CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (May 17, 2017) – Nominations open today for the Tom Tom Foundation’s fourth annual “Founding Cville” awards. This initiative of the Tom Tom Foundation honors Charlottesville-area founders whose groundbreaking and original work has had a local, national, or global impact. Past honorees have included artists, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs, and represent some of the most acclaimed innovators and leaders in Charlottesville.
“Tom Tom is dedicated to celebrating and encouraging founders–individuals who not only had a great idea, but also had the drive and perseverance to turn their idea into a reality,” said Tom Tom Founders Festival director festival director, Paul Beyer. “We recognize both up-and-coming founders, as well as well-established founders. The common thread is that all of our honorees have committed their personal, social and financial capital to making our community better.”
Award recipients will be honored at a special ceremony during the Sept. 22, 2017 Tomtoberfest Fall Block Party in downtown Charlottesville’s Lee Park. Recipients’ portraits will be displayed on the Downtown Mall throughout the month of September.
Nominating Cville Founders
The Tom Tom Foundation encourages members of the public to nominate candidates who have founded or cofounded a project, business, or organization in Charlottesville or Albemarle County. Founding Cville recipients will be selected by past Founding Cville recipients and the Tom Tom Advisory Board. Criteria for Founding Cville nominations include:
The individual has founded or cofounded a civic, entrepreneurial, or cultural initiative in Charlottesville or Albemarle County.
The individual has taken risks and displayed leadership to realize a vision.
The project has had positive local, national, or even global impact.
The individual is a positive example and role model to aspiring founders, and communicates positive narratives about the entire community.
The individual is presently working on or building his or her idea. Posthumous recognitions may be granted to founders who have passed away within the last two years.
Nominations can be made at tomtomfest.com/foundingcville; the deadline for submitting a nomination is Friday, June 2 at 11:59 p.m.
Past Recipients
In its first three years, the Founding Cville initiative generated hundreds of nominations and granted awards to 36 individuals. Full bios, as well as interviews with previous award recipients, can be found at tomtomfest.com/foundingcville:
2016
Lynne Easton, Cofounder, Easton Events, Founder & Easton Porter Group
Monica Gray, Cofounder, DreamWakers
Cynthia Lorenzoni, Cofounder, Ragged Mountain Running
Jaffray Woodriff, Founder, Quantitative Investment Management
Brian Calhoun, Founder, Rockbridge Guitar
Sandy Reisky, Founder, Apex Clean Energy
Ty Cooper, Founder, Lifeview Marketing
Gabriele Rausse, a Father of Virginia Wine
Ludwig Kuttner, Developer and Cofounder, IX Art Park
2015
Boyd Tinsley, Founding member, Dave Matthews Band & the BAMA Works Fund
Michael Mallory, Cofounder, Ron Brown Scholar Program
Tom Burford, A father of the Virginia Cider movement
Phil Wendel, Founder, ACAC
Deb McMahon, Cofounder, Scitent
Neal Kassell, MD, Founder, Focused Ultrasound Foundation
Kathryne Carr (In Memoriam), Mentor and Investor
Jennifer Hoyt Tidwell, Cofounder, CLAW
Zach Buckner, Founder, Relay Foods
2014
Wendy Brown, Cofounder, Community Investment Collaborative (CIC)
Dr. Benton Calhoun, Cofounder, PsiKick
Sara Clayborne, Cofounder, Charlottesville Ballet
Kate Collier, Cofounder, Local Food Hub
Bill Crutchfield, Founder, Crutchfield Corporation
Greg Fairchild, Founder, Prison Entrepreneurship Project
Robin Felder, Founder, Global Cell Solutions
Matt Hantzmon, Cofounder, HelioSage Energy
John Herr, Founder, SpermCheck
Spencer Ingram, Cofounder, HackCville
Marcia Invernizzi, Founder, PALS Marketplace
Dr. Marcus Martin, Founder, UVA’s Emergency Medicine Center
Jessica Nagle, Cofounder, LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph & SNL Financial
Brynne Potter, Cofounder, Maternity Neighborhood
Alan Rimm-Kaufman, Founder, RKG
Gabe Silverman, Architect & Developer
Mark Thompson, Cofounder, Starr Hill Brewery
Rob Vaughan, Founder, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
Tom Tom’s fall block party, Tomtoberfest, will be held September 22 and 23 in Lee Park, marking the Festival’s sixth annual end-of-summer bash. The event will feature a two-day concert series, a regional tech mixer, a mid-Atlantic craft fair, local food trucks, craft beer, and family activities. A full schedule will be available soon at www.tomtomfest.com.
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ABOUT THE TOM TOM FOUNDATION AND THE FOUNDERS FESTIVAL
The Tom Tom Foundation is the nonprofit organization that hosts the annual Tom Tom Founders Festival. Supporting high-impact events throughout the year, the Foundation seeks to empower the innovators whose creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to community help ensure a better future for us all. Now in its sixth year, the action-packed Founders Festival is held during the week of April 13 (hometown hero Thomas Jefferson’s birthday) in Charlottesville, VA. Learn more: www.tomtomfest.com.
SPONSORS
The Tom Tom Founders Festival is presented by the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, American Evolution, the Quantitative Foundation, and the i.Lab at UVA. It is also generously underwritten by a number of leading organizations, including the University of Virginia, Ting, C-Ville Weekly, New Belgium Brewing Company, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, City of Charlottesville, UVA’s Galant Center for Entrepreneurship at the McIntire School of Commerce, UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, UVA’s Curry School of Education, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.