Hometown Summit 2017: Full Schedule

6:00pm EDT

Screening and Panel: Seats at the Table

Limited Capacity filling up

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Read more about Seats at the Table on TomTomFest.com.

This feature documentary, currently in production, will present how each group of students—the free and the incarcerated—is equally transformed by this unique educational experience. The film’s mission will be to share this model with educators and correctional policy-makers around the world, inspiring others to replicate this type of program in their own communities. This continues Rosalia Films’ past work (World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements; Holistic Life Foundation: breathing love into a community) of affecting social change through presenting inspiring examples of individuals and their work within their communities.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a 20 year-old college student or a 20 year-old youth in a correctional facility, you know what it feels like to lose someone you love. You know what it feels like to struggle with family situations. You know what it feels like to search to find your place in a world that doesn’t always make that easy.”

Preconceptions of what it means to be an incarcerated youth or a university student are dismantled through a semester of intense and meaningful discussion of classic Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, their timeless human themes, and through the deep relationships that result. Stereotypes are replaced by a much more nuanced understanding of the other set of students and oneself.

“When I walked into that building every Tuesday afternoon, it’s like, I wasn’t locked up. It’s like, for the next three hours I can live. I can be myself. I can open up.”

“Never before have I felt so connected to a class, so motivated to give my all, and so transformed not just as a student but as a human being.”

Wednesday April 12, 2017 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Upstairs Ballroom 215 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Free with Hometown Badge

7:00pm EDT

Future Forum

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See the latest on the Future Forum at TomTomFest.com.

A forum about the Future of Charlottesville—its economy, culture, and community. The region’s most visionary leaders share what they see for the future of the city and how to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship for the decades to come.

Speakers

Lynn Easton

Founder, Easton Events; Easton Porter Group

As the creative force and co-founder of Easton Porter Group, a luxury hospitality company, Lynn Easton provides strategic vision and a well-honed stylistic eye on all elements of design and presentation for its highly acclaimed properties. Lynn’s sophisticated design sensibilities... Read More →

Nikki Hastings

Cofounder, CvilleBioHub

Nikki is an operations executive, engineer, and entrepreneur. Nikki previously served as Vice President of Operations at Hemoshear Therapeutics where she was on the founding team developing the company’s technology, internal processes, and recruiting strategies. Nikki received her... Read More →

Ludwig Kuttner

Cofounder, IX Art Park

A pioneering developer in Downtown Charlottesville and venture capitalist with 50 years of real estate development experience, Ludwig is dedicated to the promotion of arts and culture in Charlottesville. Easily recognizable with his spray of white hair and colorful wardrobe, Ludwig... Read More →

Rick Shannon

Executive Vice President, UVA Health System

Rick Destito is a Real Estate Investor, Social Entrepreneur, and owner of The Gear Factory. The Gear Factory is a 65,000sf building in Syracuse with a remarkable history, modern energy, and a promising future that Rick is steadily redeveloping with green infrastructure and a crowd... Read More →

Mike Signer

Patron, Tom Tom Festival

Mike is VP and GC at WillowTree, LLC, a member of Charlottesville's City Council, and a lecturer at UVA. He served as Mayor of Charlottesville from 2016-2018. He is also the founder and chair of Communities Overcoming Extremism: the After Charlottesville Project (www.overcomingextremism.org... Read More →

Brian Wheeler

Executive Director, Charlottesville Tomorrow

Brian Wheeler was hired as Charlottesville Tomorrow's first Executive Director in 2005. The nonprofit is the trusted source of in-depth information on key quality of life issues in the Charlottesville area. Its award-winning journalism is widely distributed to the public online, in... Read More →

Wednesday April 12, 2017 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge

7:00pm EDT

Screening and Panel: River of Gold

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

$25 | Get Tickets
Email hometown@tomtomfest.com to upgrade to an All Access or Patron Pass

War journalists Ron Haviv and Donovan Webster travel along Peru’s Madre de Dios River to reveal the savage unraveling of pristine rainforest. Peruvian environmental activist and biologist, Enrique Ortiz, guides the team, pointing out the heedless exploitation of the land for minor gain. Miners rush to the Amazon to scrape together enough money to start a business or to feed their family while disregarding the catastrophic consequences to their health and homeland. Vulnerable trees, over one thousand years old, and countless species of plants, animals, and insects, both known to science and yet to be discovered, fall victim to the annihilation as well. Environmental degradation and human degradation are irrevocably intertwined as illegal gold mining is directly tied to corruption, human trafficking, narcotics, and organized crime.
An animated agouti springs to life to tell the story of its ecosystem, as it represents the only species capable of cracking open the Brazil nut and thereby repopulating this essential apex forest tree. The valuable Amazon rainforest is not only being stripped of life, but also forever poisoned with mercury, a by-product of illegal mining practices.
Flash forward four years to a massive intervention by the Peruvian government. What will be the fate of this critical region as these extraordinarily beautiful forests are turned into a hellish wasteland? River of Gold reaffirms the right of the rainforest to exist as a repository of priceless biodiversity and not as the toxic remains of man’s greed for gold.

Speakers

Sarah duPont

President, Amazon Aid Foundation

Sarah duPont is an award-winning humanitarian, educator and filmmaker and is a vocal advocate of ecological preservation. As the President and Founder of the Amazon Aid Foundation, Sarah works with Neotropical scientists to study Amazonian biodiversity with an eye toward educating... Read More →

Enrique Ortiz

Vice President and co-founder, Amazon Conservation Association

Enrique Ortiz was born and raised in Lima, Peru. He is trained as a tropical ecologist (San Marcos University in Lima, and Princeton University), with a long history of research on species and ecological systems in coastal/marine, deserts, highlands and tropical forest ecosystems... Read More →

Wednesday April 12, 2017 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Vinegar Hill Theatre @ Light House Studio 220 West Market Street

Requires Additional Ticket

8:30pm EDT

Oracle: Tarot Opera

Limited Capacity full
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REGISTRATION CLOSED

$25 | Get Tickets
Email hometown@tomtomfest.com to upgrade to an All Access or Patron Pass

A one-time, one-of-a-kind experience… only 72 seats each performance.

The future is unknown, but that does not stop us from seeking insights into the path ahead. In an unusual twist, the creative minds of Victory Hall Opera will mix a night of possibility with performance, allowing the audience to have their fortunes read, but revealing the portents of those divinations only through a custom-chosen aria.This limited engagement and exclusive performance offers audience members the opportunity of having their fortune read and sung to them by some of the world’s premier opera singers.

Speakers

Donna Balson

Pianist

Her operatic engagements have included work with European companies such as Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurter Kammeroper, Düsseldorf Opera and the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart. An avid concert performer and enthusiast for both contemporary and classical music, she has appeared as a soloist... Read More →

Carlton Ford

Baritone

Baritone Carlton Ford is renowned for the dramatic vigor, precision, and natural beauty of his singing. Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “robust baritone with a vibrant stage presence,”Ford is a graduate of both The Juilliard School and Rice University and has performed with... Read More →

Miriam Gordon-Stewart

Soprano

Australian soprano Miriam Gordon-Stewart has gained recognition across four continents for her powerful instrument and dramatic vulnerability, specializing in the repertoire of Wagner and Strauss. Described in the French press as “a genuine singer-actress”, she has performed over... Read More →

Brenda Patterson

Mezzo-Soprano

Virginia-raised mezzo-soprano Brenda Patterson has been at the forefront of contemporary vocal music for over 15 years, recognized as much for her artistic bravery as for the beauty and warmth of her voice. A graduate of The Juilliard School and Barnard College, Brenda was at the... Read More →

Sarah Wolfson

Soprano

A “keenly intelligent artist” (-New York Times), Washington, D.C. native Sarah Wolfson brings to the stage her gifts of dynamic presence and a natural, luxurious instrument. With vitality, wit, and technical precision, she is equally at home singing the leading ladies of Mozart... Read More →

Wednesday April 12, 2017 8:30pm - 9:45pm EDT
Old Metropolitan Hall 101 E Main St.

Requires Additional Ticket

8:00am EDT

Hometown Summit Opening Breakfast

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Join other Hometowners for light breakfast and coffee.

Thursday April 13, 2017 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Meal, Breakfast

8:00am EDT

Thursday Registration

Thursday April 13, 2017 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

9:00am EDT

Cultivating Industries of the Future

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In this session, innovation experts from small cities show us what changes are coming in the next ten years, highlighting the best opportunities for progress and explaining why communities thrive or sputter. They will examine the specific fields and dynamics that will most shape our economic future, including global trade partnerships, advanced manufacturing, cleantech, the next big step for e-commerce, and the coming impact of social transparency on corporate governance and supply chains.

Moderators

Rider Foley

Assistant Professor, UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science

Dr. Rider W. Foley is an assistant professor in the science, technology & society program in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. He is the principal investigator on the ‘4C Project’ on Cultivating Cultures of Ethical STEM education with colleagues... Read More →

Speakers

Ed Harrell

Entrepreneur in Residence, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Ed is an economist with more than 40 years of experience in managing private and public programs in the areas of privatization, technology commercialization, entrepreneurial training, capital market development, private investment in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East... Read More →

Jerry Peng

Founder and ex- CEO, Vastly

Jerry Z. Peng is the Founder and former CEO of Vastly (formerly Tranlin, Inc.). He served previously as managing director with Goldman Sachs (Asia) LLC, based in Hong Kong, managing corporate financing and derivatives business in the Investment Banking Division and corporate sales... Read More →

Megan Robinson

Executive Director, The Collider

Megan Robinson is the Executive Director of The Collider. The Collider is an innovation center for a changing climate, based in Asheville, North Carolina, and is the organizer of ClimateCon 2018. ClimateCon 2018 is convening thought leaders to move the needle on the development of... Read More →

Steve Warner

VP, Global Competitiveness, CRDA

Steve is a senior team member with the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), a public/private economic development partnership that serves as a catalyst for long-term regional prosperity by attracting the world’s best companies, talent and entrepreneurs. Steve serves... Read More →

Volunteers

Katie Deal

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Lewis and Clark Room, Marriott Residence Inn Marriott Residence Inn 315 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

9:00am EDT

Local Insights for the Ideas Ecosystem

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

There is a gap between the worldview of elite policy institutions - “think tanks” - and the concerns of citizens in the United States of America, as could not have been more vividly illustrated than by the 2016 Presidential election. How can organizations explicitly conceived as “universities without students” listen to the rest of the country beyond their walls? There is a real hunger for policy solutions in hundreds of communities across the nation. Can think tanks adapt to meet this opportunity?

Moderators

Hana Passen

Associate Director, New America National Network, New America

Hana Passen is the Associate Director for New America’s National Network. Her responsibilities include project management for the Reinventing the Think Tank Initiative and coordinating New America’s growth into a nationally networked organization.

Speakers

Sheila Dugan

Director of Cities, Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University

Sheila Dugan is Director of Cities at the Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University. Before joining GovEx, Sheila worked on state and national broadband adoption programs. As a 2013 Code for America fellow, Sheila helped the City of Oakland develop RecordTrac... Read More →

Ferki Ferati

President, The Jefferson Educational Society

Dr. Ferki Ferati has been with The Jefferson Educational Society since its founding in 2008. He was appointed as its President in 2017.During his tenure with the Jefferson, Dr. Ferati has supervised more than 900 programs, including the nationally recognized annual Global Summit speaker... Read More →

Jennifer Park

Associate Director, What Works Cities, Results for America

Jennifer Park is the associate director for Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities. She joined What works Cities in April 2015 and is leading the Community of Cities, a peer-learning network for cities. She previously served as coordinator for the Work on Purpose program at Echoing... Read More →

Joda Thongnopnua

Executive Director, Metro Ideas Project

Joda Thongnopnua is the Executive Director of the Metro Ideas Project, a non-profit policy research startup dedicated to bringing smart solutions to the tough challenges facing local governments. Previously, Joda led communications efforts at Lamp Post Group, a venture capital firm... Read More →

Volunteers

Kelsey Huelsman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

9:00am EDT

March of Regress? Understanding Technology and Inequality

Limited Capacity filling up

University of Virginia economics professor James Harrigan has used more than 35 years of data to study economic inequality in the United States, seeking explanations and solutions for the rapidly widening chasm between the very rich and nearly everyone else. He has found that while globalization is part of the story, it is automation that is the primary reason that middle-wage and manufacturing jobs have decreased so drastically. This “table setting” special seminar is a small group dialogue that is designed to allow leaders to reflect and exchange ideas about how these megatrends are affecting their communities, and what can be done to respond.

Moderators

James Harrigan

Professor of Economics, University of Virginia

James Harrigan is a Professor in the Economics Department at the University of Virginia. During the 2012-2013 academic year, he was a Visiting Professor of Economics at Sciences Po in Paris. He conducts research on economic inequality, international trade, and economic geography... Read More →

Volunteers

Bryan VanGronigen

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

9:00am EDT

Reimagining the Suburban Strip: Case Study, Tour, and Charrette

Limited Capacity seats available

This session starts in Room 209 and then moves off-site.

Reimagining the Suburban Strip – A Case Study of Route 29 North in Albemarle County
Sixty years ago, Route 29 North was a rural highway connecting farms to “the city” (Charlottesville). Today, it is the urban heart of Albemarle County, home to its largest commercial corridor. The current built environment, primarily suburban retail strip development, is aging. New roadway improvements, including the grade-separated intersection at Rio Road and the development of a new parallel road network, and new private development in the pipeline, including retail, hospitality, and housing, lay the groundwork for a transformation of this area. Participants will explore themes of placemaking, economic development, and connectivity through this interactive session.

Speakers

Rachel Falkenstein

Senior Planner, County of Albemarle

Emily Kilroy

Director, Communications, Albemarle County

Adam Krason

Architect, Principal, ZMM Architects and Engineers, Charleston Main Streets

Adam Krason serves as a Principal and Architect at ZMM Architects & Engineers and has been involved in the design of a variety of project types including educational facilities (PK-12 and Higher Education), military facilities, and civic buildings. Adam is also involved with a variety... Read More →

Volunteers

Angelina Loverde

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place Tour

10:00am EDT

Do Tax Incentives Stifle Local Business?

Limited Capacity seats available

Some 75 percent of state and local economic development dollars--more than $100 billion--go to fewer than 1000 large corporations, such as oil and coal conglomerates, technology and entertainment companies, and big-box retail chains. But the benefits of the current incentive system are unclear at best. Notably, as much as 90 percent of the apparent direct benefits of such incentives are offset by losses suffered by the subsidized companies’ local competitors. More, the system encourages states, cities, suburbs, and towns to compete with one another for the same pot of dollars. This session tests alternatives to this zero-sum philosophy of economic development: favoring locally owned business, as well as data-driven investments in public services such as education.

Moderators

Joda Thongnopnua

Executive Director, Metro Ideas Project

Speakers

Lauren Gellatly

Community Development Director, Lowcountry Local First

Forever optimistic to change the traditional model of economic development and to prevent Charleston from becoming “Anywhere, USA,” Lauren leads advocacy and community development projects, as well as the Good Business Initiative at Lowcountry Local First (LLF). LLF works with... Read More →

Michael Hendrix

Senior Director, Emerging Issues & Research, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

As the senior director for emerging issues and research at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Michael Hendrix leads the Foundation’s public policy research and outreach. In addition, Hendrix directs the Foundation’s Cities & States Initiative, which educates community leaders... Read More →

Ben Teague

Executive Director, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Over the past 15 years Benjamin has worked to place more than 60 economic development projects and over $1.5 Billion dollars in capital investment in multiple states. Ben has represented economic development organizations and private sector clients on statewide, regional and local... Read More →

Volunteers

Sophie Jule Draine Schectman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room J125 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

10:00am EDT

Know Thy City - Driving Performance with Data

Limited Capacity filling up

“Trust God,” is the new city manager’s mantra. “Everybody else has to bring data.” States and localities are beginning to amass huge amounts of structured and unstructured data, but each community has a slightly different approach, based on its organization and where it is on the journey from warehousing, an early collection step, to visualization and analysis. This panel offers an overview of what’s possible with data and what isn’t; identifies low-hanging fruit for resource strapped local governments and citizen groups; and examines key concerns about cybersecurity and privacy rights.

Moderators

Aaron Renn

Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute

Aaron M. Renn is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and a Contributing Editor at its quarterly magazine City Journal.

Speakers

Alyssa Doom

Open Cities Project Manager, The Sunlight Foundation

Alyssa is the Open Cities Project Manager for Sunlight’s Policy team, helping to advance open data on the local level. In this role, she conducts research and creates resources related to Sunlight’s state and local policy priorities, provides feedback on state and local open data... Read More →

Elizabeth Linos

VP, Head of Research and Evaluation, Behavioral Insights Team, North America

Elizabeth is Vice President and Head of Research and Evaluation at BIT North America. Her research centers on how to improve government performance, with a specific focus on recruiting, retaining and motivating public servants. She has led a series of projects on city-level innovation... Read More →

Jennifer Park

Associate Director, What Works Cities, Results for America

Matt Raifman

Senior Implementation Advisor, GovEx, Johns Hopkins University

Matt has addressed public policy challenges at the local, national, and international levels as an expert in energy and transportation. He is currently a Senior Advisor at the Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University, where he advises cities on implementing... Read More →

Volunteers

Katie Deal

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Lewis and Clark Room, Marriott Residence Inn Marriott Residence Inn 315 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

Tags Know Thy City

10:00am EDT

Finding Your City's Design Identity

Limited Capacity filling up

Every city has a unique history, a distinct vernacular of environment and culture. Owning and expanding this authentic sense of place is critical to how cities carve out compelling identities for current and potential residents. How can your city embrace its own design story as it develops its built environment?

Moderators

Jim Richardson

Senior Associate, VMDO Architects

A Senior Associate at VMDO, Jim strives to find and celebrate the unique qualities of each place in order to create authentic, meaningful, and enduring architecture. Jim’s design work is distinctive for its thoughtful balance of conceptual coherence and resolved ingenuity, founded... Read More →

Speakers

Josh Martin

Senior Advisor to the Mayor, City of Charleston

Named as one of the top 30 young professional urban planners in 2009 by Next American City, Josh Martin possesses over fourteen (14) years of public, private, and non-profit sector urban planning and real estate development management experience. Josh has managed numerous strategic... Read More →

Marie Schacht

Provost, altMBA

Marie leads Seth Godin's altMBA, The Bootstrapper's Workshop and The Marketing Seminar. She believes in a culture of possibility, responsibility and creativity.Marie loves design and making things better. Prior to her work with Seth, she was the director of Hopscotch Design Festival... Read More →

Jason Segedy

Planning Director, City of Akron

Jason Segedy is the Director of Planning and Urban Development for the City of Akron, Ohio. Jason has worked in the urban planning field for the past 21 years. His passion is creating great spaces and places where people can live, work, and play.

Volunteers

Kelsey Huelsman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

10:00am EDT

Innovation and Policy Diffusion

Limited Capacity filling up

One of the benefits of American federalism is the ability for states and localities to try out new policies, keeping the successes, abandoning the failures, and learning from one another. However, in ideologically polarized times, this system of learning and policy diffusion may be under serious strain. Professor Craig Volden has studied legislatures across the United States to understand why some policies diffuse across states and localities while others do not, and how to overcome biases in order to accelerate innovation. This special seminar is opportunity to consider and debate the role of small cities in prototyping policy and absorbing best practices.

Moderators

Craig Volden

Professor of Public Policy and Politics, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Virginia

Craig Volden is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and a professor of public policy and politics, with appointments in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics. He studies legislative politics and the interaction among... Read More →

Volunteers

Jayson White

Oklahoma City, OK, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

10:00am EDT

Does Your City Seduce Talent?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Cities power economic progress by driving artistic, technological, and overall growth at one and the same time. Arts and culture play key roles in attracting skilled people who in turn power innovation, firm formation and economic growth and development. The role of quality of life and amenities in attracting workers and spurring growth trumps even job opportunities. Join these civic entrepreneurs for a conversation about how cities entice and retain a skilled workforce through a civic culture of engagement, inspiration, and opportunity that build an emotional attachment to their communities.

Moderators

Chip Ransler

Exec Director, HackCville

Chip is a multi-time founder and teacher of entrepreneurship. He's currently leading HackCville's efforts to be a next-generation provider of education and talent for growing economies.

Speakers

Rick Destito

Owner, dreamer, doer, The Gear Factory

KamranV

Bedrock.LA

CyKiK founder and Arts Technologist KamranV builds elegant bridges between the real and the ideal. His current obsessions are holograms, automated commerce, and quadraphonic music. Recent explorations include reimagining Moogfest, co-creating the SONOS studio and producing Suzanne... Read More →

Joe Poeschl

Cofounder, The Commons

After graduating from Marquette and MIAD in 2008, Joe Poeschl founded a web software design and development consultancy, where he lead the product design, project management and business strategy for web startups across the country. Joe also co-founded Startup Milwaukee, an organization... Read More →

Volunteers

Bryan VanGronigen

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

11:00am EDT

Does Your City Have a Brand?

Limited Capacity filling up

When people see a product that was made in your city, what comes to their minds? What story does your city tell about its identity and history through its consumer-facing products? Chat with a group of entrepreneurs and organizers who became brand architects for their communities, and hear what they learned about customers and culture through the process.

Moderators

Lucy Meade

Director of marketing and development, Venture Richmond

Speakers

Jason Bannon

Director, Marketing & Communications, Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Jason Bannon leads marketing and communications for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the most active seed and early-stage investor in technology-focused enterprises in Greater Philadelphia. An ever-curious student for how brand stories evolve, he has... Read More →

Chris Fowler

Executive Director, SyracuseFirst

Chris Fowler is the Founder & Executive Director of SyracuseFirst, a not for profit organization of over 425 Locally Owned and Independent businesses dedicated to building a sustainable economy where local businesses thrive and prevent chain proliferation and other trends from displacing... Read More →

Chris Horne

Publisher, The Devil Strip; Unbox Akron

A former tutor, salesman, waiter, youth minister and reporter, Chris Horne started "The Devil Strip" as an Akron, Ohio-lovin' arts and culture print magazine that practices narrative placemaking to build community instead of an audience.

Volunteers

Kelsey Huelsman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

11:00am EDT

Equity by Design

Limited Capacity filling up

Designers often operate under the assumption that their intention to work in the public interest makes their work inherently good, but this is not enough. Design professionals must be more reflective about what they hope to achieve, and more honest about what they actually do achieve. How might designers move beyond focusing on process or product to address outcomes? How can they hold up new voices and perspectives that can help them innovate around equity? Fundamentally, how might design professionals deliver on the promise of design engagement as a tool in the fight for social justice?

Moderators

Barbara Brown Wilson

Assistant Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning, UVA

Dr. Wilson’s research and teaching focus on sustainable community development, especially in economically and/or environmentally vulnerable communities, and on the history of urban social movements.

Speakers

Sarah Corlett

Director, Design Impact

Sarah Corlett specializes in community economic development and works with non-profits to apply creative, design based approaches when solving complicated social issues. In 2011, she joined ArtWorks in Cincinnati to develop, launch and manage ArtWorks’ business development program... Read More →

Liz Ogbu

Founder + Principal, Studio O

I'm a designer, urbanist, and spatial justice activist. An architect by training, my passion is around engaging and transforming unjust urban environments. I work primarily with communities who have been marginalized, ignored or silenced, and I view my purpose as helping to shape... Read More →

Dan Pitera

Executive Director, Detroit Collaborative Design Center

Dan Pitera is a political and social activist masquerading as an architect. He is the Executive Director of the Detroit Collaborative Design Center at the Detroit Mercy School of Architecture. Mr. Pitera holds the position that the future and sustainability of any neighborhood lies... Read More →

Volunteers

Katie Deal

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Lewis and Clark Room, Marriott Residence Inn Marriott Residence Inn 315 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

11:00am EDT

Climate Adaptation and Resillience

Limited Capacity seats available

Feedback Survey

The effects of human-induced climate change are being felt in every corner of the United States, with water growing scarcer in dry regions, torrential rains increasing in wet regions, heat waves becoming more common and more severe, and wildfires growing worse. These weather events destroy homes, disrupt commerce, and wipe out infrastructure. Hear how communities on the front lines are experiencing climate change and how, by adapting to cope with its effects, communities, enterprises and institutions can build up their climate change resilience.

Moderators

Ben McFarlane

Senior Regional Planner, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

Mr. Benjamin J. McFarlane has been with the HRPDC since 2008, first as a Physical and Environmental Planner and currently as a Regional Planner. During his tenure he has worked on several major projects, including a plan for the Northwest River Watershed in Chesapeake, Virginia and... Read More →

Speakers

Jori Erdman

Professor, LSU School of Architecture

Jori Erdman is a Professor in School of Architecture at Louisiana State University and member of the Executive Advisory Committee for the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio. She was the Design Editor of the Journal of Architectural Education from 2007

Omar Hakeem

Design Director, buildingcommunityWORKSHOP

Omar Hakeem, AIA, is Design Director at buildingcommunityWORKSHOP. His work is focused on bringing greater social and environmental equity through thoughtful design and planning as well as a building a robust organizational design practice. Through these efforts he has completed award-winning... Read More →

Josh Martin

Senior Advisor to the Mayor, City of Charleston

Volunteers

Sophie Jule Draine Schectman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room J125 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

Tags Know Thy City

11:00am EDT

Know Thy City: Ideas to Action

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Data is everywhere - whether it’s generated by automated systems operating in real time or locked away in a row of filing cabinets - that can potentially tell us how our cities are performing and changing. But particularly in small cities, the staff capacity, strategy, and political will to harness this information for better decision making often falls short of futuristic predictions. Over the last year Josh Edwards has led Durham to become a What Works City and a Bloomberg Innovation team grant award winner. This session is an opportunity to share ideas and experiences in improving Performance Management culture and how to shift from internal improvement to also looking beyond organizational walls to tackling broader community challenges.

Moderators

Josh Edwards

Strategic Initiatives Manager, City of Durham, NC

Josh Edwards is the City of Durham’s Strategic Initiatives Manager and leads the Office of Performance and Innovation (OPI). The OPI team helps all 24 departments accomplish Durham’s “One Vision and Five Goals,” by advancing the City’s Strategic Plan, providing a framework... Read More →

Volunteers

Jayson White

Oklahoma City, OK, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

11:00am EDT

Upskilling Adult Workers

Limited Capacity filling up

In the coming decades working adults will need to learn new skills suited to a very different employment landscape. In the bygone era of lifelong job tenure, unions and employers often negotiated training and advancement opportunities for workers, but that system has declined steeply over the past four decades. What sort of education can engage and retrain the low- and middle-skilled workers whose livelihoods are most threatened by technology today?

Moderators

Ridge Schuyler

Dean of Community Self-Sufficiency Programs, Piedmont Virginia Community College

Ridge Schuyler graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia School of Law. Ridge spent 10 years on Capitol Hill serving as Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher and Chief Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb of Virginia.In 2011, Ridge... Read More →

Speakers

Dana Calder

Campus Director, The Iron Yard

Dana is the Campus Director for The Iron Yard Durham. She supports students transitioning into a career as junior software developers after completing the 12 week immersive program. She has worked in educational sales and support which included managing a large territory to drive... Read More →

Ace Epps

Akron BMe Community Manager, BMe Community

Certified facilitator, entrepreneur, social activist, community builder and artist/ poet. Ace has over 15 years experience working for nonprofit organizations that focus on entrepreneurship and job readiness training for returning citizens. He has started his own business called the... Read More →

Volunteers

Bryan VanGronigen

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

12:00pm EDT

Civic Entrepreneurship: Changing the Way We Change the World

Limited Capacity seats available

Successful entrepreneurship sets off a chain reaction, encouraging other entrepreneurs to iterate upon and ultimately propagate innovation to the point of “creative destruction,” rendering existing products, services, and business models obsolete. We've seen this domino of accelerating innovation at work in the private sector - and our public sector and civic institutions can't keep up. Hear from these policy entrepreneurs and civic innovators about how their work bridges the gap and changes the game.

Moderators

Roger Dean Huffstetler

Senior Advisor, Tom Tom Founders Festival

Roger Dean “RD” Huffstetler is Senior Advisor to the Hometown Summit, leading strategic partnerships and organizational performance. RD comes to Charlottesville from serving as Chief of Staff to Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA), a fellow Marine he came to know in graduate school... Read More →

Speakers

Steven Olikara

President and Co-Founder, Millennial Action Project

Steven is Founder & President of Millennial Action Project (MAP), the largest national, nonpartisan organization activating young policymakers in the U.S. Working with over 500 young lawmakers through “Future Caucuses” in state legislatures and Congress, MAP develops the next... Read More →

Laura Weidman Powers

Co-founder and CEO, CODE2040

Laura Weidman Powers is the co-founder and CEO of CODE2040, a nonprofit that creates pathways to success in the innovation economy for Blacks and Latino/as. She brings to this work a background in entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, youth development, and technology. Laura and... Read More →

Mayor Levar Stoney

Mayor, City of Richmond, VA

Levar Stoney was raised in Virginia by his grandmother and his father, a custodian. A product of Virginia public schools, Levar grew up on free and reduced lunch and was the first in his family to earn a high school diploma. He went on to graduate from James Madison University, before... Read More →

Volunteers

Sophie Jule Draine Schectman

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership Plenary

1:00pm EDT

Hometown Summit Lunch

Limited Capacity filling up

Casual buffet lunch.

Thursday April 13, 2017 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Meal

1:00pm EDT

Machine Learning Conference

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

$30 | Get your tickets
Email hometown@tomtomfest.com to upgrade to an All Access or Patron Pass.

Virginia and Charlottesville have seen a blossoming of exciting machine learning work emerging from academia, startups and government endeavours. This one-day event will highlight novel and applied machine learning research that brings together this growing community. See the latest on this event at TomTomFest.com.

FORMAT
Keynotes: The conference will begin with a keynote presentation that highlights new research challenges motivated by data science and machine learning and explores applications in the real world.
Flash Talks: A series of eight rapid fire talks will highlight the strides being made in data science and specifically with machine learning.

STEERING COMMITTEE
Michael Prichard– Founder, Metis Machine
Reginald Leonard – Assistant Director for Career Services, UVA Data Science Institute
Daniel Bailey– Founding Partner, Astraea
Patrick Harrison– Lead Data Scientist, S&P Global Market Intelligence
Sean Gorman – Product Manager, DigitalGlobe
Renee Teate– Data Scientist, HelioCampus

Thursday April 13, 2017 1:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Violet Crown Cinema 200 W Main St

Requires Additional Ticket

1:45pm EDT

Preparing Youth for an Unknowable Future

REGISTRATION CLOSED

How might youth meaningfully prepare for an unknowable future? What should our students be learning in order to become informed and active citizens of the 'real world?' How might we empower our students to be the leaders of today and tomorrow? Panelists will share their various perspectives from working in government, education, and more to inform and inspire our 700+ student audience.

This session is part of the Youth Summit, where students, educators, and civic leaders from across Virginia assemble to hear stories from young speakers and participate in high energy challenges that spark entrepreneurial problem solving. The Youth Summit is designed by local high school students who actively engage entrepreneurial skills through a multi-month design process facilitated by Tom Tom and the student-founded ReinventED Lab.

Speakers

Steven Olikara

President and Co-Founder, Millennial Action Project

Laura Weidman Powers

Co-founder and CEO, CODE2040

Zaakir Tameez

Student, University of Virginia

Thursday April 13, 2017 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge

2:00pm EDT

Getting It Right: Downtown Development Districts

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Join real estate and economic development champions who have spurred hundreds of millions in public and private capital investment to their cities’ commercial business districts and other neighborhoods for a conversation about stimulating job growth and improved vitality in urban cores. Learn how they assisted municipalities in strengthening neighborhoods while harnessing the attraction that vibrant downtowns hold for talented people, innovative small businesses, and residents from all walks of life.

Moderators

Jim Cheng

Board Member, Tom Tom Foundation

Current Angel Investor, CAV Angels, Executive Lecturer at UVA SEAS on Entrepreneurship, of Counsel to Lee & Hayes PLLC. Former VA Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Exited Tech Entrepreneur. MBA, UVA Darden; JD, Georgetown Law; BS Comp Sci ODU.

Speakers

Ric Cavender

Executive Director, Charleston Main Streets

Ric is the Executive Director of Charleston Main Streets, the city’s community & economic development agency focused on the East End and West Side Urban business districts. Since the programs' inceptions, the districts have experienced public and private investments totaling over... Read More →

Bradley Jones

President and CEO, Harristown Development Corporation

Bradley R. Jones—Biography President and CEO Harristown Enterprises Inc. Effective January, 2015 Brad became President and CEO of Harristown Enterprises, Inc. He oversees the ownership and management of over 2.5 Million s.f. of real estate, including about 60 retail and commercial... Read More →

Ben Teague

Executive Director, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Steve Warner

VP, Global Competitiveness, CRDA

Volunteers

Jayson White

Oklahoma City, OK, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

2:00pm EDT

What Role Should Universities Play in Cities?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

What role should our universities play in the 21st century? Do we need a new generation of land-grant institutions? Are our current institutions of higher education fulfilling their educational missions? Additionally, what responsibility do universities have to the cities in which they exist, and the populations that they employ? This session takes a close look at a variety of models for high-impact town-gown collaboration, including tech transfer and venture creation, working world-class cultural amenities into the urban fabric, equitable statewide employment, and co-investment in downtown renewal.

Moderators

William Sherman

Associate VP for Research, University of Virginia

William Sherman is the Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Professor of Architecture, Associate Vice President for Research in Design, Arts and Humanities, and the Founding Director of OpenGrounds at the University of Virginia. As an architect and educator, his teaching and design research examine... Read More →

Speakers

Sarah Cunningham

Executive Director of Research, School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University

As Executive Director of Research at VCU School of the Arts, Dr. Cunningham works with the school, faculty, and students to expand VCU’s presence as an international leader in arts research.Prior to VCU Arts, Dr. Cunningham served as the Director for Arts Education at the National... Read More →

Scott Selig

Associate Vice President For Capital Assets, Duke Financial Services, Real Estate

Scott Selig, is the Associate Vice President of Capital Assets and Real for Duke University and the Duke Health. Scott has 30 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors of the commercial real industry .Scott is charged with developing and implementing the overall... Read More →

Elizabeth Smyth

Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures

Elizabeth Smyth serves as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. In this role, she works to ensure that JHTV’s resources are deployed effectively to enhance commercialization activities across the university and economic development regionally... Read More →

Volunteers

Hung Truong

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

2:00pm EDT

How Do Cities Create Vital Public Art?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Keith Haring said that, “the public needs art, and it is the responsibility of a ‘self-proclaimed artist’ to realize that the public needs art.” Perhaps it is equally the responsibility of a community to realize that it needs artists, but the process of curating culture is fraught and often bogged down by process. What do we know about public art that inspires, and what does that look like in small cities? This session explores creative ecosystems holistically, from artisans, to arts programming, to events, to citywide murals.

Moderators

Mickael Broth

Co-Founder, Welcoming Walls

Mickael Broth is a Richmond Virginia-based artist, muralist, and writer. Broth moved to Richmond in 2001 with the intention of painting as much graffiti as possible. His involvement in vandalism was halted abruptly with his arrest in 2004 and subsequent ten-month jail term for his... Read More →

Speakers

Monica Diodati

Project Manager, Better Block

Monica joined Better Block in 2014 as communications director, and began managing projects in 2015. She also organizes outdoor markets under her company, Little D Markets, and runs a nonprofit that raises awareness for the Trinity River in Dallas.

Nicole Mullett

Executive Director, Arts Now

Nicole Mullet serves as the Executive Director of ArtsNow, an organization which seeks to support arts, culture & community in Summit County, Ohio. Nicole is passionate about connecting people to places with an eye on talent attraction and retention.

Marie Schacht

Provost, altMBA

Dan Swartz

Founder/Curator, Wunderkammer Company

Dan Swartz is an artist, entrepreneur, and writer based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the past Swartz has worked with nonprofit and for profit art spaces, equity and venture capital firms, and economic development agencies. Currently, Swartz is building a creative community through WunderkammerCompany... Read More →

Volunteers

Kate LeCroy

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

2:00pm EDT

The UX of Unemployment

Limited Capacity filling up

It’s bad enough to be out of work, but try filing for unemployment benefits, finding job openings that fit your skill sets, navigating public transit to get to job interviews, going through training that may or may not result in a job, and getting bumped off benefits for taking gigs that could lead to full-time employment. This is the “UX” of unemployment, and it’s broken. The good news is that cities, communities, and employers have the power to revolutionize the unemployment experience--and at a relatively low cost--by making use of a more user-driven mindset.

Moderators

Alex Johnston

CEO, Cities Reimagined LLC

Alex Johnston is the founder of Cities Reimagined, a civic engagement firm that equips mayors and city leaders with low-cost, data driven solutions to urban challenges like income inequality, workforce gaps, and rising poverty rates.

Speakers

Edward Boyd

Chief Strategy Officer, iNvictus Group Holdings

Edward R. Boyd, Jr. is a lifelong serial entrepreneur, educator and executive. He has owned childcare facilities, taught in public and charter schools and served in the non-profit sector primarily working with urban adolescents, focusing on national and neighborhood gang prevention... Read More →

Dan Cowen

Daniel Cowen is the Deputy Director of Economic Inclusion at CenterState CEO and is responsible for helping shape the mission, vision and goals of the portfolio. Daniel also works with staff in implementing, sustaining, and scaling the portfolio’s successful programs: Work Train... Read More →

Elizabeth Linos

VP, Head of Research and Evaluation, Behavioral Insights Team, North America

Volunteers

Kirtana Pathak

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room J125 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

2:35pm EDT

Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Education and Youth Agency

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Inspire and be inspired ath the Youth Summit. Students, educators, and civic leaders from across Virginia assemble to hear stories from young speakers and participate in high energy challenges that spark entrepreneurial problem solving. The Youth Summit is designed by local high school students who actively engage entrepreneurial skills through a multi-month design process facilitated by Tom Tom and the student-founded ReinventED Lab.

Speakers

Governor Terry McAuliffe

Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia

Terry McAuliffe is the 72nd Governor of Virginia. Since being sworn-into office, Governor McAuliffe has aggressively focused on building a new Virginia economy. Whether traveling to Bedford or Beijing, Governor McAuliffe has made it clear that his number one priority is economic... Read More →

Thursday April 13, 2017 2:35pm - 3:15pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge

3:00pm EDT

City As Software

Limited Capacity filling up

Technology in government has reached an inflection point. With states and localities themselves spending nearly $100 billion annually on IT, the public sector has always been a massive consumer of technology and a major market for the companies serving them. But over the last several years there has been a fundamental shift in what was a surprisingly staid market. Gov tech is a growing portfolio of truly scalable, digital solutions addressing the tough, complicated problems that governments face, from health care and public finance to urban planning and public safety. It combines public-sector mission and private-sector entrepreneurship and innovation, bringing with it engineering prowess and financial resources otherwise unavailable to government. Meet entrepreneurs and activists on the cutting edge of this uniquely disruptive moment in the evolution of technology and the relationship between public and private sectors.

Moderators

Emefa Addo Agawu

Program Associate for the Cybersecurity Initiative, New America

Emefa Agawu is a program associate in New America's Cybersecurity Initiative, where she runs a project on State and Local Cybersecurity. She joins New America from Princeton University, where she worked for Dr. Jake Shapiro on the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC) Project at the... Read More →

Speakers

Sheila Dugan

Director of Cities, Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University

Bratton Riley

CEO, Citibot

Bratton Riley is the CEO of Citibot, LLC in Charleston, SC, a software product that enhances the civic engagement experience by connecting citizens and their governments through the Text and Messenger App platforms. Bratton Riley led Business Development for Maybank Industries, LLC... Read More →

Caroline Smith

Co-Director of Marketing, SeeClickFix

Caroline Smith is a community organizer working with many others to build towards a vision of a more equitable, connected Yale-New Haven community. After graduating from Yale University, she works as the Co-Director of Marketing at SeeClickFix — a civic technology company that connects... Read More →

Volunteers

Jayson White

Oklahoma City, OK, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

3:00pm EDT

Can Local Media Change the Narrative of a City?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Feedback Survey

Many cities are gripped by negative narratives. Whether it’s “town and gown don’t mix” or “this is where the factory used to be,” there are a host of backward-looking stories that define our communities. Local media--whether it’s an arts and culture weekly highlighting a city’s restaurants and galleries, or local news coverage that engages citizens in zoning decisions--can help cities overcome stale and unproductive identities, and engage citizens in positive narratives about where they live. Join these local media leaders for a conversation about the importance of vibrant journalism--and how it can thrive in an era of diminishing ad revenue.

Moderators

Brian Wheeler

Executive Director, Charlottesville Tomorrow

Speakers

Chris Horne

Publisher, The Devil Strip; Unbox Akron

Ben Speggen

Contributing Editor, Erie Reader

At the Erie Reader, Erie’s independent alternative publication, he currently serves as a Contributing Editor. There, he authors in-depth features and occasional op-eds amongst other things, covering Erie’s political scene to urban development to innovation and more. Ben’s been... Read More →

Kent Wyatt

Co-Founder, Engaging Local Government Leaders

Kent is the co-founder of the Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). ELGL is a nationwide organization of more than 1,900 members from 40 states who are committed to connecting, educating, and communicating with all stakeholders in the local government arena.

Volunteers

Kirtana Pathak

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room J125 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

3:00pm EDT

The Shape of Things to Come: How Land Use Policy Can Help or Hinder Your City's Entrepreneurs

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Do your zoning codes allow for mixed-use buildings, in which a shop owner runs her business on the first floor and lives upstairs? Would current codes allow for a vacant home to be turned into a store? Are food trucks permitted in your community? Can people manufacture things within your city’s limits? Buying, renting or renovating a building for a new business can be extremely costly. If your community allows for the creative use of space, diverse income streams, and smaller options than the typical stand-alone store, you’ve lowered the barriers to entry for small business owners.

Moderators

Scott Beyer

Founder, Market Urbanism Report

Scott Beyer is a journalist who focuses on urban American issues. He writes columns for Forbes and Governing Magazine, and is the editor of daily content at MarketUrbanism.com. He is currently on a 3-year cross-country trip--living for a month each in 30 different U.S. cities--to... Read More →

Speakers

Jonathan Coppage

Visiting Senior Fellow, R Street Institute

Jonathan Coppage is a visiting senior fellow with the R Street Institute, where he studies regulatory obstacles to the traditional, walkable neighborhood development patterns that strengthen communities both socially and fiscally. He is a contributing editor to The American Conservative... Read More →

Michael Hendrix

Senior Director, Emerging Issues & Research, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Lee Wellington

Executive Director, Urban Manufacturing Alliance

Lee Wellington has dedicated her career to industrial and community development for over a decade. Before joining the UMA as our Founding Executive Director, Lee directed a New York City Council Member’s legislative priorities and land use decisions as Chief of Staff; helped create... Read More →

Volunteers

Hung Truong

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

3:00pm EDT

Finding the Political Will for Change

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Partisanship in recent years has reached its most extreme levels on record. Numerous polarizing forces, worsened by fear-based campaign fundraising and media echo chambers, have served as a barrier to what we elected our leaders to do: govern. That makes our society terribly vulnerable at a moment when we face historic challenges to our institutions and economy. So what can we do to combat extreme partisanship and restore a governing system that works? Steven Olikara, founder of the Millennial Action Project, suggests that the path forward lies in a post-partisan agenda championed by a new generation of political leaders. This session is an opportunity to understand the current political crisis, and discover opportunities for forward momentum.

Moderators

Steven Olikara

President and Co-Founder, Millennial Action Project

Volunteers

Margaret Chen

Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Carver Recreation Center Classroom Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

3:00pm EDT

The Public Library in 2030

Limited Capacity seats available

There are more libraries in the United States--over 9,000--than there are McDonald's restaurants. This tremendous infrastructure of tax-supported learning institutions blossomed around the turn of the last century, as a resource allowing children and adults not only to improve their literacy, but to gain the knowledge required by the emerging trades of the modern industrial era. As our country enters a new era of technological and economic change, how can libraries once again emerge as “lyceums”--centers of education, skill development, and civic association?

Moderators

Amy Garmer

Director, Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries, The Aspen Institute

Amy Garmer is the Director of the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries, a multi-year initiative on the future of public libraries created in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that brings together leaders, visionaries and practitioners from diverse stakeholder... Read More →

Speakers

David Farnan

Library & Arts Director, City of Boulder

David is the library and arts director for the City of Boulder. He has worked in libraries for 20+ years and holds a masters in library and information science from Florida State University and bachelors in history from the University of Missouri.

Corinne Hill

Executive Director, Chattanooga Public Library

Volunteers

Kate LeCroy

Scribe, Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

4:00pm EDT

Jane's Walk: Strategic Investment Area

Jane's Walk is a movement of free, citizen-led walking tours inspired by Jane Jacobs. The walks get people to tell stories about their communities, explore their cities, and connect with neighbours. This Walk explores the Strategic Investment Area, an initiative to identify and shape potential redevelopment opportunities in a 330-acre section of Central Charlottesville into a walkable, mixed-income, and mixed-use neighborhood. Current residential areas include two Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority sites and the subsidized Friendship Court community. Led by City Councilor and Architect Kathy Galvin, entrepreneur and resident of Friendship Court, Toni Eubanks, and Piedmont Housing Alliance Community Organizer and urban planner, Claudette Grant, this walk explores the tensions between an opportunity for progress and fears of displacement. MEET IN THE AUDITORIUM OF THE JSAAHC.

Moderators

Toni Eubanks

Owner, Push Mommies

Toni Eubanks is the owner of Push Mommies, an in-home daycare service with the mission to help families who are struggling with affordable childcare. A native of Charlottesville, Toni has been an advocate for her community as the former Youth Program Coordinator for the Piedmont Housing... Read More →

Kathleen Galvin

Architect and City Councilor, Galvin Architects and Charlottesville City Council

Ms. Galvin is a registered architect with her own practice in Virginia. She’s been a lead urban designer on such projects as the Crozet Master Plan, Old Trail Village, and the Places29 Master Plan and Transportation Study and is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Virginia... Read More →

Claudette Grant

Community Organizer, Piedmont Housing Alliance

As a Community Organizer with Piedmont Housing Alliance, Claudette designs, organizes and sustains a framework for resident participation in the planning for redevelopment of Friendship Court, a low–income housing development located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Claudette has nearly... Read More →

Volunteers

Margaret Chen

Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Meet in Auditorium, JSAAHC

Tour, Walking

4:00pm EDT

Tom Tom Pub Crawl

This pub crawl features bars crafting specialty “Tom Tom” cocktails made with local spirits and ingredients, as part of our Craft Cocktail competition. Patrons will vote for their favorites throughout the week, and a panel of judges will also crown a winner. The winning cocktail and mixologist will be announced at the end of the festival.

Thursday April 13, 2017 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Location TBD

Tour, Walking

4:00pm EDT

Tour of the University of Virginia

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Opened in 1825 and still the historic and ceremonial core of the University of Virginia, the Academical Village represents Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a holistic learning environment carried beyond the classroom. Jefferson was influenced by Palladio and Greco-Roman architecture and consulted with architects William Thornton and Benjamin Latrobe on the design. His plan consists of a 200-foot wide open lawn, set into three tiers and lined with deciduous trees, with rows of interconnected buildings enclosing the long east and west sides and the Rotunda anchoring the northern edge. Jefferson’s Rotunda was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and served as the school’s library. This UNESCO World Heritage Site remains a working residence for students and faculty to this day. Tour “the Lawn” and “Grounds” with current Wahoos.

Volunteers

Carolyn Hawkes

Elizabeth Weller

Volunteer

Thursday April 13, 2017 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Meet in Auditorium, JSAAHC

Tour, UVA, Walking

6:00pm EDT

Innovations in Energy: The Future of Renewables

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

See the latest on Innovations in Energy: The Future of Renewables at TomTomFest.com.

This 90 minute program will feature two distinguished keynotes: Lester Brown and Jerome Ringo.

Lester Brown, Founder of Earth Policy Institute, is one of the world’s most widely published authors, including the instant classic, Eco-Economy: Building and Economy for the Earth. Jerome Ringo, Founder and Chairman of Zoetic Energy, has led two of the largest environmental organizations, National Wildlife Federation and the Apollo Alliance, both of which have millions of members.

Charlottesville is growing as a renewable energy hub, where strategic and innovative research and local entrepreneurship are shaping the region’s startup brand and having global impact. Innovations in Energy will showcase advances in clean energy and feature renewable energy leaders in the region through a keynote panel of entrepreneurs, academics, and policy makers, followed by “flash talks” of big ideas.

Speakers

Lester Brown

The Washington Post calls Lester Brown “one of the world’s most influential thinkers.” The Telegraph of Calcutta refers to him as “the guru of the environmental movement.” In 1986, the Library of Congress requested his personal papers noting that his writings “have already... Read More →

Patrick Hopkins

Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science

Eric Loth

Professor of Engineering and Chair of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia

UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science; Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Rich Allevi

Co-founder and Director of Operations, Sun Tribe Solar

As Co-founder and Director of Operations at Sun Tribe Solar, Rich Allevi uses his extensive industry experience to manage the overall growth strategy of the company. Through his efforts in the development and continual improvement of internal processes, as well as his ability to identify... Read More →

Jerome Ringo

Jerome Ringo is the founder and chairman of Zoetic Energy, a leading edge renewable energy developer. Zoetic is the culmination of Mr. Ringo’s life’s long work to promote sustainable development through the use of clean technology solution. He is an internationally recognized... Read More →

Thursday April 13, 2017 6:00pm - 7:30pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge

8:00pm EDT

Innovations in Democracy: First 100 Days of Trump

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Read more about "Innovations in Democracy: First 100 Days of Trump" on TomTomFest.com.

April 13 is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Charlottesville, Virginia was his home, alongside three other Founding Fathers whose influence on American democracy is difficult to overstate. At the sixth annual Tom Tom Founders Festival, we will sit down with some of the nation’s leading presidential scholars and journalists covering the White House to assess President Trump at 100 Days, the state of American democracy, where we’re headed, and what some of the big ideas are for our collective future.

Segment 1: Keynote ConversationKeynote Speakers include Mark Warner, United States Senator, and Bill Antholis, Director and CEO of the Miller Center.
Segment 2: BackStory Panel on History of Media and the Presidency BackStory’s Ed Ayers and Brian Balogh welcome Christa Dierksheide, a historian at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, to a panel discussion on the “History of Media and the Presidency.”
Segment 3: Miller Center – Innovations in the Media Speakers will include Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent of The New York Times; Chris Cillizza, political commentator and writer of “The Fix” at the Washington Post; Russell Riley, co-director of the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center; Douglas A. Blackmon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and host of the Miller Center’s American Forum TV program; and Nicole Hemmer, columnist for US News & World Report and Vox.com and assistant professor of presidential studies at the Miller Center.

Speakers

Bill Antholis

Miller Center at the University of Virginia, Director and CEO

Bill Antholis serves as Director and CEO of the Miller Center, a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy, and political history. Immediately prior, he served as managing director at The Brookings Institution from... Read More →

Ed Ayers

President Emeritus and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities, University of Richmond

Ed Ayers is President Emeritus and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities at the University of Richmond. He is also former Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of History at the University of Virginia and winner of the 2013 National Humanities Medal. Ed Ayers... Read More →

Peter Baker

Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times covering President Donald J. Trump. He previously covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for The Times and The Washington Post winning the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished... Read More →

Brian Balogh

Compton Professor and Chair of the National Fellowship Program, Miller Center of Public Affairs

Brian Balogh is Compton Professor and Chair of the National Fellowship Program at UVa’s Miller Center of Public Affairs and Professor in the Department of History at the University of Virginia. Brian Balogh is the author of The Associational State: American Governance in the Twentieth... Read More →

Douglas A. Blackmon

Executive Producer, American Forum

Douglas A. Blackmon is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer and filmmaker. His first book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, won the Pulitzer-Prize in 2009. He is currently host and executive producer of the nationally broadcast... Read More →

Chris Cillizza

Journalist and Political Commentator, The Washington Post

Chris Cillizza writes “The Fix,” a politics blog for The Washington Post covering American electoral politics, the White House, gubernatorial, and Congressional elections. He also hosts the Ciquizza podcast. Cillizza frequently appears as a guest on various news outlets including... Read More →

Senator Mark Warner

Virginia, United States Senate

The first in his family to graduate from college, Mark Warner spent 20 years as a successful technology entrepreneur and business leader in Virginia before he was elected Governor in 2001. When he left the Governor’s Office in 2006, Virginia was ranked as the best state for business... Read More →

Thursday April 13, 2017 8:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge

8:00am EDT

Hometown Summit Breakfast

Limited Capacity seats available

Join other Hometowners for light breakfast and coffee.

Friday April 14, 2017 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Meal

8:00am EDT

Friday Registration

Pick up your pre-printed badge, lanyard, and other materials at registration.

Friday April 14, 2017 8:00am - 2:00pm EDT
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

8:30am EDT

Expanding Access to Capital in Small Cities

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Seventy-three percent of capital in the U.S. flows into three square miles of California. That means there’s a huge opportunity for value investing in under-resourced communities around the country. This session looks at different types of capital, from micro-grants for social entrepreneurs, to loans for small business, to angel funding for startups, to the world of larger funds for scalable ventures. Seeking to move beyond the “one size fits all” approach, this conversation also examines which situations require more funding, and which situations might be better served by other forms of capital, such as partnerships, training, or space.

Moderators

Ross Baird

Founder and Executive Director, Village Capital

Ross Baird is the founder and Executive Director of Village Capital, an organization that sources, trains, and invests in entrepreneurs solving major global challenges, using a peer review process that delivers better results for entrepreneurs and investors. Founded in 2009, Village Capital has supported over 500 entrepreneurs that have gone on to... Read More →

Speakers

Jessica Feingold

Senior Development Manager, Kiva

Jess Feingold helps great social entrepreneurs grow their impact. With Kiva, she has been a driving force in scaling Kiva US to new cities including New York City, Milwaukee, Baltimore, and Columbus and launching corporate engagement programs that give employees a chance to lend directly... Read More →

Ryan Frew

Associate Director, Duke Angel Network

Ryan Frew is the Associate Director of the Duke Angel Network, which facilitates investments in early-stage companies with an affiliation with Duke University on behalf of Duke-affiliated angel investors. He is responsible for the sourcing, due diligence, and execution of investments... Read More →

Ryan Glenn

Director of Statewide Initiatives, Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Ryan Glenn serves as Director of Statewide Initiatives for the Ben Franklin Technology Partners. In this role he coordinates all marketing, funding and outside partnerships that the four regionally-based Ben Franklin centers undertake as a network.

Volunteers

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

8:30am EDT

Creative Placemaking Panel and Breakfast

Limited Capacity seats available

Many communities have begun to engage in a process known as “creative placemaking,” whereby artists, arts organizations, and community development practitioners intentionally integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work--placing arts at the table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety strategies. Presenters on this panel will share case studies and techniques from the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) “Our Town” grant program and the Urban Land Institute’s creative placemaking portfolio, and local practitioners will talk about how to do such work effectively. The session will illuminate a variety of approaches that seed innovation via creative placemaking and help foster better places across America.

Moderators

Jason Schupbach

Director of Design and Creative Placemaking, National Endowment for the Arts

Jason Schupbach is the Director of Design Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts, where he oversees all design and creative placemaking grantmaking and partnerships, including Our Town and Design Art Works grants, the Mayor’s Institute on City Design, the Citizens’ Institute... Read More →

Speakers

Juanita Hardy

Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking, Urban Land Institute

Juanita Hardy is the ULI Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking. Her work will support the Institute’s Building Healthy Places Initiative by deepening and broadening ULI’s focus on creative placemaking in its content and program areas, and through its District Council... Read More →

Liz Ogbu

Founder + Principal, Studio O

Teal Thibaud

Co-Founder, Director, Glass House Collective

Teal started working in creative placemaking almost eight years ago after an initial career in Communications and Advertising. She cofounded and is now the Executive Director of a small nonprofit in Chattanooga, TN called Glass House Collective. Her organization is utilizing arts... Read More →

Volunteers

Lexi Luo

Scribe, Volunteer

Hung Truong

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Meal Place Plenary

10:00am EDT

Who Constructs the Future? Activating Citizen Leadership

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Where are there opportunities for citizens to play a role in making decisions? How can power be redistributed? How can civic engagement be imbued with thoughtfulness and creativity? This conversation gathers a group of community organizers and artists working to rethink democracy and empower citizens to shape the future of their cities.

Moderators

Matthew Slaats

Creative Director, PauseLab

Matthew Slaats is an artist, designer, teacher, organizer, and activist, focusing on participatory modes of democracy that strengthen resident voices in defining the future of their neighborhoods. Matthew works at the University of Virginia’s Open Grounds, and serves as the Creative... Read More →

Speakers

Miranda Bogen

Associate, Upturn

Miranda Bogen in an Associate at Upturn, a technology policy group that focuses on civil rights issues on the local and national level. She holds degrees from UCLA and The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy.

Alyssa Doom

Open Cities Project Manager, The Sunlight Foundation

Volunteers

Lexi Luo

Scribe, Volunteer

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

10:00am EDT

The Workplace of the Future

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Technology has upended traditional notions of the “workplace,” and the difference between home and office has all but disappeared. A new class of workers roam the streets looking for places to get their jobs done, gathering in a new kind of office, known as a “coworking space.” The numbers of such spaces have multiplied during the last few years, filling a niche for those who need more than a cafe, but less than an office. What have we learned about the social nature of collaboration and teams from these new “third places”?

Moderators

Natalie Batman

Co-founder, Studio IX

Speakers

Tony Bacigalupo

Facilitator, Brainewave

Matt Busby

Director, The Camp House

Matt Busby is passionate about creating third spaces that foster community and cultivate culture. Since 2012, he has been the Director of The Camp House, a cafe, venue, and gathering space at the heart of the Innovation District in Chattanooga, TN. Ordained in 2012, he also serves... Read More →

Ariel Lev

Director, CoLab

Ariel is the director of the CoLab, Roanoke Virginia's largest coworking space and resource hub for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ariel also was the organizer for the 6th annual CityWorks (X)po, a placemaking conference.

Volunteers

Beki San Martin

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

10:00am EDT

Understanding the Mobility Landscape of Your City

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

This session offers a new lens to evaluate transportation equity, as well as concrete, low-cost solutions to fixing gaps. We will start by providing a framework for equity and what it means for local communities and government, how to set a vision, and how to implement using data approaches. Next in an interactive session, panelists will work with you to define equity, identify outcomes and data needs and begin to develop strategies for implementation for your city. Lastly, you will to report back to the full panel, who will provide actionable feedback.

Moderators

Andrew Mondschein

Assistant Professor, University of Virginia

Andrew Mondschein, PhD AICP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. He teaches and studies transportation systems and travel behavior, seeking to foster equitable, sustainable accessibility... Read More →

Speakers

Veronica Davis

Managing Partner, Nspiregreen LLC

Veronica O. Davis, PE is a transportation nerd who uses her knowledge to spark progressive social change in the community. Currently, she is a co-owner and Principal Planning Manager at Nspiregreen LLC. In July 2012, the White House recognized her as a Champion of Change and Transportation... Read More →

Monica Diodati

Project Manager, Better Block

Matt Raifman

Senior Implementation Advisor, GovEx, Johns Hopkins University

Volunteers

Lindsay Riordan

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room J112 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

10:00am EDT

Urban Land Institute Placemaking

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

This follow on conversation to the morning plenary is an opportunity to discuss placemaking in greater depth with Juanita Hardy, the Urban Land Institute Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking, who is helping to enhance creative placemaking in its content and program areas as part of its Building Healthy Places initiative. Hardy will discuss best practices in creative placemaking, gleaned from research on lessons learned from many projects spanning the US. Hardy has a passion for art and business, having retired from IBM after 31 years of business management experience in 2005. She is a collector of fine art, trustee for ArtTable, a national non-profit supporting women professionals in the arts, and former Executive Director of CulturalDC, a nonprofit committed to making space for artists and art organizations and fostering cultural and economic vibrancy in communities through its creative placemaking services.

Moderators

Juanita Hardy

Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking, Urban Land Institute

Volunteers

Hung Truong

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Carver Recreation Center Classroom Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

10:00am EDT

The Open Road and the Stuck American

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Americans are less mobile today than ever before in the history of our country. When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, about one in 10 Americans changed jobs in a given year. As of 2012, that number was down by half. What sounds like rootedness can mask stagnation: people are more likely to get stuck in economically depressed communities and in jobs for which they are ill-suited. These innovative policy experts offer fresh ideas for how your city can “unstick” talent and open new opportunities for your workforce.

Moderators

Henry Grabar

Staff Writer, Slate

Henry Grabar is a staff writer at Slate who writes about architecture, infrastructure, transportation and urban policy.

Speakers

Jonathan Coppage

Visiting Senior Fellow, R Street Institute

Diana Simpson

Attorney, Institute for Justice

Diana litigates cases to promote economic liberty, protect free speech, secure property rights, and support school choice at the Institute for Justice, the national law firm for liberty. She has represented animal massage practitioners in Arizona, homeowners in Minnesota, and grassroots... Read More →

Volunteers

Ekin Arin

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

11:00am EDT

How to Start and Grow a Business in a Small City

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

What do small city entrepreneurs have to do differently to be successful than entrepreneurs in larger metros? From raising capital and hiring talent, to finding office space and acquiring customers - what is easier and what is harder? And is there inevitably a point when you outgrow your city?

Moderators

Heather Roszczyk

Akron Entrepreneurship Fellow, Fund for Our Economic Future

Roszczyk’s experience ranges from small nonprofits to management of a global Nike footwear line. She is a connector of people and resources, a champion of entrepreneurship culture, and a funder of efforts to support the front lines of Akron business.

Speakers

Brandon Bruce

Co-founder & COO, Cirrus Insight

Brandon Bruce is Co-founder and COO of Cirrus Insight which was #41 on the Inc. 500 in 2016. Cirrus Insight is an application for Gmail, Outlook, iOS, and Android that connects Salesforce to the inbox and calendar for sales professionals. Brandon was named Young Entrepreneur of the... Read More →

Michael Prichard

CEO, Metis Machine

Founder, CEO at Metis Machine, AI-as-a-Service platform enabling the power of AI without the hassles or the costs. Previously Founder, CTO of WIllowTree, a Mobile app company.

Volunteers

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

11:00am EDT

Ending the Black Recession in Your City

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

It’s been called a “permanent recession”: Being born black in America means being born into a household with one thirteenth the wealth of the average white household - a gap that has widened over the past twenty-five years. Statistically, most middle class black kids are likely to be downwardly mobile. Black boys are twice as likely as their white peers to grow up to be unemployed, and seven times more likely to wind up in prison. In the face of such overwhelming odds, can your city offer a different future? These innovators say yes, and offer real strategies to break the cycle in this generation.

Moderators

Sarad Davenport

Director, City of Promise/Charlottesville Promise Neighborhood

Sarad Davenport currently serves as the Director of the City of Promise in Charlottesville, Virginia where he and team of neighbors, officials, and partners are building a cradle-to-college-and-career pathway for young people.

Speakers

Ace Epps

Akron BMe Community Manager, BMe Community

Melissa Maddox-Evans

Chief Executive Officer, Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority

Melissa Maddox-Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of the Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the General Counsel for The Housing Authority of the City of Charleston and is an advocate for developing affordable housing opportunities for low to moderate income... Read More →

James McKissic

Director: Multicultural Affairs, City of Chattanooga

James McKissic is the Director of the City of Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs. His role for the City includes linking diverse businesses to City Government contracting opportunities, improving the City’s supplier diversity efforts, and working to promote inclusion and... Read More →

Volunteers

Beki San Martin

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

11:00am EDT

Neighborhood Placemaking

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Jane Jacobs wrote that, “under the seeming disorder of the old city... is a complex order. The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any once place is always replete with new improvisations.” Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and well being. While these strategies are sometimes writ large over entire cities or districts, this session takes placemaking down to its most tangible, grassroots level - the neighborhood - to talk about how citizen engagement and the thoughtful alignment of stakeholders can be a powerful force in revitalizing and reclaiming nodes of economic opportunity.

Moderators

Kathleen Galvin

Architect and City Councilor, Galvin Architects and Charlottesville City Council

Speakers

Ric Cavender

Executive Director, Charleston Main Streets

Cathryn Davis

Executive Director, ENOUGH PIE

Cathryn Davis Zommer is the Executive Director of Enough Pie, a non-profit in Charleston, SC that uses creativity to connect and empower their community. A documentary filmmaker and activist, Cathryn led global creative marketing campaigns in New York for 10 years before returning... Read More →

Rick Destito

Owner, dreamer, doer, The Gear Factory

Alia Scanlon

Interim Executive Director, Jane's Walk

Alia connects, builds, and supports the network of over city-builders who organize Jane’s Walk in 200+ cities around the world. She loves data and believes that kindness, joy, and inclusive community-building are what make cities thrive.

Volunteers

Ekin Arin

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

11:00am EDT

A Grantmaker's Perspective on the Arts

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

As Director of Design and Creative Placemaking Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts, Jason Schupbach has been at the forefront of the creative placemaking movement nationally. Schupbach manages a $10 million annual portfolio of design and creative placemaking grants and initiatives, serves as national liaison to and steward for the design and creative placemaking fields for the Federal government, manages a number of design leadership initiatives including the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, and leads partnership efforts with other Federal agencies to reinvigorate the role of design quality in Federal investments. Come to this session with questions about national trends in creative placemaking, what works and what doesn’t from the creative placemaking projects that have been funded by the NEA and perspectives on where the creative placemaking field (and funding) is headed.

Moderators

Jason Schupbach

Director of Design and Creative Placemaking, National Endowment for the Arts

Volunteers

Hung Truong

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Carver Recreation Center Classroom Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

11:00am EDT

Innovating Public School: What Makes Good Ideas Grow?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

For several centuries, the secondary school curriculum changed little. The basics of western literature and history, algebra and geometry, chemistry, biology, and physics were predictably implied by a high school degree, as were a familiarity with certain rituals: lunch in the cafeteria, team sports, homework, and school dances. But now every year, the goal posts for young adults seem to shift. Coding skills, grit, flipped classrooms, social intelligence, and STEM, vocational experiences, entrepreneurship - every few months a new developmental imperative captures headlines, even as educators struggle to teach foundational literacy and numeracy. What does today’s high school graduate really need to know - and, more importantly, how can we support educators in adapting old institutions to the needs of today’s world?

Moderators

Eric Reese

Director of Training, John Hopkins University

Working on data literacy, community engagement, and training with governments (mostly cities) around the world.

Speakers

Katie Boody

CEO, The Lean Lab

A native of Kansas City, Katie Boody has worked in public education in KCMO since 2008. She was a charter corps member of Teach For America Kansas City, a founding member of C.A. Franklin’s middle school team in Kansas City Public Schools, a founding teacher at Alta Vista Charter... Read More →

Debra Socia

Executive Director, Next Century Cities

Deb Socia is the Executive Director of Next Century Cities, a nonprofit that strives to support community leaders across the country as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet. More than 150 cities strong, Next Century Cities is committed... Read More →

Keaton Wadzinski

Executive Director, ReinventED Lab

Keaton Wadzinski is a fourth year student at the University of Virginia studying education innovation and social entrepreneurship. He is the founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit ReinventED Lab (reinventedlab.org). Keaton hosts K-12 design sessions as a Design Project Facilitator... Read More →

Volunteers

Lindsay Riordan

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Room J112 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

12:00pm EDT

Luncheon Plenary: Future City: America's Local Innovators

Limited Capacity filling up

12:00PM - Casual buffet lunch
12:30PM - Flash talk
12:50PM - Moderated panel and Q&A
1:50PM - Adjourn

There is a narrative that the United States is a country in decline, overwhelmed by changes in technology, demographics, and the world economy. The truth is more complicated, and more hopeful. Communities throughout America are actively engineering new models of entrepreneurship, culture, and civic engagement, solving tough challenges from within. Join an engaging conversation about pathbreaking solutions with two mayors, a pioneering startup researcher, and the leader of New America, a think tank and civic enterprise committed to renewing American in the Digital Age.

Moderators

Anne-Marie Slaughter

CEO and President, New America

Anne-Marie Slaughter is the president and CEO of New America, a think and action tank dedicated to renewing America in the Digital Age. She is also the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. From 2009–2011... Read More →

Speakers

Mayor Andy Berke

Mayor, City of Chattanooga

Andy was born on March 31, 1968 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Marvin and Kandy Berke. Andy’s grandfather, Harry, founded a local law practice in Chattanooga aimed at representing and helping Tennesseans. From assisting someone who was discriminated against for his military service... Read More →

Michael Lenox

Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

Professor Lenox is the Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business where he teaches business strategy. Professor Lenox serves as the school’s Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Office, and has served as a tenured professor... Read More →

Mike Signer

Patron, Tom Tom Festival

Volunteers

Lexi Luo

Scribe, Volunteer

Lindsay Riordan

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 12:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Auditorium, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Meal, Lunch | Plenary, Lunch

2:00pm EDT

What Can the Gig Do for Your City?

Limited Capacity filling up

The United States, creator of the Internet, increasingly lags behind in access to it. In the absence of a national broadband strategy, many communities have invested in broadband infrastructure, especially wireless broadband, to offer broadband choices to their residents. Today's decisions will lay the foundation for the future of telecommunications in our communities, and in our country as a whole. Join us for a frank conversation that looks at whether, when, how, and why your city should invest in fiber internet and municipal wi-fi with the founder of North America’s leading independent wireless broadband provider for small cities; the Mayor of America’s first “Gig City;” a leading advocate for digital inclusion; and the federal agency in charge of implementing broadband nationally.

Moderators

Debra Socia

Executive Director, Next Century Cities

Speakers

Mayor Andy Berke

Mayor, City of Chattanooga

Sheila Dugan

Director of Cities, Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University

Aimee Meacham

Chief, External Affairs, BroadbandUSA/NTIA

Elliot Noss

CEO, Ting

Elliot is CEO of Tucows. For nearly twenty years, Elliot has loved and championed the Internet as the greatest agent of positive change the world has ever seen. Through his role at Tucows, his involvement in ICANN and his personal efforts, he has lobbied, agitated and educated to... Read More →

Volunteers

Kathryn Hendley

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation, Session

2:00pm EDT

To What Degree Can Cities Choose Their Destinies?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

During the past decade, city leaders across America have raised the minimum wage, expanded social services, put conditions on incoming development, and otherwise engaged in social welfare redistribution. These cities have not suffered from capital flight; in fact, many have experienced economic renaissance. This session brings leading experts together to explore just how active and powerful our local governments can be, despite constitutional limitations--and why we should want them to be that way.

Moderators

Henry Grabar

Staff Writer, Slate

Henry Grabar is a staff writer at Slate who writes about architecture, infrastructure, transportation and urban policy.

Speakers

Aaron Renn

Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute

Aaron M. Renn is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and a Contributing Editor at its quarterly magazine City Journal.

Richard Schragger, University of Virginia

Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law

Richard Schragger is the Perre Bowen Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he has taught since 2002. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of constitutional law and local government law, federalism, urban policy, and the constitutional and economic... Read More →

Volunteers

Kaleigh Watson

Elliewood Fellow, HackCville

Friday April 14, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

2:00pm EDT

Design and Health: Renewal through Shared Spaces

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Lively public spaces foster neighborhood health and economic opportunity. This session focuses on how multi-sector partnerships, resident engagement, and the built environment work together to ensure cohesion, vibrancy, and investment in areas such as an abandoned highway, a grocery store parking lot, and more traditional parks. Hear how these leaders worked with residents to restore safety and allure to public spaces, and how they have worked with the private sector to make change sustainable.

Moderators

Jenny Roe

Professor; Director of the Center of Design and Health, University of Virginia

Jenny Roe is the first Mary Irene DeShong Professor of Design and Health and the Director of the Center of Design and Health with a multi-disciplinary background in design and environmental psychology. She is building new trans-disciplinary research collaborations between designers and public health professionals to address the global health challenges of the 21stcentury including obesity, cardiovascular... Read More →

Speakers

Rebecca Bostwick

Managing Director, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion

Rebecca Bostwick is Managing Director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion at The Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She helped lead the startup of the Center and oversees the Center’s administrative and program operations, staff, community partnerships, and organizational... Read More →

Harry Lesesne

Executive Director, Charleston Parks Conservancy

Harry Lesesne has been the Executive Director of the Charleston Parks Conservancy since 2012. Prior to joining the Conservancy, he served more than eight years as Senior Advisor to Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. where he was responsible for advising the mayor on all aspects... Read More →

Jonathan Morschl

Designer, Four Points Architectural Services, Inc.

Jon has been a designer with Four Points Architectural for over ten years. He is currently involved with the Highland Square Neighborhood Association and the Porch Rokr festival as well as other activities in the area.

Volunteers

Sam Yu

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

2:00pm EDT

Participatory Budgeting

Limited Capacity filling up

Participatory budgeting (PB) is a different way to manage public money, and to engage people in government. It is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budge, enabling taxpayers to work with government to make the budget decisions that affect their lives. Having started in Brazil over 30 years ago, PB has been making a major impact in the US since 2009 with over $170 million dollars allocated in cities all over the country.

For this session, Maria Hadden and Matthew Slaats will talk about the impact that PB is making nationally and what it takes to bring the process to your local community.

Moderators

Matthew Slaats

Creative Director, PauseLab

Speakers

Maria Hadden

Project Manager, Participatory Budgeting Project

Maria first became involved in participatory budgeting (PB) during the very first PB cycle in the U.S. in 2009. Inspired by the experience, she took on a leadership role as a founding board member of the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP). She is currently PBP's Project Manager... Read More →

Volunteers

John Devine

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Carver Recreation Center Classroom Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

2:00pm EDT

Empowering Youth for a Self-Directed Career

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

The typical nine to five is on the wane. Nearly half of all working Americans (40.4% according to GAO research) instead piece together a living from part-time work, temporary jobs, and freelancing - typically without benefits, paid leave, or predictable hours. Meanwhile, old kinds of work - like driving trucks, building houses, and record keeping - are likely to be automated in the next twenty years. In this uncertain work environment, one skill that will remain indispensable for workers at all pay levels is resourcefulness and the desire to learn. Learn how youth organizers, educators, and students are activating their peers for the challenges of tomorrow’s workforce by changing the way that students are taught.

Moderators

Zaakir Tameez

Student, University of Virginia

Speakers

Edward Boyd

Chief Strategy Officer, iNvictus Group Holdings

Joe Poeschl

Cofounder, The Commons

Nora Poggi

Director & Producer, She Started It

Nora Poggi is a French journalist with a background in film production who has been interviewing key players in Silicon Valley for the past four years. After graduating from French top schools Sciences Po Paris and La Sorbonne, she moved to San Francisco to work for French social... Read More →

Volunteers

Nina Goepfert

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Room J112 Jefferson School City Center 1st Floor Jefferson School City Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Talent, Session

3:00pm EDT

Accelerating What? Assessing Investments in Entrepreneurship

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Seed accelerators, also known as startup incubators, are generally fixed-term, cohort-based programs, that include mentorship and educational components and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day. According to a 2016 Brookings Institution report, America is home to more than 700 self-declared startup launch programs. Many small cities regard these programs as key ingredients in their economic development strategies, but it is not clear what curricula, culture, or structures yield viable businesses, nor how different entrepreneurial programs suit the needs of particular communities. This session will explore best practices for accelerators in small cities; what kinds of funding models are most appropriate within different community contexts; and, critically, who these programs are designed to serve.

Moderators

David Touve

Director, iLab, University of Virginia

David oversees and supports the people, programs, and resources of the i.Lab, while working to develop new initiatives, connections, and opportunities. On those rare occasions when he has the coordination to both think and type at the same time, his work has been published and presented... Read More →

Speakers

Chris Harris

Senior Program Officer - Entrepreneurship, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Chris Harris is a senior program officer in Entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he focuses on building and expanding the most effective entrepreneurial support models addressing critical barriers for entrepreneurs across the United States. The strategy... Read More →

Adam Klein

Chief Strategist, American Underground

Adam Klein is Chief Strategist for the American Underground, a thriving campus for entrepreneurs in Durham, NC. Under Klein's leadership, the American Underground has become a model for how to transform a once depressed downtown into a magnet for high-growth companies. The American... Read More →

Penny Lee

Chief Strategy Officer, 1776

Penny Lee is a seasoned political communications and government relations strategist. A regular commentator on the political process, campaigns and elections, she has been quoted extensively in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Journal, Bloomberg, Rollcall, Politico... Read More →

Friday April 14, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Upstairs Ballroom 215 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Innovation, Session | Plenary, Session

3:00pm EDT

Can Civic Innovation Restore Political Civility?

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

In the past year, we’ve witnessed violence at political rallies, expletive-laden voicemails, name-calling, and far worse. Sixty-nine percent of Americans agree that civility in public life has declined in the last few years, and two out of three voters say that the 2016 campaign was less civil than election contests of the past. In local, state, and national politics, even the basic legitimacy of political opponents is routinely challenged; indeed, a widening regional and cultural gulf seems to hold no room for compromise. In an era of identity politics, taunting tweets, and lying disguised as “alternative facts,” how can we find the common values, truths, and vocabulary necessary for constructive debate? These civic innovators offer bold ideas for healing the rift.

Moderators

Thomas Walls

Executive Director, Thomas C. Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership at the University of Virginia

Thomas Walls has served as a senior staff member to three U.S. senators, most recently as chief counsel to Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. He was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP and senior vice president of federal public affairs at McGuireWoods Consulting. Before joining Sorensen, Walls... Read More →

Speakers

Ferki Ferati

President, The Jefferson Educational Society

Abby Garrison

Executive Director, Causeway

Prior to Causeway, Abby served at the Chief Operating Officer of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, a neighborhood revitalization and community development organization. Prior to graduate school, Abby lived and worked in San Francisco, where she helped launch Williams-Sonoma Home... Read More →

Pete Haga

Community/Government Relations Officer, City of Grand Forks, ND

Pete Haga serves as the Community/Government Relations Officer for the City of Grand Forks. He is the Mayor’s assistant and policy advisor and works specifically with communications, federal and state government relations and on community collaborations including the GF Youth Commission... Read More →

Kent Wyatt

Co-Founder, Engaging Local Government Leaders

Volunteers

Nina Goepfert

Scribe, Volunteer

Kathryn Hendley

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 207, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

3:00pm EDT

Rising Tide or Rising Rent? How to Solve a Housing Crisis

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Gentrification can bring walkable retail, better transit connections, reduced crime, and attention from the city government. But if an influx of new residents isn’t managed, it is also a process that can displace lower-income families and small businesses, aggravating racial inequality. Hear from housing advocates and planners in cities that have experienced significant gentrification over the past twenty years how their communities have struggled to balance new and existing residents, developers and NIMBYs, authenticity and opportunity in growing districts.

Moderators

Henry Grabar

Staff Writer, Slate

Henry Grabar is a staff writer at Slate who writes about architecture, infrastructure, transportation and urban policy.

Speakers

Scott Beyer

Founder, Market Urbanism Report

Sara Eskrich

Alder, City of Madison, WI

Sara Eskrich is starting her second term as Alder for District 13 in the City of Madison. She serves on many boards and committees, including the Finance Committee, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage Commission, and the Community Development Authority. Her district is diverse and active... Read More →

Omar Hakeem

Design Director, buildingcommunityWORKSHOP

Melissa Maddox-Evans

Chief Executive Officer, Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority

Volunteers

John Devine

Scribe, Volunteer

Kaleigh Watson

Elliewood Fellow, HackCville

Friday April 14, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Place, Session

3:00pm EDT

Government as First Customer for Innovation: Social Impact Bonds and Procurement

Limited Capacity filling up

Procurement is a clerical task that cities do on autopilot: Decide what you need. Write a mind-numbing couple dozen pages of specifications. Collect a few bids from the usual suspects.Yep, that’s procurement. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Instead of functioning as a rote purchasing exercise, what if procurement could serve as a way for cities to find new approaches to their problems? Join us to explore problem-based procurement, pay-for-performance, prizes, and other innovative approaches to using the city’s purse to elicit better solutions more cheaply, while supporting local ventures.

Moderators

Daniel Edelman

Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab

Dan Edelman is a Fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab. Dan works with governments to develop Pay for Success programs, and assists Arkansas, New York State, and Illinois with managing reentry systems for people exiting prison. Through Bloomberg Philanthropies... Read More →

Speakers

Christine Mahoney

Director of Social Entrepreneurship at UVA, Profess of Public Policy & Politics, University of Virginia

Christine Mahoney is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Director of Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia.She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social... Read More →

Volunteers

Sam Yu

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Seminar

4:00pm EDT

Telling Your Venture's Story

Limited Capacity filling up

This session is an opportunity to consolidate insights gained from the Hometown Summit and to re-examine how you tell the story of your work to community stakeholders using data, design, and interactive media, in order to be a stronger leader in your city.

Speakers

Damon Rawls

Principal Strategist, DRC Business Consulting

Damon Rawls is the epitome of the twenty-first century entrepreneur, part cowboy, part business genius, part marketing wizard. He displays passion and qualities that when combined, equal a brilliant and techno savvy leader. An entrepreneur and author, Damon found his success by embracing... Read More →

Tina Ughrin

Owner/Partner, Smile Minded Smartworks, LLC

Tina Ughrin is owner/partner of the firm Smile Minded Smartworks, LLC which provides evaluation, research, organizational development, and community engagement services. Tina has worked with dozens of organizations and agencies helping them to better tell their story, communicate... Read More →

Volunteers

Kaleigh Watson

Elliewood Fellow, HackCville

Friday April 14, 2017 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Room 206, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Innovation Seminar

4:00pm EDT

A Leader's Roadmap: Self-Care to Success

Limited Capacity seats available

Moderators

Angie Hamstead

Contract Support, The Hozho Project: Live.Love.Hope

After 23 years of servant leadership in the educational and non-profit arenas, Angie Hamstead founded The Hozho Project. Her mission is to empower others through personal growth that encourages professional excellence. The Hozho Project passionately supports others with their commitments... Read More →

Alexa Sponcia

Co-Founder of Live Love Hope, Live Love Hope

Alexa is a builder and a creator. There is always an idea working in her head. Alexa sees a need and figures out a way to fix or create the solution. She is the Co-Founder of Live Love Hope, Owner of Hard Knox Pizzeria and M6 Strength and Conditioning in Knoxville, TN. Her and her... Read More →

Volunteers

Sam Yu

Scribe, Volunteer

Friday April 14, 2017 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Room 209, JSAAHC Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Leadership, Session

4:00pm EDT

Founders Summit: Incubators, Startups, and Investors

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

The Founders Summit is a day of talks featuring the first-person stories of how leading entrepreneurs launched their ventures.

The final keynote of the Founders Summit with Dave McClure is free to Hometown Summit badgeholders. To attend the rest of the day, as well as the array of Founders Luncheons and Workshops, contact hometown@tomtomfest.com and bump your badge up to an All Access or Patron Pass.

Learn more about the incredible innovators and ideas gathered at the Founders Summit on our website.

Speakers

Dave McClure

500 Startups, Founding Partner

A self-described geek, former coder and internet marketing nerd, Dave co-founded 500 Startups in 2010. With some $300 million in assets currently under management, the high-energy firm has established itself as a leading global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator. Every... Read More →

Friday April 14, 2017 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Paramount Theater, Main Stage 215 E Main St

Free with Hometown Badge Innovation Plenary

5:00pm EDT

City Innovators Gala

Limited Capacity filling up

5pm to 6:30pm

Before heading over to the Block Party, join us at the City Innovators Gala for drinks and light refreshments.

Friday April 14, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm EDT
Old Metropolitan Hall 101 E Main St.

Free with Hometown Badge

6:00pm EDT

Friday Night Block Party

See the latest on the Friday Night Block Party on TomTomFest.com.

You've been working your brain at the Hometown Summit - now step outside for an open air block party in Historic Downtown Charlottesville! The Friday Night Block Party features the region’s best blues, reggae, funk, rock, and americana, plus tons to drink, eat, and enjoy.

Craft Beer Garden
Featuring exclusive taps from New Belgium Brewing, fine Virginia wines and cider, home brew workshops, and - as an extra special experiment this year - a crowd-crafted beer from Champion Brewery. Help choose the hops, spices, and other special ingredients for a unique Tom Tom quaff. But don't get too crazy - we've got to drink it in September!

Artisinal Tom Tom
An open air market and showcase for local and regional creativity, ranging from upcycled furniture, artisanal food goods, to handmade toys, crafts, and original works of fine art. All 60+ vendors have the option to demo their goods by live showcasing steps of their creative process, teaching the crowd best use of their product, or handing out samples.

Food Truck Rally
Ever hear of a food truck snob? Well you're about to meet a bunch of them at the state's biggest gathering of top trucks. Come hungry to sample fresh cider donuts, pizza wood-fired in a travelling kiln, cold pressed juices, healthy broths and bowls, and - yup - some damn fine Virginia comfort food.

Tech Mixer
Recruit, pitch, mingle, and interview with 100+ of the region's leading startup firms. After you've grabbed your beer, be a part of Charlottesville’s premier destination for top talent from across the innovation community in the heart of Tom Tom’s signature Block Party at Lee Park.

Friday April 14, 2017 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Lee Park Lee Park, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Free with Hometown Badge

8:00pm EDT

Farm to Table Restaurant Week

Charlottesville is a locavore’s paradise, and this city-wide Farm to Table Restaurant Week shows why. The city’s finest restaurants and chefs highlight their commitment to sourcing local through special dinner menus that emphasize craft preparation and local artisans.

Check out participating restaurants and make your reservation: https://tomtomfest.com/restaurantweek/

Friday April 14, 2017 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
Lee Park Lee Park, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Meal Tour

9:00am EDT

Tour of the University of Virginia

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Volunteers

Jonathan Lee

Student, University of Virginia

Saturday April 15, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Second Street Gallery 115 2nd St SE, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Tour, UVA

10:00am EDT

Regional Collaborations That Yield Results

Limited Capacity filling up

Many of today's most compelling land use, infrastructure, and workforce issues require people and institutions to work across jurisdictional lines and other boundaries. Likewise, funders and institutions are increasingly realizing the importance of addressing complex economic and social issues through greater collaboration. This session offers civic leaders practical lessons on building regional collaboration to address challenges and opportunities that are too big to take on alone.

Moderators

Jim Cheng

Board Member, Tom Tom Foundation

Speakers

Becky Ceperley

Consultant, Member of Charleston, WV City Council, Appalachia Funders Network, City of Charleston, WV

Becky Cain Ceperley is an at-large member of the Charleston, West Virginia City Council. Ms. Ceperley is employed as a consultant for the Philanthropy Engagement Project of Appalachia Funders Network.

Michael Hostad

Executive Director, The Commons/MiKE

Michael Hostad is the Executive Director of Innovation in Milwaukee (MiKE) and co-founder of The Commons, which is an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. MiKE creates programs that lead to partnerships between corporations and emerging talent networks. The Commons is an... Read More →

Kendra Stewart

Director, Joseph P. Riley Center

Kendra B. Stewart is a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration and Director of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston.

Brad Whitehead

President, The Fund for Our Economic Future

In his role as president of the Fund for Our Economic Future, Brad Whitehead directs staff activities and facilitates member engagement in accomplishing the Fund's mission to advance economic growth and equitable access to opportunity for the people of Northeast Ohio. Brad worked... Read More →

Volunteers

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Saturday April 15, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Second Street Gallery 115 2nd St SE, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Leadership, Session

10:00am EDT

Building Diversity in STEM

Limited Capacity seats available

Despite a national focus on directing more students - particularly women and minorities - toward science, technology, engineering and math, the STEM workforce is no more diverse now than it was in 2001. Fifteen years into the 21st century, the demographics of STEM disciplines resemble a 1980s U.S. Census report, as do the graduating classes of American undergraduate engineering and technology programs: We are squandering talent. What changes the trajectory?

Moderators

Kay Neeley

Associate Professor of Science, Technology & Society, University of Virginia

Kathryn Neeley has been on the faculty of the School of Engineering & Applied Science since 1979 and might be best described as a recovering English major who found her calling in the most unexpected of places: engineering. She began her career as a writer, editor, and producer who... Read More →

Speakers

Edward Boyd

Chief Strategy Officer, iNvictus Group Holdings

Kasey Faust

Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Kasey Faust is an Assistant Professor in Construction Engineering and Project Management in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Faust's work focuses on human-infrastructure interactions, infrastructure... Read More →

Volunteers

Priya Chandrashekar

Scribe, Volunteer

Nina Satasiya

Scribe, Volunteer

Saturday April 15, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Piedmont Council for the Arts / Chroma Gallery 112 West Main Street, in York Place

Talent, Session

10:00am EDT

Iron Chef Competition

The Iron Chef City Market Competition challenges six of Charlottesville’s top sous chefs to create a dish 100% locally-sourced. The catch? They’ll only have a budget of $50, 35 minutes to shop for ingredients in the farmer’s market, and 30 minutes to cook before presenting their dishes to a carefully selected panel of judges. The winner takes home the title of Charlottesville’s Iron Chef.

Saturday April 15, 2017 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Farmer's Market Corner of Water and 2nd Streets, SE

Meal, Walking

11:00am EDT

Why Are So Few Women in Office - and What Will Change That?

Limited Capacity filling up

In 2012, the ICMA Task Force on Women in the Profession examined the current status of women in local government. The major finding of the report was that only 13 percent of local government Chief Administrative Officers were women, and that there had been no change in this statistic in thirty years. This is a solutions-oriented conversation around causes and implications of gender imbalance in local leadership, and what our communities can do to change existing leadership trends.

Moderators

Kent Wyatt

Co-Founder, Engaging Local Government Leaders

Speakers

Becky Ceperley

Consultant, Member of Charleston, WV City Council, Appalachia Funders Network, City of Charleston, WV

Sara Eskrich

Alder, City of Madison, WI

Kendra Stewart

Director, Joseph P. Riley Center

Kendra B. Stewart is a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration and Director of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston.

Volunteers

Priya Chandrashekar

Scribe, Volunteer

Nina Satasiya

Scribe, Volunteer

Saturday April 15, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Piedmont Council for the Arts / Chroma Gallery 112 West Main Street, in York Place

Leadership, Session

11:00am EDT

Key Investments for Legacy Cities

Limited Capacity seats available

Legacy cities are older, industrial urban areas that have experienced significant population and job loss, resulting in high residential vacancy and diminished service capacity and resources. This session explores renewal. It identifies the powerful obstacles that stand in the way of recovery and suggests strategies for embarking on the path of regeneration through design, infrastructure, land use downtown employment bases, stable neighborhoods, multimodal transportation networks, colleges and universities, local businesses, historic buildings and areas, and arts, cultural, and entertainment facilities, legacy cities have numerous assets that can serve as valuable starting points for change. Bearing the value of such assets in mind, legacy cities must address the realities of population loss and a changing economy, and find new ways of moving forward.

Moderators

Kasey Faust

Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Speakers

Danielle Lewinski

Vice President and Director of Michigan Initiatives, Center for Community Progress

Danielle Lewinski serves as Vice President and Director of Michigan Initiatives for the Center for Community Progress, a national nonprofit focused on helping communities develop solutions for vacant and deteriorated properties. At CCP, Danielle directs the organization’s technical... Read More →

Brad Whitehead

President, The Fund for Our Economic Future

Perry Wood

Executive Director, Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority

Perry N. Wood is a grant-maker in the field of regional economic development. His work has been featured in The Atlantic’s American Futures column and by the Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

Volunteers

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Saturday April 15, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Second Street Gallery 115 2nd St SE, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Place, Session

12:00pm EDT

Hometown Summit Closing Session: 5 Minutes, 5 Days, 5 Months

Limited Capacity filling up

Move thought to action. How will ideas and insights gathered at the Hometown Summit inform your work going forward? Share ideas and commitments with fellow participants in this closing session.

Volunteers

Lily Ouyang

Scribe, Volunteer

Saturday April 15, 2017 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Red Pump Kitchen 401 East Main Street

Meal Plenary