The Investor Connect Track at the 2026 Innovation Summit

Tom Tom Foundation Staff
1 day ago
3 min read

Join us at the Innovation Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia on Thursday, April 23rd and Friday, April 24th for a showcase of Virginia innovation on a national stage. You’ll find cutting edge insights into industry trends, meet innovative companies at showcases and competitions, and join policy discussions on ecosystem building. The Summit will also feature a specially curated investor track for angel networks, family offices, institutional investors, accelerators and ESO‘s in partnership with the Virginia Accelerator Network. The track will prioritize high-quality investor relationships, showcases, and boutique learning sessions that catalyze new partnerships and greater understanding for the funding landscape of Virginia's next wave of innovation.

TICKETS

The Program

The Investor Connect Track will feature curated investor programs throughout the Summit that prioritize flexible, on-demand conversations rather than rigid meeting schedules.

Investor Discussions & Boutique Conversations

State of Investment talk
Impact Investing Panel
Life Sciences VC Panel
Early-Stage Investment Trends
Reverse Pitches from Investors to Founders

Startup Showcases featuring dozens of companies:

AI & Data
Enterprise Innovators (B2B and SaaS)
Life Sciences
Virginia’s Most Innovative
Cville’s Most Innovative

Premier UVA Investment and Student Showcases

UVA’s E-CUP - with $100K of prizes
The Galant Challenge - with up to $6M in funding

Networking Opportunities

Private Investor Receptions and Meet-Ups
Mentoring & founders professional development
Over 100 speakers at Keynotes, Panels, Roundtables and Workshops

The Experience

The Innovation Summit features a central programming hub at the CODE Building for keynote discussions, with nearby spaces available on the Downtown Mall for additional panels, roundtables, showcases, and private conversations. With a curated founder audience of pre-seed, seed, and Series A companies, the objective is to provide space for conversation.

Join Today

The goal is relationship building, not immediate investment, bringing together Virginia innovators while welcoming out-of-state founders and investors to participate.

Buy a Badge, early-bird investor badges start at $400
Bring your Fund or Become a Sponsor
Investor profiles will be collected in advance, including thesis, check size, and timing.

TICKETS

Sponsors:

Host Committee Members

Over two dozen innovation leaders have leaned in to collaborate and make this track possible, including:

Paul Nolde, President and CEO 757 Collab, Executive Director 757 Angels
Dr. Charles Corprew, COO 757 Collab, Senior Venture Partner 757 Angels
Joseph D'Amelio, Senior Program Manager 757 Collab
Erin Burcham, President of the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA) and Executive Director of the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council
Marty Rosendale, EIR, Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA)
Jennifer Morgan, Virginia Program Lead, RIoT
Jessica Dunn, Program Manager, Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA)
Jim Pannucci, VP of Entrepreneurship & Ecosystem Development, Activation Capital
Adam Sledd, Executive Director, Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Braden Croy, Program Director, Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Richard Wintsch, Executive Director, Startup Virginia
Noelle James, Managing Director, Startup Virginia
Rich Diemer, Managing Director, CAV Angels
Varun Sadana, Vice President, The Launch Place
Blaire Rakowicz, Founding Investor, Cross Impact Capital
Matt Gittleman, VC in DC and JHH vc
Conaway Haskins, VP, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
Tracey Greene, Executive Director, Charlottesville Business Innovation Council and Charlottesville Angel Network
Rebecca Haydock, CEO, Venture Central
Elyssa Haynes, Director, Citrine Angels
Aurelia Flores, Investment Director, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
Bill Collier, Principal, Noblis
Ryan Hall, Executive Director, Shenandoah Community Capital Fund
Michael K. Steele, President and CEO, Activation Capital
Meredith Hundley, Director of Grants and Research, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
Sandra McCutcheon, Director of Partnership and Projects, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
Dan Myers, Director, ICAP
Debbie Irwin, Executive Director, Lighthouse Network

Have comments or questions?

Reach out to Hunter Walsh at Hunter@tomtomfoundation.org