Launching the 2026 Conference Creator!
- Tom Tom Foundation Staff
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Co-Create the Storytelling of the 14th Annual Tom Tom!
Each year, Tom Tom is built with the community. Through our 2026 Conference Creator, we invite you to help shape the sessions, speakers, and stories that will define this year’s Festival. Together, we’ll explore how technology, business, democracy and society intersect to shape the future of our communities — and how creativity and collaboration can drive real progress.
This April 22-26, our Festival theme is COURAGE. In a moment when America approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, and Charlottesville celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall, we invite leaders from across Virginia and beyond to consider the bravery required to take bold action, confront hard truths, and celebrate shared progress.
While integration with COURAGE is not required, we will be prioritizing content at the 14th Annual Festival that invites reflections on:
Courageous Stories -- celebrating individuals and organizations who have taken risks, spoken truth, confronted injustice, and acted with integrity, even at great personal cost.
Courageous Conversations -- creating spaces where difference is met with curiosity instead of dismissal, and catalyzing dialogue is possible.
Courageous Expression -- showcasing art and performance that step beyond the boxes of expectation, embrace vulnerability, and inspire authenticity.
Whether you are part of an organization, or just a passionate individual with ideas to share, this is a unique opportunity for you to set the agenda and co-create the Festival. We’re excited to hear from you!
Round 1 applications close Dec. 19, 2025.
2026 Tracks
The 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival will feature the Civic Futures Summit (focused on Housing, Regional Storytelling, Economic Development, Education, and Democracy) and the Founders Summit (focused on Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Investment).
For reference, here are the conference pages from last year to give inspiration on past topics and focuses: Civic Futures 2025, Entrepreneurship 2025, Technology 2025.
If you have an idea that does not immediately orient with these tracks, please submit your idea anyway and choose the “other” category.
Application Process
Here is a guide for the Conference Creator process and the information we are looking for:
Step 1 - Choose a Format - The general session duration at the Conference is 45-60 minutes. If you are requesting a longer format, you can note that in the comments section. Formats at the Conference include:
Workshops
Panel discussions
Keynote addresses
Round tables
Interactive experiences.
Other _____.
Step 2 - Choose the Track - Please identify where your session would fit into one of our themes:
Technology
Entrepreneurship
Education
Housing
Criminal Justice
Economic Development
Other _____.
Step 3 - Tell us your Topic and Narrative - Give us a first pass at a fun and fresh topic title. We’ll also be looking for a description of what you’d like to discuss, and how you position the topic in the current landscape of ideas and advocacy.
Step 4 - Identify your Speakers & Moderators - We ask if you have the speakers, facilitators, and moderators identified and / or confirmed for the session. “Confirmation” at this point means you have contacted speakers and they are generally interested and available for the dates of the Festival.
Step 5 - State your desired impact - Let us know what you want to accomplish with your session. Are there desired impacts and outcomes? You could tailor this program to address your specific audience/community. Or, perhaps you’re interested in exploring new terrain, and want to forge new, complimentary partnerships through your program.
To get started, fill out the form below with the topic, theme, and narrative of your proposed session. Once we receive your proposal we will follow up with more details.
The deadline for Round 1 applications is December 19, 2025.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by Tom Tom Staff and Program Committees, which are made up of community members from a variety of diverse backgrounds and industries.
Here are a few criteria that we will use in evaluating sessions:
Relevance - Does this Session discuss a critical idea facing the Community and/or is it sharing a national story?
Innovation - Do the ideas presented offer a compelling and innovative way to approach problems?
Collaboration - Does the Session bring together multiple community stakeholders that are doing important work?
Diversity of Opinions & Backgrounds - Does the session reflect the community; and respectfully engage with differences of opinion.
Lasting Impact - Does the Session highlight work happening in the community so that there are outcomes that live beyond the Conference?
Our selection process will be based on the criteria listed above in combination with how well the session fits into overall programming.