Meet the Staff

AK SITE e1497627625374 148x150 1Aaron Kremer, founder
Email: [email protected]
Aaron Kremer launched Richmond BizSense, the River City’s premier source of business news, on Jan. 1, 2008. His work has appeared in Slate, the Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com, Reuters and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Kremer was a philosophy major at the University of Virginia, and he attended the University of North Carolina’s Graduate School of Journalism.


RVA Headshots BW 6Michael Schwartz, editor
Email: [email protected]
Michael Schwartz joined BizSense in 2010 after five years as a reporter at Inside Business in Hampton Roads, Va. Schwartz is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he studied journalism. He covers banking, finance, lawsuits and small businesses.

 


Sam new photo copySamantha Sarine, director of events and advertising 
Email: [email protected]
Samantha Sarine joined BizSense in 2017. She works with BizSense advertisers and oversees all events. She previously worked in development at National Jewish Health and is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 


RVA Headshots BW 10Jonathan Spiers, senior reporter, assistant editor
Email: [email protected]
Jonathan Spiers joined BizSense in early 2015 after a decade of reporting in Wilmington, N.C. Prior to that he was with the Henrico County Leader. The Virginia Tech graduate covers residential real estate, the advertising/marketing industry, public companies and other news.

 


RVA Headshots BW 8Mike Platania, reporter
Email: [email protected]
Mike Platania joined BizSense in December 2016. He covers commercial real estate, restaurants and breweries. He graduated from Virginia Tech.

 

 


  • RVA Headshots BW 4Jack Jacobs, reporter
    Email: [email protected]
  • Jack Jacobs joined BizSense in 2020, covering startups, retail, healthcare, public companies and nonprofits. He previously reported for the Virginia Gazette and Tidewater Review. He is a graduate of Christopher Newport University.

 


Linda Dunham, research editor
Email: [email protected]
Linda Dunham joined BizSense in May 2014 as research editor. She previously worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Boleman Law and Joe’s Inn. She attended the University of Louisville and Virginia Commonwealth University.


  • RVA Headshots BW 2Liz Thurston, executive assistant and membership coordinator
    Email: [email protected]
  • Liz works in the events, advertising, and membership department at Richmond BizSense. She is a graduate of Blue Ridge Community college and has experience in marketing, administration, and creative solutions.