Report: The Homegrown Innovators' Roundtable
- Tom Tom Foundation Staff
- Jul 31, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: 12 minutes ago
Homegrown Innovation: Building an Ecosystem That Lasts
At this 2025’s EVOLVE Conference, Venture Central, in partnership with Tom Tom Foundation and regional innovation leaders, convened The Homegrown Innovators’ Roundtable—a candid conversation about what it takes to start, grow, and sustain high-impact companies in Charlottesville.
Moderated by Rebecca Haydock, CEO of Venture Central, the session brought together founders and executives representing the region’s most promising startups and established firms across biotechnology, AI, defense, and consumer goods.Participants included Scott Magargee (Springbok Analytics), Payam Pourtaheri (Agrospheres), Cameron Hardesty (Poppy Flowers), James Garrett (Luna Labs), John Elder (Elder Research), and Sherry Gray (BuilderTrend / CoConstruct).
Charlottesville’s entrepreneurial community has matured from a handful of pioneering startups into a diverse ecosystem of homegrown innovators. The roundtable showed that the next phase of growth won’t depend solely on capital or infrastructure—but on connection, collaboration, and collective advocacy.
As one participant noted, “You can’t scale a company alone—and you can’t build an ecosystem without community.”
The conversation continues as Venture Central, Tom Tom, and local partners carry forward the ideas surfaced here—helping ensure Charlottesville remains not just a launchpad, but a long-term home for innovation.
What We Heard: Strengths and Struggles
Charlottesville’s startup story is often described as homegrown—rooted in a world-class university, supported by a strong quality of life, and enriched by a tight-knit community of innovators. But the roundtable surfaced both the advantages and the friction points in turning that foundation into a truly thriving ecosystem.
Rebecca Haydock commented, “We desired to engage feedback from regional CEOs who have grown, and are growing, their businesses here, alongside members of the entrepreneurial support and enthusiast communities. We asked what has worked well, what hasn't worked so well, and what do they think are the most important things for the region to advance to support their needs.”
What’s Working:
The “boomerang effect”—UVA alumni and local natives returning to build families and companies.
An attractive region for raising families and building community.
Strong entrepreneur support organizations available to connect startups to resources.
An entrepreneurship ecosystem where entrepreneurs are welcomed and supported.
A relatively straightforward business climate in Virginia.
What’s Challenging:
Talent acquisition and retention, especially for specialized roles
Limited prototyping and testing resources for companies developing physical products
Accessing pre-seed capital
Limited job opportunities for spouses when recruiting talent
Limited awareness of other businesses in the region for partnerships and talent
movement
Need for more public private partnerships to help startups iterate / test faster
Ideas That Emerged
Entrepreneurs offered a range of practical solutions to strengthen the local innovation network, including:
Developing a “playbook” of regional entrepreneurial resources and funding opportunities.
Creating a “who’s here” map of the innovation community to build visibility and collaboration.
Building cross-company networking and shared spaces where leaders can connect informally.
Expanding public–private partnerships that enable faster testing and iteration of new ideas.
Where does this fit in the ecosystem? And what next?
Initiatives raised during the session and in subsequent meetings align with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County strategic plans, the GO Virginia Regional Entrepreneurship Initiative Report “Thrive in Place” and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
The session concluded with a call to form a coalition of entrepreneurs to further discuss these. Following the Festival, Venture Central convened a follow-up advisory meeting with additional CEOs, including Daniel Bailey (Astrea) and Logan Selby (DataShapesAI).
The group reinforced the priorities voiced at Tom Tom—emphasizing shared space, talent pipelines, and stronger community ties.
Several tangible steps have already taken shape:
A “Who’s Here” company list is now in development, cataloging more than 100 traded-sector firms in the region.
Venture Central, young professionals within innovation companies, the City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals network have begun exploring ideas to connect early-career talent across organizations.
Ongoing CEO roundtables are being organized to sustain advisory support and collective action.
