PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Nearly 250 people poured into Olde Towne Portsmouth Wednesday morning to celebrate the grand opening of The Mustard Seed Place.
"To see it all come together today, it just felt like a love connection," said Dr. Angela Reddix, the visionary behindThe Mustard Seed Place and the founder of the multi-million-dollar healthcare management company ARDX based in Norfolk. "[This is] a place where women will thrive!"
Positively Hampton Roads
Millionaire entrepreneur creates one-stop-shop for women's buisnesses
Located on the corner of High and Court streets in Olde Towne Portsmouth, the building is the former home of the Tidewater Community College Visual Arts Center.
Dr. Reddix purchased the building in 2022, and has re-imagined the three-story building into what she calls “an empowerment haven for girls and women.”
Dr. Reddix said seven women invested in the redevelopment with her. She said she enlisted all Black contractors for the project, too.
During a tour of the building, Dr. Reddix said 14 women-owned businesses are leasing space in The Mustard Seed Place. The businesses include a movement studio for yoga and ballet, a mental health boutique, a visual production studio to help women share their stories, and a medical office powered by a local health care system that will provide health screenings for girls and women during extended hours.
Watch previous coverage: Millionaire entrepreneur creates “The Mustard Seed Place” to empower girls and women
Dr. Reddix said The Mustard Seed Place will also house a wealth lab in conjunction with the Old Dominion University’s Women’s Business Center, and co-working spaces for women.
The Mustard Seed Place is also the home of the “ELG Sweet Boutique and Ice Cream Shop”. It’s the entrepreneurial vision of girls in Dr. Reddix’s nonprofit Envision Lead Grow.
“From the outside looking in, it may look like a regular old ice cream shop, but it’s not. There’s a story,” said Tonya Perkins, a board member for Envision Lead Grow.
Elected leaders from across the region attended the grand opening.
“The mustard seed place is a testimony [of Dr. Reddix’s] continued advocacy on behalf of women and girls," said Congressman Bobby Scott. "The Mustard Seed Place will lift up Portsmouth and the greater Hampton Roads region.”
Women's History Month
Majority of Virginia Aquarium staff, volunteers are women
“She is indeed a visionary," said Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Don Scott during the grand opening. "I’m proud to stand here today to welcome The Mustard Seed Place to the city of Portsmouth.”
"Today marks a significant milestone in the vibrant tapestry of Portsmouth, Virginia," said Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover during the grand opening. "[We] celebrate the birth of a new hub of creativity, collaboration and empowerment for women."
On the top floor of The Mustard Seed Place, construction is underway to create “Très élevé,” a wedding and event venue. Dr. Reddix said the space— set to open in the summer— is a nod to the former high-end department store “The Famous” that once occupied the entire building decades ago.
“This will be the wedding venue of the year,” Dr. Reddix exclaimed during our tour of the space.
Dr. Reddix said The Mustard Seed Place will offer several membership levels, and some aspects will be open to the community.
