Charlottesville, VA (August 31, 2017) – Tom Tom Founders Festival today announced its first 40 speakers for the inaugural Fall Forum, a statewide convening of innovative business and community leaders from across Virginia. The organizers anticipate over 60 speakers in total. The Forum will take place in multiple venues across Charlottesville’s historic Downtown Mall on Friday, September 22nd, and will culminate in Tom Tom’s 6th Annual Tomtoberfest block party, a free public celebration of inclusive innovation and purpose-driven entrepreneurship in Charlottesville. A full agenda of the day and biographical information about speakers are available at tomtomfest.com/fallforum.
The Fall Forum is open to press. Media wishing to register or requesting more information should respond directly to this email or contact Tom Tom Founders Festival’s Marketing Manager, Whitney Kenerly (press@tomtomfest.com).
Speakers to date:
Jessica Abbott, Councillor, Virginia Beach City Council
Nathalia Daguano Artus, Community Development, Union Bank & Trust
Randy Caldejon, CEO & Co-Founder, Counterflow AI
Ace Callwood, Co-Founder and CEO, Painless1099
Sixto Cancel, CEO, Think of Us
Michael Chapman, SVP, Managing Director, Strategic Planning, Martin Agency
Duron Chavis, Community Engagement Coordinator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
LaMar Dixon, Principal, Dixon/Lee Development Group
Kevin Eisenfrants, CEO and Co-Founder, Contraline
Shane Emmett, CEO, Health Warrior
Evan Feinman, Executive Director, Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission
Leah Fremouw, Director of Community Impact, Virginia Community Capital
Miriam Friedel, Director of Commercial Analytics , Elder Research
Patricia Funegra, Founder and CEO, La Cocina
Cullen Gilchrist, Co-Founder and CEO, Union Kitchen DC
Jasmine Gore, Vice Mayor, City of Hopewell
Matt Haas, Deputy Superintendent, County Schools
Chelsea Harnish, Executive Director, Virginia Energy Efficiency Council
Conaway Haskins, Extension Specialist for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, Virginia Tech
Crystal Icenhour, CEO and Co-Founder, Aperiomics
Todd Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Capital One
Andrew Krouse, Founder, President and CEO, Cavion
Jay Lester, Executive Director, Blue Morning
John Morrill, Energy Manager – Arlington, AIRE
Angela Navarro, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources at Office of Governor Terence R. McAuliffe, Virginia Commonwealth
Kevin O’Shea, Vice President of Sales, Coulomb, Inc.
Manisa Pipattanasomporn, CTO, BEM Controls
Jim Powers, Chairman and CEO, Hemoshear
Sam Pressler, Executive Director, Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP)
Michael Prichard, CEO, Metis Machine
John Provo, Director, Economic Development, Virginia Tech
Blake Sirach, CXO, WillowTree, Inc
Luis Solis, Co-Founder, Caribe Juice
Michael Spinelli, Co-Founder, Nutriati
Heather Stouffer, CEO, Mom Made Foods
Andrew Turner, CTO, Esri Research and Development Center
Scott Ukrop, Director of Business Development, NRV
Lee Vogler, Councillor, Danville City Council
James Wallace, Officer, Community Impact Advisor, Virginia Community Capital
Barbara Brown Wilson, Co-Founder of Design Futures; Asst. Prof. of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia School of Architecture
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ABOUT THE TOM TOM FOUNDATION AND THE FOUNDERS FESTIVAL
The Tom Tom Foundation is a nonprofit organization that celebrates entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and creators who are shaping cities and communities across the nation. Tom Tom’s signature event is a weeklong festival of ideas and culture that takes place in Charlottesville, Virginia, each April in conjunction with Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. This cross discipline, multi-venue experience transforms the historic downtown and empowers the innovators, who are envisioning a brighter future. Since its inception in 2012, the Foundation’s Spring and Fall programming has showcased over 700 speakers and 280 bands to 172,000 program attendees, and has channeled $2.8 million to new ventures and projects. 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.