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Monday March 17, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am EDT
How do technology, entrepreneurship, and investment increase opportunity in the community?

Charlottesville’s technology sector is one of the region’s most vibrant areas of economic opportunity; and a source of global innovation and ideas. This conference is a state of the union for Charlottesville Tech, mixing it up with all the players in some sectors including biotechnolgy, energy, and data, and AI, and assesses how these innovators are driving global change. The conference also looks at Diversity in the sectors -- from a workforce and cultural perspective --- ensuring that there are multiple voices shaping decisions, as well as the funding cycles.

So whether you're looking for insights into some of the most relevant global trends, the ethics around data and AI, or some of the hottest emerging Charlottesville companies, this is a conference for you.

Note: This conference session is a ticketed event. To create your event schedule here on Sched you must first purchase your tickets on Eventbrite. Click here to purchase your tickets. All Conference badges also have a Pay-What-You-Can Scholarship Option. This option is available for attendees in need of financial assistance to attend the conference.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Beardsley

Scott Beardsley

Dean and Professor of Business Administration, UVA Darden School of Business
Scott C. Beardsley is ninth dean of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and a chaired professor in Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship. A global innovator, builder, strategist and talent developer, he has extensively worked with CEOs, boards, and top teams of complex... Read More →
avatar for Kate Bennis

Kate Bennis

President, Kate Bennis Studio
Kate Bennis is a professional actor and clinical social worker who draws from the skills and techniques of the theater, therapeutic training, and years of experience, to give her clients everything they need to communicate as their fullest, most perfectly imperfect selves.Kate’s... Read More →
avatar for Paul Beyer

Paul Beyer

Executive Director, Tom Tom
My professional interests and passions are around community building; with a specific focus on my hometown of Charlottesville, VA. I love the instigators, entrepreneurs, artists, activists, and healers who are filled with civic purpose and desire to create communities of friendship... Read More →
avatar for Sven Brueckner

Sven Brueckner

Chief Technology Alchemist, RationalSwarms, LLC
Dr. Sven A. Brueckner is a Data Science and AI expert with a wealth of experience in advancing self-organizing systems and artificial intelligence for innovative solutions. He holds a Dr. rer. nat. in Computer Science from the prestigious Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany.Throughout... Read More →
avatar for Derren Burrell

Derren Burrell

Managing Partner, Veteran Ventures Capital
Derren Burrell, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) has 30 years’ experience as a professional financial manager in both public and private sectors. He is the Founder & Managing Partner of Veteran Ventures Capital. In this capacity, he oversees all aspects of the company operations and... Read More →
avatar for Kate Byrne

Kate Byrne

Co-Founder, The Tulle Box
Kate Byrne grows things; people, businesses, movements. Her career marries her love of media, the power of technology, financial literacy and the impact of heart in people and business as forces for good. The Stanford grad is a trusted voice and cross-sector translator, a gifted rainmaker... Read More →
avatar for Lexi Cleveland

Lexi Cleveland

Executive Vice President, ARtGlass
Lexi Cleveland is the Executive Vice President at ARtGlass, a software technology company based in Richmond, Virginia and Milan, Italy.A public historian who focuses on early American history and interactive programming, Cleveland received her B.A. in History from the College of William... Read More →
avatar for Sydney Covey

Sydney Covey

Senior Manager, Energy and Sustainability, STRUCTR Advisors
Currently at STRUCTR Advisors, Sydney applies her knowledge of sustainability and business to provide fresh solutions that embody clients’ sustainability goals. Moreover, Sydney’s passion for environmental stewardship benefits her clients throughout every stage of a building’s... Read More →
avatar for Lister Delgado

Lister Delgado

Managing Partner, IDEA Fund Partners
Lister Delgado – Managing PartnerLister Delgado co-founded IDEA Fund Partners in 2006 as a seed and early-stage technology focused fund. Today, IDEA Fund Partners is considered one of the most active and successful early-stage funds in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. In... Read More →
avatar for Devina Desai

Devina Desai

Chief Executive Officer, Kinometrix Inc
Devina Desai, CEO of Kinometrix Inc, brings a wealth of expertise to the forefront of digital health innovation. With a fervent passion for leveraging data analytics to transform healthcare outcomes, Devina has led Kinometrix in analyzing over 3 million patient records, translating... Read More →
avatar for Aram DiGennaro

Aram DiGennaro

Principal Consultant, Protentional Business Leadership
A lifelong learner and entrepreneur, Aram has started or managed businesses in software, agribusiness, manufacturing, construction, real estate, hospitality, and more.  He holds a Bachelors in Psychology, a Masters of Divinity, and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management... Read More →
avatar for Tricia Dunlap

Tricia Dunlap

Managing Partner, Dunlap Law PLC
In 2008, as a 40-year-old single mother, TRICIA DUNLAP left teaching for law school.  She started her law career at McGuireWoods and then founded Dunlap Law in 2015.  Tricia bootstrapped DL from a solo practice to a 5-lawyer team serving businesses and nonprofits with “results-focused... Read More →
avatar for Evan Eckersley

Evan Eckersley

COO, Icarus Medical
Evan Eckersley holds the position of Chief Operating Officer and is the Co-Founder at Icarus Medical. His educational background includes degrees in Bioengineering and Finance, obtained through Lehigh University's Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) program, where he concentrated... Read More →
avatar for Donna Edmonds

Donna Edmonds

CEO, BRAINBox Solutions
Donna has 35+ years of healthcare experience bridging both the provider and industry segments of HealthCare. She began as critical care nurse, migrating to operations and hospital administration, was a GM of a large Specialty physician group practice and then was recruited to industry... Read More →
avatar for Aurelia Flores

Aurelia Flores

Principal, 1863 Ventures
In my 20-year career, I have had the opportunity to work in private equity in Asia, lead enterprise sales teams in tech, start several companies, and build inclusive ecosystems for Black founders. Now, I am proud to be an investor with BVCC, an early-stage VC firm that backs Black... Read More →
avatar for James French

James French

Founder/CEO, Brownland Leadership Solutions
James French is the founder of Brownland Leadership Solutions (BLS), a 501 (C3) consultancy dedicated to enhancing institutional performance, public trust, and societal impact through innovative governance practices. Guided by the belief that institutional resilience thrives on broad... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Michael Friedlander

Dr. Michael Friedlander

Vice President, Health Sciences and Technology at Virginia Tech
Michael Friedlander is the Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology at Virginia Tech where he also serves as the founding Director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at VTC and as senior Dean for Research at the VTC School of Medicine. He has built the FBRI's... Read More →
avatar for Darcy J. Gentleman

Darcy J. Gentleman

Founder & Principal, DJG Communications LLC
Darcy J. Gentleman, Ph.D. (he/him), is an audiences first science communicator with over 15 years of experience helping ideas get talked about in rooms that speakers might never enter. He has run workshops and/or coached talks with The George Washington University’s Department of... Read More →
avatar for Karim Ginena

Karim Ginena

Founder, RAI Audit
 Dr. Ginena is the founder of RAI Audit, a consultancy dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) governance and research, and is co-vice chair of the IEEE USA AI Policy Committee. He most recently served on Meta's Responsible AI team. His career has spanned across several sectors... Read More →
avatar for Tracey Greene

Tracey Greene

Executive Director, Charlottesville Business Innovation Council & Charlottesville Angel Network
Tracey Greene, Executive Director, Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) and Founding Executive Director, Charlottesville Angel NetworkTracey is a leading advocate for using technology and innovative entrepreneurship to foster economic and social progress. She is the... Read More →
avatar for Frank Gupton

Frank Gupton

Chemical & Life Science Engineering Dept. Chair, Virginia Commonwealth University
B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized scholar and industry expert. After attending the University of Richmond on a basketball scholarship, he received his master’s degree from Georgia Tech. He earned his doctorate in chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University... Read More →
avatar for Cameron Hardesty

Cameron Hardesty

Founder & CEO, Poppy
Cameron's path to Poppy actually started in the basement of The White House. She had a great job, but was longing for more creativity in her life and so she started volunteering in The White House Flower Shop, learning floral design from Chief Floral Designer, Laura Dowling.Igniting... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Nikki Hastings

Dr. Nikki Hastings

Executive Director, CvilleBioHub
Nikki Hastings is an operations biotech executive and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder with over 15 years of experience with early-stage biotech/medtech and medical device companies. She has held executive management roles at companies across multiple industry sectors including HemoShear... Read More →
avatar for Charlie Henneman

Charlie Henneman

Program Director, CvilleBioHub
Charlie Henneman is Program Director at CvilleBioHub where he leads event planning and supports communications and fundraising. From 2004-2021 he was Head of Educational Events for CFA Institute, the largest global association of investment professionals, where his team created and... Read More →
avatar for Bill Hess

Bill Hess

na, na
Bill Hess has been a passionate advocate of sustainability for many years as a designer, engineer and entrepreneur. He has worked as an innovation and design consultant providing support for startups, research projects, and established organizations. Early in his sustainability journey... Read More →
avatar for Michael Holt

Michael Holt

Owner-operator, Traverse Climate
Michael M. P. Holt, a pioneering venture builder and business development expert, is at the forefront of deep-tech innovation, specializing in the commercialization of scientific engineering and frontier technology. As a General Partner at Traverse Ventures, LLC, and the visionary... Read More →
avatar for Pauline Idogho

Pauline Idogho

Founder & CEO, Mocktail Club
Pauline Idogho is the Founder/CEO of Mocktail Club, a line of premium crafted ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by her quest to  find sophisticated and better-for-you alternatives to alcohol. Prior to founding the company, Pauline had a 15-year career in investment... Read More →
avatar for Debbie Irwin

Debbie Irwin

Managing Director, Lighthouse Labs RVA
Debbie Irwin lives for entrepreneurship. Serving as the Managing Director of Lighthouse Labs RVA, an influential accelerator shaping Virginia's entrepreneurial landscape, Debbie gets the opportunity to see entrepreneurs take their ventures to new heights. Along with supporting founders... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Maritza Johnson

Dr. Maritza Johnson

Principal, Good Research
Maritza Johnson is an expert on human-centered security and privacy with industry, teaching, and research experience, she is currently a principal at Good Research. In prior roles, Maritza was the founding director of the Center for Digital Civil Society at the University of San Diego... Read More →
avatar for Marisa Keegan

Marisa Keegan

Chief Strategy Officer, Bookelicious
Marisa Keegan is the Chief Strategy Officer for Bookelicious, an edtech startup focused on improving literacy by using innovation to inspire kids to read. Their research-based, gamified approach to book selection increases reader motivation and engagement by helping students build... Read More →
avatar for Roberta Keller

Roberta Keller

Founder, CEO, Alexis Advisors
Roberta Keller is a thought-leader in building a wealth management social enterprise. Roberta founded Alexis Advisors in 2013 and was the first Certified B Corp financial services firm in the Central Virginia region. The firm offers women and working professionals fee-only financial... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Craig Kent

Dr. Craig Kent

CEO, UVA Health
K. Craig Kent, MD, is chief executive officer of UVA Health and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Virginia. A renowned vascular surgeon, he now oversees an integrated health system that includes a world-class academic medical center and Virginia’s... Read More →
avatar for Andrew Krouse

Andrew Krouse

President and CEO, Slate Bio, Inc.
Andrew Krouse has nearly two decades of Pharma leadership experience with a track record of success as the founder and CEO of venture backed companies including Cavion, Inc.(sold to Jazz Pharma in 2019), GenEp, Inc. and Slate Bio, Inc. Mr. Krouse is also an active investor in Pharma... Read More →
avatar for Viola Llewellyn

Viola Llewellyn

Co-Founder & Manifesting Generator, The Tulle-Box
Before starting The Tulle-Box, Viola Llewellyn spent 20 years in alternative finance and investments; first with an Insurance Investment Firm, and later as the Co-Founder of Ovamba Solutions, Inc., a USA based alternative Trade and Finance FinTech solution for emerging markets... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Jeffrey Lysiak

Dr. Jeffrey Lysiak

Chief Science Officer, PS Fertility
Dr. Lysiak is the Chief Science Officer at PS Fertility. He is an expert in mammalian spermatogenesis with 60 peer-reviewed publications, including 3 in the journal Nature. He has written 3 book chapters, has mentored over a dozen trainees, has been on numerous NIH Study Section panels... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Claire Maiers

Dr. Claire Maiers

Group VP, WillowTree
Claire Maiers, PhD serves as a Group VP in the Strategy Consulting practice at WillowTree. She began her career as a sociologist, studying the intersection of technology and culture. Her research at the University of Virginia explored the emergence of data science as an epistemological... Read More →
avatar for Heidi Nel

Heidi Nel

Chief Operating Officer, New Theory Ventures
Heidi Nel is a strategist and operator whose experience spans entertainment, government affairs, and finance. She serves as Chief Operating Officer at New Theory Ventures, a family office and venture catalyst that invests in women and diverse entrepreneurs, enabling early-stage founders... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Nelsen

Amanda Nelsen

Artist & Educator, University of Virginia & Tandem Friends School
Amanda Nelsen practices and teaches art creation. Her work utilizes ubiquitous materials to reimagine the aesthetics of convenience, respond to our consumer-laden status quo, and explore the care we must take to sustain all living beings. She involves others in the creative process... Read More →
avatar for Neal Piper

Neal Piper

Founder & CEO, Luminoah
Neal Piper is the Founder & CEO of Luminoah, a MedTech company revolutionizing enteral nutrition care through the development of a wearable device and digital health platform. Neal has spent 15 years advancing healthcare across 18 countries, starting at Pfizer's Neuroscience Division... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Liudmyla Prozorovska

Dr. Liudmyla Prozorovska

Founder, CEO/CSO, Scale Materials Inc.
Liudmyla (Liuda) is the founder, CEO, and CSO of Scale Materials, an advanced materials company (based in Charlottesville, VA) that specializes in high-performance polymer coatings and polymer-based mineral capture media. Scale’s performance coatings reduce fuel usage in naval... Read More →
avatar for Meg Pryde

Meg Pryde

Founder/CEO, Brandefy App
avatar for Ali Rotatori

Ali Rotatori

Strategy and Ecosystem Manager, Third Derivative (RMI)
Ali is the Strategy & Ecosystem Manager at Third Derivative, RMI's Climate Tech Accelerator. She focuses on scaling Third Derivative’s impact through developing partnerships and refining & operationalizing organizational strategy.Before joining Third Derivative, Ali spent over 6... Read More →
avatar for Logan Selby

Logan Selby

Founder and CEO, DataShapes
Dr. Logan D. Selby is the Co-Founder and CEO of DataShapes, a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence company that is based in Charlottesville, VA. DataShapes is a products company focused on providing Signal and Waveform SaaS and embeddable solutions to the Defense and Telecommunications... Read More →
avatar for Meg Vorland

Meg Vorland

Chief Revenue Officer, Dcode
Meg Vorland is the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Dcode and a Managing Partner at Dcode Capital. At Dcode she oversees core business functions, strategy, and expansion into new markets, ensuring that operations and products are ready to scale. Meg joined Dcode as part of... Read More →
avatar for Marty Weiner

Marty Weiner

Former CTO Reddit,, Founding Engineer Pinterest
Marty was a founding engineer at Pinterest and spent 4.5 exciting years building Pinterest from tiny to big. In 2015 he joined Reddit as its first CTO tasked with helping bring the company into working order. Much gray hair was created, but now Reddit has even IPO’d and is on the... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Eric Weisel

Dr. Eric Weisel

Senior Associate Vice President for Enterprise Research and Innovation, Old Dominion University
Dr. Eric Weisel leads transformative research enterprises focused on digital technologies. A modeling and simulation (M&S) industry veteran, Dr. Weisel has held research leadership positions, over a span of twenty years, in academic, large-, and small-business technology operations... Read More →
avatar for Tom Weithman

Tom Weithman

Managing Director, Virginia Venture Partners
Tom Weithman is Chief Investment Officer for the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation and Managing Director of Virginia Venture Partners (VVP), a strategic investment platform pursuing complementary direct and indirect investment strategies to further the economic development... Read More →
avatar for Greg Werkheiser

Greg Werkheiser

Cofounder and CEO, ARtGlass
Greg is Co-founder and CEO of ARtGlass, a leading augmented reality (AR) company in the cultural heritage field. Founded by cultural heritage and technology experts, ARtGlass is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and Milan, Italy. ARtGlass was the first AR software company to use... Read More →
Sponsors
Monday March 17, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am EDT
CODE Building

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