Courtney Commander: Entrepreneur Spotlight

November 28, 2022

Meet Courtney Commander, owner of Charlottesville’s favorite roller skating experience, De La Roll!

De La Roll is a mobile, pop-up skating company servicing Charlottesville and the surrounding areas. They host at parties, weddings, private events, and community events, bringing the skates – and of course – the fun!

Originally from Michigan, Courtney spent much of her childhood in skating rinks. She had many positive memories from skating, explaining, “Skating was my favorite activity. I found myself constantly immersed in that atmosphere.” When she moved to Charlottesville during her senior year of high school in 2007, she told us she was surprised that a roller skating rink didn’t exist.

It wasn’t until the pandemic that Courtney committed and sought after De La Roll. She got laid off from her job during the pandemic and made it her business to bring her idea for De La Roll to fruition.

To get her business off the ground, Courtney applied and participated in CIC’s signature program, the Entrepreneur Workshop, in the Spring of 2022. Courtney told us that “CIC is amazing. I recommend it to anyone. The resources that CIC provides, the Workshop, and exposure to other business professionals have been the most helpful on my journey. I can’t put a price tag on it. It was hard work, but it was building my business. After the class, CIC does not drop you – they stay connected with you and continue to provide you with other services and opportunities. I was a microgrant recipient, which allowed us to purchase more skates for our events. It’s also helped with supplies and materials and helped pay our graphic and website designers.”

With her work with De La Roll, Courtney hopes to continue creating spaces where all ages can come together for fun, exercise, and to network in the Charlottesville community.