re going to go. You have to surround yourself with the right people. That’s what the Womanhood Initiative is.”
During the grand opening ceremony Wednesday morning Reddix said “the Mustard Seed Place was envisioned by a woman with all women investors. … Not only is it by a woman, invested in by women, but there are women business owners who have goods and services. It’s businesses that will uplift women and give them the skills and tools in order to grow.”
Reddix is a bestselling author, TEDx speaker and CEO of ARDX, a health management consulting firm.
“Imagine a thousand women coming in these doors, a thousand women benefiting from all the services,” Reddix said. “I want women to see that I can do it. You can do it, too.”
The memberships offer four of ways to “unlock the full potential as a woman in business or a woman determined to win in the business of life.”
“All women business owners on first and second floor, servicing women from the seven cities of Hampton Roads,” Reddix said. “We’ve given up on Portsmouth in many ways. If I can bring quality to Portsmouth, I believe it will change the narrative of Portsmouth. That’s really important to me that we thrive and we’re successful. For the women in the building, for the city of Portsmouth, and people who think that they’ve been cast away, no, you’re worthy. I see you. You’re worthy.”
“We know that when we uplift women, we up uplift families and the rest of our community,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03). “I look forward to all of the ways that the Mustard Seed Place will lift up Portsmouth and the Greater Hampton Roads region for months and years ahead. The parable of the mustard seed demonstrates that a small amount of faith and certain things can lead to great impacts down the road, it is a fitting name and guiding principal for the important work you will do right here. It will be a place where small things grow big.”
The new business hub is on the corner of High and Court Street. Mayor Shannon Glover calls it “a testament to the strength that emerges when women unite and lift each other up.”
“This is going to be transformative for our young women and women in general,” Glover said. “The resources that women will be able to access in this building will be amazing. When we sat down, one of the things I got most excited about was that they decided to come to the city of Portsmouth with Envision.Lead.Grow [Sweet Boutique] and with The Mustard Seed. That’s a big deal. We’re going to work very closely with Dr. Reddix.”
Right now, seven of the 14 suites are set up inside the “mall like” design including:
- The Movement Studio VA
- Parker Fergueson Publishing Product and Services, LLC
- The Well on High by Dr. SOS
- Dream Pusher Co.
- Lotus Essentials Massage + Wellness
- Patriot Woman Coaching, LLC
- ELG Sweet Boutique
The YWCA of South Hampton Roads administration offices will also call 340 High St. home.
The third floor is currently under construction, to be renovated into a wedding and event space.
“I’m proud as a girl dad and married to a woman who owns her own business,” said House of Delegates Speaker Del. Don Scott. I’m proud to welcome the mustard seed place to the city of Portsmouth.”
The location is the former Tidewater Community College visual arts center, Reddix said before that, it was The Famous, a high-end department store and bridal boutique.
“We have to honor who came before us, but to be this one individual who’s now where an institution was, … we are going to have some things that are happening that are going to be transformational in the lives of girls and women,” Reddix said. “That’s what faith brings. Sometimes it’s hard for people to have faith for what they don’t see. So, I endeavor for this building to be a representation of something they can see, and I am someone they can be.”
Learn more about The Womanhood Initiative here.