Virginia Commonwealth University
Annual Report 2020-2021

After adopting a vegan diet, business management major Julien Reininger ’21, struggled to find snacks with natural ingredients that didn’t rely on high levels of salt and sugar. He was also struck by the amount of single-use plastic packaging and the heavy use of soy — both contributors to climate change.

To solve the problem, Reininger took inspiration from his father, an executive chef, and developed a plant-based jerky made from jackfruit — a sustainably-grown tropical fruit with a meaty consistency similar to pulled pork or chicken. Reininger launched his company, Jacked!, in 2021 with three sweet and spicy flavor profiles: BBQ, Malaysian chili, and black pepper.

Next, he had to get his product to market. As a student in the da Vinci Center for Product Innovation’s pre-accelerator program, he developed a plan to sell the jerky online and at vegan markets and festivals, with an eye toward moving into wholesale retail markets.

Jacked! landed its first retail placement in November with the opening of VCU’s Shift Retail Lab, a multifunctional space where VCU students and alumni can showcase their work and test their products, services and ideas with real-world customers.

“Shift helped me get real-time feedback from consumers,” Reininger said. “I was able to see how my product looked on a shelf, how consumers interacted with my branding, and I had the opportunity to answer questions that I had never thought of.”

The 2,700-square-foot lab, located at 1235 W. Broad St., is operated by the da Vinci Center, which advances innovation and entrepreneurship through a collaboration of VCU’s School of Arts, School of Business, College of Engineering, College of Humanities and Sciences and VCU Health. The da Vinci Center provides entrepreneurial training to any interested student through its VCU Entrepreneurship Academy micro-credential program.

Visitors to the lab can find early stage ideas and prototypes, as well as established ventures selling products and services. Additionally, community-based entrepreneurs will be in residence throughout the year. The inaugural residency featured businesses in the Jackson Ward Collective, which connects and supports Black-owned businesses in Richmond. Corporate and community partners of the da Vinci Center, including Activation Capital, CarMax, Capital One and McKesson, also will hold joint events at the lab to explore new products.

“The launch of Shift represents the da Vinci Center’s commitment to innovative academic and experiential learning in collaboration with our community,” said Garret Westlake, Ph.D., executive director of the da Vinci Center.