This is the story about some civic-minded citizens, mostly senior corporate executives with nothing to gain personally, setting out to make lives better for the Richmond community. It is a story of courage and determination to overcome a myriad of obstacles, from citizens, from regulators, and from state and local governments. The tougher things got, the harder they worked. They had other responsibilities; nonetheless, they could not, would not, let the projects fail. The result of the effort created not only a magnificent set of performing art venues, but also a working model of business and the arts that work effectively together, a truly remarkable story.