About Us

CrimDell Small Business Network

CrimDell SBN is a student-run consultancy offering free counseling to help small businesses navigate through the pandemic.

We aim to partner with small business owners in the Greater Williamsburg Area to help empower them with guidance, collaboration, and an introduction to the right toolset.

We offer the experience and expertise of students, faculty, and associates from Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary, preparing small business owners for sustainable growth. By connecting local businesses with the business school, we strive to create a supportive long-term relationship between William & Mary and the surrounding community.

How We Started

Vicki Harrington and Cara Simpson, both MBA students at the William & Mary Mason School of Business and leaders of the Net Impact Club, were planning a campus event on sustainability practices when the coronavirus outbreak began to impact Hampton Roads in March. After the event was cancelled, the pair wanted to find a way to leverage their contacts in the business community. They met with local economic development officials and the Greater Williamsburg Partnership, who helped spread the message about their work.

CrimDell Small Business Network officially began in March of 2020. First called William & Mary MBA Crisis Services, the initial goal of the organization was to offer assistance to local small businesses suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The founders, wished to utilize William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business’s vast network of students, professors, alumni, staff, and executive partners while building connections to local government and the Small Business Administration. Although the organization began as a response to COVID-19, we are looking forward to how we can continue to support local small businesses in the Greater Williamsburg Area through recovery and beyond.

The name CrimDell came from a wooden bridge built in 1966, located at the College of William & Mary's campus in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is considered one of the College's most scenic areas.

Our Mission

Empower small business owners and William & Mary students by fostering community, disseminating resources, and building lasting partnerships in The Greater Williamsburg Area.

Meet the Executive Board

The CrimDell Small Business Network has engaged more than 30 students, including William & Mary undergraduates and graduate candidates. Also, the team has an incredible reach back support team, composed of W&M alumni, faculty, staff, and executive partners, that supports the Executive Board, proving strategic advice.