Meet the Visionary Who Bought a Block in Baltimore to Create a Multiverse

Imagine taking a business leap of faith to buy an entire block. That is exactly what Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, HonD, CEO, and founder of Root Branch Media Group did. The full-service media production company is named after Dr. Pettigrew’s family property, located on Root Branch Road in South Carolina, according to the company’s website.

“I bought the old Barcoding, Inc. building, a commercial property that is 14,400 square feet. It’s 2220 Boston Street [Baltimore, Maryland]. The building is the length of the entire block, so I have all four sides,” Dr. Pettigrew explained, noting that the official purchase was made last year.

 The Baltimorean added, “In doing that, also, it became noted that I was the first African American woman in Maryland to a block actually on Baltimore’s waterfront.”

Dr. Pettigrew, a Philadelphia native, made the historical purchase without investors, grants, or programs. It was financed by the Reinvestment Fund, which is known for investing in social impact. Root Branch Media Group’s entities are housed under one roof in Canton. Dr. Pettigrew explained that it has evolved into “The Root Branch Multiverse.” 

The RBMG Building [renamed The RBMG Building Canton Harbor] is headquartered along Baltimore’s waterfront in Canton Harbor. The Root Branch empire includes Root Branch Media Group, an award-winning media production firm; Root Branch Press Coffee & Co., a coffee brand that will accompany a coffee shop within the building; Root Branch Office Solutions, a property management company established to manage tenants and meeting spaces; and Root Branch Arts and Outreach Institute Inc., a nonprofit arm that supports education and training programs.

Dr. Pettigrew explained that her vision is that she “would continue to acquire properties and continue to build a media arts hub, maybe in other parts of Baltimore, but certainly in other urban communities,” such as her own hometown of Philadelphia, someday.

The mogul earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Maryland College Park, which is the period when her media, production and communications branches began to grow.

“When I was in college, I wanted to be a speech writer. I had the very, very fortunate opportunity to intern at the White House in the speech writing department under President Clinton,” Dr. Pettigrew added.

Before completing school, she needed a few more credits to finish up. She opted to intern for a television show.

“It was a political show that was produced on Capitol Hill and filmed out of Reuters newswire, and so I fell in love with television and film.”

Dr. Pettigrew combined her love of communications, writing, and speech writing skills. She stated that she became a self-taught scriptwriter and creative writer.

 “I worked many years at the Discovery Channel, and also produced early content for TV One when the network was actually first launching many moons ago.” 

A web series, “Root Branch Marketplace,” provides a QVC feel. It was born because it had access to the new space.

“Each month, we train [small business owners] through our Root Branch Marketplace Institute on how to leverage media marketing, and how to leverage digital assets. They appear on a segment of our show,” Dr. Pettigrew explained.

Business owners are shown how to utilize their video and content on their social media platforms and in annual reports, for a nominal fee as they pursue grant dollars or other goals. 

“We’re running it right now for a 10-month season where we air the show once a month,” Dr. Pettigrew added. “The [nine] Main Streets entity [in Baltimore] have committed to the entire season of the show. So, each month we feature a different Main Street business in an episode. So, by also having a larger amount of support from the City [Baltimore], or from different banks, or other businesses that buy ad time on the show, we’re also able to offset the costs for businesses that may need an additional supplement.”

The need to rent space was removed with the purchase of the RBMG Building and allowed Dr. Pettigrew to host networking events and meetings.

“I can literally wake up, have an idea in by Friday, it becomes a whole website, and then we are doing it,” Dr. Pettigrew said joyfully.

Additional benefits are passed on to other creatives.

“I can reduce some of those barriers and really make people’s dreams become a reality very quickly,” she added.Sign up with your email address to stay in the loop with Root Branch Media Group via https://rootbranchmediagroup.com/about-us.