THE INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT
Where the systems and forces shaping what comes next come into focus.
Capital, technology, platforms, and policy reframed clearly—in the same room.
Wednesday, May 13
9:00am - 5:00pm | Full Day + Extended Play
*Schedule subject to change
9:00 AM
Welcome Remarks
Main Street Station
9:05 AM - 10:05 AM
Enterprise Forward
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Navigating Tech at Scale
Every organization says it’s investing in AI. Far fewer have figured out how to make it work across the business.
This session gets into how data, infrastructure, security, and AI actually come together inside large organizations and where things tend to break down. You’ll hear what’s working, what isn’t, and what it takes to move from pilots to something that scales.
Why This Room Matters:
Hear how enterprise teams are implementing AI, not just planning for it
See where organizations get stuck between ambition and execution
Walk away with a clearer sense of the decisions that matter right now
Moderator:
Sonali Shetty, Taqtiq
Speakers:
Lois Schonberger, McKinsey & Co.
John Russell, CTO, Dominion Energy
Liz McBride, CapTech
10:20 AM - 11:20 AM
The New Playbook
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Sports, Leadership & the New Business of the Game
The business of sports has changed, and fast. Between NIL, shifting media models, and new ownership dynamics, the old playbook doesn’t hold up the way it used to.
This session looks at how people inside the game are adapting in real time – rethinking how they build brands, create leverage, and stay competitive as the ground moves under them.
Why This Room Matters:
Hear how leaders across sports are approaching media, ownership, and brand differently
Understand where NIL and technology are creating real opportunity, and where they’re not
Take away practical ways to think about competition and staying relevant over time
Moderator:
TBD
Speakers:
TBD
11:35 AM – 12:35 PM
The Compounding Effect
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Patience, Longevity & Building What Lasts
Most markets reward speed. The best outcomes usually come from something slower.
This session is about what it actually looks like to build over time, whether you’re growing a company or managing capital. Not just the idea of compounding, but the discipline it requires when everything around you pushes for quicker returns.
Why This Room Matters:
Hear how long-term value actually gets built across businesses and portfolios
Understand what separates sustained performance from short-term spikes
Walk away with a clearer way to make decisions that hold up over time
Moderator:
TBD
Speakers:
TBD
12:35 PM – 1:20 PM
Lunch
Main Street Station
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Real Angels Invest 2.0
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Women in Venture, Capital & the New Investment Landscape
Last year started the conversation. This year is about what’s happening since.
Across venture and private markets, more women are leading deals, building funds, and backing companies on their own terms – changing how capital moves in the process.
Why This Room Matters:
Hear from investors actively putting capital to work
Understand how new paths into venture are being built, and by whom
Walk away with perspective and connections you won’t get from headlines alone
Moderator:
Noelle James, Startup Virginia
Speakers:
Melissa Pegus, UpVentures Capital
Kelli Saulny, Corridor Ventures
Tracy DeForge, The Players Impact
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
The Pitch
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Founders, Investors & the Moment That Changes Everything
The ask is the hardest part. You can have the product, the traction, and the vision, and still lose the room in the first sixty seconds. The Pitch brings a live, high-stakes format to the Summit stage: founders make their case in real time to a panel of investors who have built companies, written checks, and lived the journey from both sides of the table. No safety net. Just the idea, the founder, and the room.
Why This Room Matters:
Watch the founder-investor dynamic play out in real time and learn what separates the pitches that land from the ones that don't
Hear unfiltered investor feedback on what actually moves the needle when capital is on the line
Leave with a sharper sense of how to make the ask, own the room, and build the relationship that leads to the yes
Moderator:
TBD
Speakers:
TBD
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
From the Mirror to the Boardroom
Main Street Station
Panel Discussion
Creative Ownership & the Business of Self
What does it take to build something of your own in an industry that wasn’t designed for you?
This session looks at the shift from visibility to ownership – how creators move from being the talent to building the platform, the IP, and the business behind it.
We’ll get into what that actually requires: the decisions, the leverage, and the moments where walking away is the only way to build something bigger.
Why This Room Matters:
Hear how creators turn attention into ownership and long-term value
Understand how IP, distribution, and control translate into real leverage
Walk away with a clearer sense of how to build beyond the platform
Moderator:
TBD
Speakers:
Issa Rae, CEO of HOORAE, Producer, Actress, and Writer
WEDNESDAY EXTENDED PLAY
Broad Street Takeover
Evening: Pour & Pulse | Jungle Room | Curated vinyl-driven happy hour | Don Chirashi (Love Language / Martin Agency)
Evening: A Conversation with Eric Benet (Pending) | Venue TBD | Intimate live performance and fireside conversation
Late Night: Black Iris Nightcap | Late-night jam session featuring artists from earlier programming