Pan Asia Resources

The meaning of Vidya in Sanskrit is knowledge, but many more adjectives sprang to my mind during this interview. Vidya to me came across as a highly passionate, principled, strong and fiercely independent woman. She is a remarkable dancer who has been blessed by some legendary teachers in the world of Bharatanatyam. Here are some snippets our very interesting conversation. Please tell me how you came up with the name Brihadisha for your dance school? Brihadisha is the primary idol in the Tanjore temple. Tanjore is where my Guru hails from, and where I learned Bharatanatyam. I relate Tanjore to my Guru, Shri K.P. Kittappa Pillai. His family was settled in Tanjore for several years, and were patronized by the Maratha King Sarfoji. I spent most of my summer holidays learning dance at my guru’s home. It was a second home to me. My guru’s ancestors have written several compositions on Brihadisha. To me, Brihadisha and Tanjore are synonymous to each other so I felt it was apt to n...

The Zurschmeide family is no stranger to farming and agriculture and have since grown three successful businesses in Loudoun County. We got to speak with the owner of Dirt Farm Brewing, Janell Zurschmeide, to hear how it all started and her thoughts on women in the brewing industry. The Zurschmeide family own and operate Dirt Farm Brewing , Bluemont Vineyard, and Great Country Farms all in one convenient and scenic location! Where did the idea and name for Dirt Farm Brewing come from? The brewery itself was just seeking creatively how we could expand our family business. The property across from our farm and next to our winery went on the market. We wanted to put the land back in agriculture and find a way to make a living from it. We had thought of some other ideas but I had been witnessing that the Virginia craft beer scene was booming. I also noticed the rise and demand for folks wanting local ingredients. We had already been having local brewers asking for our ...

It is not every day that you get to talk to a serial entrepreneur. We had the opportunity to talk to Carol Bleyle, owner of Pract.us. It was an interesting, honest and inspiring interview. We thank Carol for taking time to talk to us and share her journey. It is a pleasure to be talking to you to learn more about your entrepreneurial journey and how you have overcome the challenges in your way. Can you tell us more about Pract.us and your responsibilities at Pract.us ? Practice is a software platform. We help companies improve employee performance through behavior tracking, behavior encouragement and on the job training. My job at Pract.us is manifold. I am primarily a client consultant and support person but I do most of the marketing as well.  It seems like you are in a niche market with little or no competition. There must be some challenges convincing customers to accept a new product. Could you elaborate on your experiences. Yes, you are right. W...

March is Women’s History Month. Pan Asia Resources decided to take this time to interview some of Loudoun County’s most influential women. For one of our first interviews, we got to sit down with Loudoun Economic Development’s Small Business & Entrepreneurial Manager, Vanessa Wagner, to discuss her role with Loudoun Small Biz, how she got here and her thoughts on women-owned small businesses.   We love the title you have on your LinkedIn profile – Entrepreneurship Advocate/Startup Catalyst – Can you tell us more about what you do? I focus on supporting small businesses and growing the entrepreneur ecosystem in Loudoun  County. It is all about providing the right resources at the right time. This includes providing programs, business introductions, referrals, investment opportunities and working with partner organizations. If an opportunity does not exist, we (Loudoun Economic Development) try to create it. My overarching mission at Loudoun Economic ...