People have been drawing on sneakers forever, but VCU junior and student-athlete Jaden Mitchell has made a business of his art — and his custom kicks are now worn by NBA and Olympic athletes.

Why it matters: Sneaker culture is a multibillion-dollar industry and this business and accounting double major is just getting started.

Growing up in Hampton Roads, Mitchell couldn't always afford to buy the shoes he coveted — a single pair can cost hundreds of dollars.

• "Well, I was young. I didn't have a job," he tells Axios.

So at 15, he finally tried his hand at making his own, attempting to mimic techniques he saw on YouTube.

• For his first pair, the self-taught artist painted a flame — yellow, red and orange gradient on one side — on an old pair of Vans.
• "It turned out horrible," he says.

But Mitchell stuck with it, even after following his older brothers to VCU, where he joined the track team as a sprinter.

• He balances academics, track and his emerging small business, JaysCustomKickz, born from posting pictures of his sneaker art to Instagram.
• Most of his clients find him through his Instagram account.

Along the way, Olympic sprinter Michael Cherry, whom Mitchell knew as both men came out of high school track programs in Hampton Roads, reached out for a pair. (He wanted Air Force 1 cleats.)

Former VCU Basketball star Bones Hyland, who now plays for the Denver Nuggets, also ordered two pairs while he was still in college.

And over the summer, Mitchell signed as an artist with Jkicks915, a Texas-based custom cleat business that counts NFL and college football players as its clients.

• A single pair of cleats there starts at $300.

Mitchell gets the biggest thrill from seeing college athletes wear his shoes, he says, but seeing a pair on LeBron James or Jalen Hurts (he's an Eagles fan) would be a dream come true.

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Virginia State Police announced a new illegal gambling tip line this week.

Why it matters: The state's gaming laws have gone largely unenforced in recent years amid a proliferation of video gaming terminals and poker games.

• Enforcement was so lax that in one 2019 case, a gaming outfit staged a press conference in one of its competitor’s parking lot to call out alleged illegal gambling offenses.

What’s happening: Lawmakers directed state police to create the new tip line last year.

• The department says the goal is to protect consumers from being taken advantage of and to “maintain the integrity of gaming programs.”

What they’re saying: The state’s newly designated gaming enforcement coordinator, state police First Sgt. W. Kevin Johnson, said in an email to Axios that his office will take complaints and “investigate as appropriate.”

🔫 The state Senate passed legislation that would ban the sale of assault-style weapons in a bipartisan vote that drew support from two GOP lawmakers and opposition from one Democrat. (WRIC)

• The legislation now heads to the House, where it is almost certain to get voted down.

💸 City officials are hoping state lawmakers will kick in $15 million to help rebuild Fox Elementary, but say they know the request is a long shot. (WTVR)

🎙 Mayor Levar Stoney delivered his annual State of the City address. Among other things, he touted a focus on repaving streets. (Times-Dispatch)

• “Look, I know that paving isn’t sexy,” Stoney said. “But it damn sure makes a difference.”

🏓 Bangers and Dinks, a new indoor pickleball center, has plans to open near Chesterfield Town Center this summer. (Richmond BizSense)

🛑 Sen. Joe Morrissey was banned from the Henrico County Jail after the sheriff said he left his three kids unattended in the lobby while meeting with an inmate. (WRIC)

Union membership dropped in Virginia last year, per recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The big picture: In 2022, 10.1% of U.S. workers were unionized, down from 10.3% in 2021 and a high of 20.1% in 1983, the first year the BLS reported comparable figures, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.

Zoom in: The share of Virginia workers represented by a union dropped by two percentage points last year, from 6.5% to 4.5%.

• Total union membership in the state also declined, from 176,000 in 2021 to 146,000 in 2022.

Yes, but: 2022 was still a big year for the local labor movement. City of Richmond workers won the right to unionize, and the Richmond Public Schools’ teachers union, which voted to unionize in 2021, approved its first contract.

The bottom line: Local workers formed unions last year, but it wasn't enough to counter the overall downward trend.

💼 See current open positions on our Job Board.

1. Director of Maintenance at Medline.
2. Senior Director, Campaign Success at EAB.
3. Association Accounting Manager at YMCA of Greater Richmond.

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Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, and we want to find the most romantic restaurant in Richmond.

Which local spots are your go-to for a romantic dinner? We have our faves, and now we want to hear yours. Tell us, and we’ll put them up for a vote in an upcoming reader poll.

📧 As always, just hit reply to reach us and share yours.