Reston residents combine for unconventional business venture

by Emma Kingkeo, Reston Letter Intern

The father-son duo has combined Gogo's Lemonade with Michaelson Roofing Improvements to engage community-building and customer loyalty. Photo by Benjamin Burgess.

Michaelson Roofing Improvements (MRI), a company specializing in home exterior restoration and construction, is merging with Gogo’s Lemonade—the beloved (and slightly infamous) lemonade stand that opens for just one week each year. The twist? The business owners are a father and son.

“It was really out of the blue,” said David Michaelson, owner of MRI. “He said, ‘Papa, I want to build a lemonade stand.’ And I said, ‘There’s no reason why we can’t.’”

Diego Valle, the seventh-grader behind the stand, has devoted six summers to squeezing lemons in preparation for the annual opening. To his surprise, the nonprofit venture has been a huge success, raising around $2,000 last year alone for Readers Are Leaders, a local organization that pairs struggling readers with high school athlete mentors.

“When we did it the first year, we never thought we’d keep going,” Michaelson said. “We never thought we’d be blocking this time off in our lives to make lemonade. But once it got beyond that level, we thought, OK, let’s see how far we can take it.”

As part of the merger, the lemonade stand and the roofing company will officially become one entity, though their operations will remain distinct—with a lemonade division and an exterior remodeling division.

At first glance, a union between lemonade and roofing might raise eyebrows, but Michaelson says it’s not as far-fetched as it seems. “With Gogo’s Lemonade helping their friends by serving great lemonade, and MRI bringing your home back to good health, we think it’s a pretty aligned mission: to give back to a community that’s been so good to us,” he said.

With MRI now sponsoring the lemonade operation, the business gains an opportunity to engage with potential customers in a new way, while Gogo’s Lemonade benefits from additional support, including fun giveaways like tickets to sports games funded by MRI. Together, the two businesses are creating a new model for local collaboration, one that builds both community and customer loyalty.

At the heart of it all is a shared commitment to giving back. “We had the same goal, so we’re better together,” Michaelson said.

The lemonade stand will continue to donate its profits, and Valle is considering extending the operation beyond its usual August week now that it has more backing—although he’ll have to balance it with his other commitments, like Taekwondo, which he attends six times a week.

“He’s always going, always looking for time to be a kid,” said Michaelson. “We’ve got to make sure he finds it.”

For others thinking of launching a small business, Michaelson offers this advice: surround yourself with people you trust, people who can take your idea further than you could alone.

“A lot of people say, ‘I can do it all myself.’ And yeah, you can. But maybe then you stay stuck right where you are and don’t have time for anything—or anyone—else,” he said. “It’s OK to let others do what they’re good at. That’s what they’re there for: to support your vision. Go get them.”

Looking ahead, the pair is considering boosting lemonade production with a juicing machine and expanding MRI’s footprint with new office space, showrooms, and additional services like gutter installation.

Visit Gogo's Lemonade Stand at the corner of Ridge Heights and South Lakes Drive, now through August 16th from noon until 6 p.m. each day.