27th Annual Fund Raising CBIC Gala Program
ABOUT THE CHARLOTTESVILLE BUSINESS INNOVATION COUNCIL
The Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) is Greater Charlottesville’s catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven growth. Since 1997, CBIC has brought together founders, investors, technologists, educators, creatives, and community leaders to strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem and help bold ideas thrive.
CBIC exists to turn complexity into clarity and connections into innovation. Through strategic programs, founder-focused initiatives, industry partnerships, and high-impact convenings, CBIC helps innovation-based businesses launch, grow, scale, and stay rooted in Greater Charlottesville.
From emerging startups to globally recognized companies, CBIC champions the people, partnerships, and possibilities shaping the future of our region.
Because here, founders live. Investors connect. Creatives contribute. People flourish. And innovation takes center stage.
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MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Founder, Design Clarity
Shawn Mulligan helps good people do hard things. As the founder of Design Clarity, he serves as a business consultant and executive coach, acting as a strategic partner and “dot connector” for high-performing leaders. With over twenty years of experience as a sustainable Architect and Project Manager, Shawn specializes in guiding teams through complex challenges to complete difficult projects on time, on budget, and with joy.
He is hosting this year’s 27th Annual Awards Gala because he believes the people being celebrated make our community stronger—and supporting those who serve is at the heart of his mission to help leaders thrive in the best possible spaces.
OPENING REMARKS
Executive Director, CBIC
Tracey Greene is a driving force behind Greater Charlottesville’s innovation economy—an ecosystem builder, connector, and champion for founders.
As Executive Director of the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) and Cofounder of the Charlottesville Angel Network (CAN), she brings together ideas, capital, and community to help innovation-driven companies start, grow, and scale.
Known for turning connections into momentum, Tracey is guided by a simple belief: Founders live here. Innovation grows here. People flourish here.
Tonight, she invites you to lean in, connect deeply, and celebrate a community where innovators take center stage.
EVENING TIMELINE
5:00 – 6:15 PM
Registration, cocktail reception, photo ops & Innovators Row
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Awards Ceremony
8:00 – 9:30 PM
Roaming dinner stations + networking back in the CODE Lobby
9:30 – 10:30 PM
Desserts + afterparty with live DJ
CBIC ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation
CBIC recognizes an individual who currently embodies all elements of successful tech-centric entrepreneurship, including innovation, employment, leadership, finance, determination, and persistence.
FINALISTS:
Antwon Brinson | Culinary Concepts AB
Antwon Brinson founded Culinary Concepts AB to transform the traditional kitchen into a powerful universal classroom for community building, economic mobility, and social equity. But the hospitality industry has long suffered from a costly “Chaos Tax”—the systemic drag of high turnover, short operational bandwidth, and a severe lack of professional standardization. By designing an innovative hybrid social enterprise model that integrates data-driven technical mastery with vital life competencies, Antwon has unlocked career pathways for over 200 graduates, generated nationwide visibility from HBO Max to Forbes, and built a self-sustaining infrastructure that elevates Charlottesville’s entire workforce ecosystem.
Custis Coleman | Land Credit
Custis Coleman founded Land Credit to preserve Virginia’s rural heritage by digitizing the monetization of Land Preservation Tax Credits for conservation easements. But transferring these credits historically required a grueling, manual paper-and-check process, threatening to stall vital environmental protections just as a massive surge in local data center development began consuming regional land and energy resources. Backed by a sweep of the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup and a trusted corporate relationship with Stripe, Custis scaled Land Credit from $2M to $12M in annual transfers—streamlining the market so Charlottesville area landowners can seamlessly choose permanent conservation over development.
Tom Thorpe | Afton Scientific
Custis Coleman founded Land Credit to preserve Virginia’s rural heritage by digitizing the monetization of Land Preservation Tax Credits for conservation easements. But transferring these credits historically required a grueling, manual paper-and-check process, threatening to stall vital environmental protections just as a massive surge in local data center development began consuming regional land and energy resources. Backed by a sweep of the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup and a trusted corporate relationship with Stripe, Custis scaled Land Credit from $2M to $12M in annual transfers—streamlining the market so Charlottesville area landowners can seamlessly choose permanent conservation over development.
CBIC EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by C’Ville Capital Partner
CBIC recognizes one tech or tech-centric business that creates an environment that attracts, develops, and retains highly skilled talent in a way that enhances our ecosystem and local economy. Consider factors such as internships, mentoring, upward mobility, vertical movement, and equity-mindedness.
FINALISTS:
Afton Scientific | aftonscientific.com
Afton Scientific spent thirty years proving that a bootstrapped, world-class pharmaceutical manufacturer could thrive in Central Virginia by mastering the high-stakes discipline of sterile injectable production. But transitioning from a niche clinical partner to a global commercial powerhouse required more than just longevity; it demanded a massive leap in technical capacity and a “grow-your-own” talent model to navigate the industry’s most rigorous regulations. By securing a landmark $200M expansion and state-of-the-art robotic filling lines, Afton is creating 200 new high-tech jobs and anchoring Charlottesville as a definitive hub for life-saving medical manufacturing.
Seventh Wall | seventhwall.com
Seventh Wall has spent over two decades proving that a world-class cybersecurity and managed IT firm can thrive by prioritizing human well-being over raw digital ticket volume. But in a fast-paced technology industry that frequently commoditizes workers and demands robotic output, building an environment of absolute psychological safety requires intentional, person-first leadership. By establishing an active talent pipeline with Piedmont Virginia Community College and utilizing advanced AI to buy back time for creative collaboration, Seventh Wall maintains an ultra-low turnover rate while empowering local IT professionals to lead, thrive, and love coming to work in Charlottesville.
Southern Environmental Law Center | selc.org
Celebrating its 40th anniversary as a premier national environmental nonprofit, the Southern Environmental Law Center anchors its multi-state advocacy from its largest office and headquarters in Charlottesville. But defending vulnerable ecosystems in complex, often hostile regulatory environments requires extraordinary structural resilience and a workforce fiercely insulated from professional burnout. By equalizing top-tier benefits across all staff levels, implementing structural wellness initiatives, and nurturing local talent pipelines through an active UVA Law School partnership, SELC has built a world-class, deeply equitable culture where 95% of its team feels a profound, shared connection to their mission.
CBIC STARTUP OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS:
CBIC recognizes an innovative company or project working to develop and validate a scalable economic model that would support growth beyond its entrepreneurial start. Preference will be given to those candidates that have experienced the classic startup path such as a lean beginning, development of an MVP, and early market validation, and whose principals exhibit passion, devotion, and innovation. Candidates will have demonstrated significant progress over recent years and / or made an impact as determined by jobs created, revenue generated, or other startup success metrics.
Hardshell | hardshell.ai
Hardshell was incubated through the UVA Engineering ecosystem and 434 Accelerator to secure the foundational data-layer of modern artificial intelligence explosion. While the tech industry has rushed to deploy model-centric “seatbelts” that merely police chatbot outputs, high-stakes enterprises and national defense agencies remain highly vulnerable to catastrophic data poisoning and classified intelligence leakage at the training source. Co-founded by a former U.S. Army Cyber Command officer and powered by a successful $1.2M pre-seed raise, Hardshell engineered a math-based SaaS platform that hardens sensitive datasets locally without sacrificing computational performance—defending a $40M federal pipeline right from its headquarters on Charlottesville’s Main Street.
Icarus Medical Innovations | icarusmedical.com
Icarus Medical Innovations was incubated through the 434 Accelerator to disrupt the stagnant, “one-size-fits-most” orthopedic bracing industry by developing dynamic, custom 3D-printed joint-unloader technology. Traditional custom medical braces typically require messy physical molds and weeks of clinical waiting, presenting massive friction for a rapidly scaling startup trying to capture a national market. By pioneering a digital workflow that converts a standard iPhone scan into a medical-grade brace shipped within 24 hours, Icarus has achieved a staggering 1,283% revenue growth rate, closed an oversubscribed $7M Series A, and expanded to a massive downtown headquarters—firmly anchoring Charlottesville as a capital for advanced biotech manufacturing.
Liquet Medical | liquetmedical.com
Liquet Medical was built on a deeply personal mission to transform pulmonary embolism care after its founder lost his mother to a blood clot when he was just three years old. Treating the world’s third leading cause of cardiovascular death historically forced physicians to deliver clot-busting medication “blindly”—requiring fixed, risky doses and separate, dual-incision access sites that drive up patient risk and intensive care costs. Developed through Charlottesville’s 434 Accelerator, Liquet engineered the Versus™ Catheter, a breakthrough telescoping device that treats both lungs through a single incision using real-time heart data—securing two major FDA clearances and anchoring Charlottesville at the cutting edge of vascular medical technology.
CBIC STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS:
Sponsored by Charlottesville Office of Economic Development
Recognizes one student entrepreneur, or a team of student entrepreneurs, who have successfully created or advanced the development of an idea, new product, service, or product candidate. This entrepreneur or team of entrepreneurs provide an example to other students to pursue entrepreneurship while at school. Candidates are students in a K12 school, college, or university.
Landon Campbell | RedSide Custom Tools
Landon Campbell founded RedSide Custom Tools to rescue mountain bikers and mechanics from the costly frustration of damaging high-end, fragile cycling components during routine maintenance. Growing up low-income in Virginia Beach, entrepreneurship was entirely invisible to Landon—making the pursuit of a hardware startup under a grueling dual-major engineering load at UVA seem more delusional than ambitious. Driven by absolute grit and disciplined by an analytical “4% efficiency framework,” Landon built his own custom 32-part manufacturing workflow using advanced 3D printing, scaled the business to over $78,000 in revenue with seven locally hired employees, and generated national acclaim across major mountain bike publications—proving that world-class hardware innovation can be engineered from scratch.
Miles Lanham | Métopi
UVA biomedical engineering student and track athlete Miles Lanham founded Métopi after witnessing a teammate suffer a severe, helpless asthma attack without a rescue inhaler nearby. Breaking into the highly regulated medical drug-device industry requires navigating an extraordinarily complex, multi-year clinical trial framework and overcoming steep capital barriers that routinely deter student founders. Sweeping all three rounds of the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup, Miles secured issued patents and onboarded the co-inventor of Auvi-Q as a primary advisor—propelling a compact, wearable combination-rescue device into a seed round to disrupt global respiratory and migraine treatment right from Charlottesville.
Andrew Schoka | Hardshell
Andrew Schoka co-founded Hardshell to give highly regulated industries a definitive mechanism for securing sensitive data before it ever touches an artificial intelligence model. Transitioning from a distinguished seven-year career as a U.S. Army Cyber Officer into the startup ecosystem required channeling an offensive “threat mindset” into a highly chaotic, ambiguous market where competitors merely policed AI outputs rather than protecting raw datasets. Leveraging deep academic expertise from UVA Engineering and incubating within Darden’s iLab, Andrew closed an oversubscribed $1.1M+ pre-seed round, deployed a model-agnostic SaaS platform across a $40M federal pipeline, and built an elite, local engineering team—establishing Charlottesville as a fortress for data-layer AI security.
Akshita Tiwari | qMe Quantum Computing
UVA computer science student Akshita Tiwari co-founded qMe to strip away the intimidating barriers of quantum computing and artificial intelligence for young learners globally. Mainstream deep-tech spaces are notoriously exclusive, creating an early-stage culture shock that drives even high-achieving students away from emerging technologies before they ever get a chance to build. By translating her firsthand learning struggles into a gamified, discussion-based curriculum, Akshita has taught over 380 students across Virginia and India, published a quantum children’s book, and launched a landmark pilot with Albemarle High School while simultaneously incubating Proco, an AI-powered mentorship platform, within Darden’s iLab.
CBIC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS:
Sponsored by Albemarle County Office of Economic Development
CBIC recognizes a K-12 educator who has set an example of incorporating the principles of innovation, entrepreneurship, invention, and/or technological achievement in a classroom setting.
Michael Bruscia | Charlottesville Catholic School
Charlottesville Catholic School educator Michael Bruscia champions a classroom culture where advanced science and deep empathy collide, challenging middle school students to tackle complex, real-world survival issues. But standard curriculum models often isolate technical disciplines, leaving students to solve equations without understanding the human logic required to sustain a community under extreme pressure. By designing and implementing an immersive Mars Colony Food and Sustainability Challenge, Michael pushes eighth graders to use the engineering design process to build interplanetary supply systems—proving that Charlottesville’s students can think like future aerospace engineers long before they reach high school.
Jeremy Dove | Albemarle County Public Schools
Albemarle County educator and Pulse Studio leader Jeremy Dove redefines healthcare education by transforming his biomedical science curriculum into an immersive, professional-grade training ground. But traditional health science classrooms often rely on memorization and passive instruction, failing to mirror the rapidly evolving, technology-driven complexities of modern medicine. By integrating advanced tech like virtual reality, Python programming, and neuron-measuring Arduino simulators into his lessons, Jeremy connects a highly diverse student body directly to regional healthcare industries—seamlessly preparing Charlottesville’s youth to step out of the classroom and straight into the medical ecosystem as emerging professionals.
Brenning Greenfield | Charlottesville City Schools
Elementary educator Brenning Greenfield transforms early STEM education by designing a prekindergarten through fourth-grade curriculum entirely around hands-on, problem-based project learning. But traditional elementary science lessons too often rely on abstract worksheets that fail to engage a child’s natural curiosity or connect with modern, high-tech career pathways. By partnering with UVA engineering initiatives like Roversa Robotics, Brenning challenges Charlottesville’s youngest students to build real-world models—from ocean floor mapping bots to bus stops that meet strict national regulations—proving that the city’s next generation of builders and data analysts starts in elementary school.
Malik Poindexter | Albemarle High School
Albemarle High School instructor Malik Poindexter transformed a nonexistent cooking class into Central Virginia’s largest, most dynamic culinary arts program, creating a state-of-the-art training ground where a waiting list is now the norm. But traditional vocational education often confines students to pre-set recipes, missing the vital, real-world business management, financial literacy, and collaborative design necessary to run a modern industry kitchen. By launching the brand-new Savor Studio and mentoring students as they execute high-stakes restaurant simulations and fund specialized educational trips to New York City, Malik uses the culinary arts to cultivate self-belief and position Charlottesville’s youth for immediate professional success.
CBIC TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION GRANT
Sponsored by AFCEA Central Virginia
The recipient of the 2026 CBIC Educator of the Year award will receive a $2,500 grant to further education in their classroom. Since 2003, including tonight’s grant, CBIC has gifted more than $53,500 to area teachers to help further the use of technology and learning in their classrooms.
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS:
- 2025 Tal Thompson
- 2024 Robbie Munsey
- 2023 Kevin Huff, Monticello High School
- 2021-2022 Emily Anderson, Albemarle County Public Schools
- 2020 Dominique Morse, Albemarle County, Murray High School and Community Public Charter School
- 2019 Chris Bunin, Albemarle High School 2018 Chris Stanek, Monticello High School
- 2017 Stephanie Passman, Stony Point Elementary
- 2016 Eric Bredder, Monticello High School
- 2015 Katina Dudley, Monticello High School
- 2014 Michelle Karpovich, Western Albemarle High School
- 2013 Jeff Prillaman, Albemarle High School
- 2012 Corrie Kelly, Woodbrook Elementary
- 2011 Michael Craddock, Monticello High School
- 2010 Tony Wayne, Albemarle High School
- 2009 Matt Shields, Charlottesville High School
- 2008 Beth White, Western Albemarle High School
- 2007 Paula White, Crozet Elementary
- 2006 Emily Linkins, Lightfoot Elementary
- 2005 John Hunter, Venable Elementary School
- 2004 Renee Honaker, Madison County High School
- 2003 Sandy Estep, Virginia L. Murray Elementary School
CBIC INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS:
Sponsored by Sir Speedy
Recognizes an individual or organization for their creativity and resourcefulness in the development of a new product, service, or product candidate. Can also include the means by which their innovation will reach its end user.
Rivanna Medical | rivannamedical.com
Rivanna Medical emerged from the intersection of medicine and engineering to pioneer portable, AI-automated clinical decision support directly at the point of care. But transforming a successful single-product startup into a diversified imaging platform requires overcoming immense development hurdles and establishing bulletproof data defensibility to displace traditional, high-demand radiology workflows. Backed by a major $2.21M NIH grant and brand-new 2026 FDA clearances for its advanced Accuro bedside systems, Rivanna is rolling out state-of-the-art diagnostic technology that eliminates critical ER bottlenecks—solidifying Charlottesville as a premier hub for next-generation medical technology.
Springbok Analytics | springbokanalytics.com
Springbok Analytics spun out from the University of Virginia to pioneer the analysis of MRI data, transforming subjective musculoskeletal assessments into objective, pixel-level insights. While the startup found rapid success by embedding its quantitative analytics across elite professional sports teams, scaling into a global healthcare platform required proving its software could accurately map full-body muscle health across complex clinical trials and chronic disease states. Powered by an $8M funding milestone, an FDA clearance, and a major development partnership with GE HealthCare, Springbok has scaled to 44 employees—establishing its data analytics layer as the definitive multi-market standard for tracking precision medicine and longevity right from Charlottesville.
VerifyYou | verifyyou.com
VerifyYou was born when a UVA student’s pitch caught the attention of veteran tech leaders, sparking a mission to build a privacy-first infrastructure layer that keeps the internet human. But as artificial intelligence and automated bots drown digital platforms in fake accounts, traditional identity verification relies on costly, invasive government ID tracking that compromises user privacy and stymies growth. Backed by $3.35MM in institutional capital and led by Reddit’s former CTO, VerifyYou has launched HumanCheck—a game-changing, anonymous proof-of-personhood solution that already protects 40 million users across seven pilot networks, positioning Charlottesville at the epicenter of global digital trust.
CBIC PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Marcela Foshay & Matt Hodges
Recognizes new partnerships built in the last 18 months that model collaborative innovation and achievement which inspire others, and also resulted in successful outcomes for the partnership itself, local businesses, education, non-profits, and/or the community at large. Preference will be given to partnerships that transcend each member’s respective purview.
FINALISTS:
Central Virginia Small Business Development Center | cvsbdc.org
The Central Virginia Small Business Development Center serves as the essential gateway to regional entrepreneurship, guiding 700 local businesses annually across Charlottesville and eight surrounding counties. Driving widespread economic mobility means moving past general mentorship to provide highly specialized, sophisticated resources that bridge the severe digital and strategic gap facing non-technical and historically underserved founders. Hosted locally by the Community Investment Collaborative, the CV SBDC’s elite advisory team has unlocked a staggering 23% average revenue growth rate for its clients while pioneering groundbreaking AI-focused training cohorts—ensuring Charlottesville area small businesses don’t just survive, but actively scale.
New Hill Development Corporation | newhilldev.org
Founded to advance racial equity and expand economic mobility, New Hill Development Corporation champions data-driven, community-centered wealth building within Charlottesville’s Black community. Aspiring culinary entrepreneurs face staggering storefront costs and a severe lack of specialized infrastructure, structurally locking them out of Central Virginia’s thriving food economy. Anchored by the Starr Hill Vision Plan and a powerful loan partnership with the Community Investment Collaborative, New Hill built BEACON Kitchen—a state-of-the-art, 11,000-square-foot shared commercial facility paired with active financial coaching—to sustainably scale up to 70 local food businesses and create long-term generational wealth.
qMe Quantum Computing | qmeforyou.wordpress.com
Founded to advance racial equity and expand economic mobility, New Hill Development Corporation champions data-driven, community-centered wealth building within Charlottesville’s Black community. Aspiring culinary entrepreneurs face staggering storefront costs and a severe lack of specialized infrastructure, structurally locking them out of Central Virginia’s thriving food economy. Anchored by the Starr Hill Vision Plan and a powerful loan partnership with the Community Investment Collaborative, New Hill built BEACON Kitchen—a state-of-the-art, 11,000-square-foot shared commercial facility paired with active financial coaching—to sustainably scale up to 70 local food businesses and create long-term generational wealth.
CBIC BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Flora Pettit
CBIC recognizes one tech or tech-centric business, or organization, that serves as a model of achievement to which others can aspire, including indicators such as financial success, growth, healthy work environment, commitment to innovation, and contribution to the community.
FINALISTS:
Afton Scientific | aftonscientific.com
Afton Scientific spent thirty years proving that a bootstrapped, world-class pharmaceutical manufacturer could thrive in Central Virginia by mastering the high-stakes discipline of sterile injectable production. But transitioning from a niche clinical partner to a global commercial powerhouse required more than just longevity; it demanded a massive leap in technical capacity and a “grow-your-own” talent model to navigate the industry’s most rigorous regulations. By securing a landmark $200M expansion and state-of-the-art robotic filling lines, Afton is creating 200 new high-tech jobs and anchoring Charlottesville as a definitive hub for life-saving medical manufacturing.
Luminoah | luminoah.com
Luminoah was born when a local father, determined to free his young son from an isolating six-hour daily attachment to a hospital IV pole, envisioned a wearable, discreet nutrition delivery system. But traditional enteral feeding had seen virtually no innovation in decades, forcing a lean team to navigate grueling regulatory delays and the complex integration of hardware with a first-of-its-kind digital data platform. Now, backed by $13MM in venture capital, 17 patents, and brand-new FDA clearance, Luminoah is launching its baby-monitor-sized device onto the national stage—proving that revolutionary, life-changing medical technology is built right here in Charlottesville.
Rhoback | rhoback.com
Rhoback was born at UVA’s Darden School of Business as a digital-first performance apparel concept rooted in high-energy community and active culture. But scaling a profitable consumer brand in a crowded national market requires far more than great products; it demands transitioning an e-commerce startup into a tech-enabled growth engine powered by custom AI dashboards and an elite in-house media house. Today, while skyrocketing in annual revenue and securing massive new private equity backing, Rhoback has recruited dozens of national talents to its historic Wool Factory headquarters—solidifying Charlottesville as the ultimate launchpad for a household brand.
Silverchair | silverchair.com
Silverchair was founded in Charlottesville over thirty years ago with a vision to build the vital software infrastructure that connects global researchers, editors, and scholarly publishers. But as academic publishing grew increasingly complex, remaining a sector leader demanded shifting from a standard textbook packager to a global powerhouse capable of managing the entire research workflow and navigating rapid AI disruption. Now, powered by an internal AI Lab and the historic acquisition of global peer-review giant ScholarOne, Silverchair has doubled its scale to 240 employees across eight countries while proudly maintaining its remote-first headquarters right here in Charlottesville.
CBIC SOCIAL GOOD AWARD
Sponsored by Design Clarity
Recognizes one company or organization with efforts focused on social good. Their goal, in part, is to identify needs, improve our communities, and provide a meaningful benefit to the general public. Examples of social goods are clean air, education, clean water, racial equality, and access to affordable housing and healthcare. This award celebrates the positive impact that startups and businesses have on the greater Charlottesville community. Preference will be given to candidates that are tech or tech-centric businesses.
FINALISTS:
milkmade | milkmade.me
Jenny Lynn Walding founded milkmade to transform the isolating vulnerabilities of maternal care by bringing data-driven clarity to infant feeding. Despite high breastfeeding initiation rates, nearly 74% of mothers stop earlier than desired due to profound anxiety over perceived low milk supply—a clinical blind spot where manual, stressful weighed-feedings fail to accurately measure infant intake. By developing a patent-pending, sensor-enabled nipple shield that tracks real-time milk transfer and latch quality, milkmade intends to seamlessly integrate hardware, advanced algorithms, and telehealth to eliminate guesswork—equipping Charlottesville families with the clinical insights needed to curb infant hospital readmissions and confidently meet their nursing goals.
Roversa Robotics | roversa.com
Roversa Robotics began with a bold, research-driven mission to ensure every student—regardless of geography, income, or background—has equitable access to fundamental computer science and artificial intelligence literacy. Market-dominant educational robotics platforms are prohibitively expensive, intimidatingly complex, and routinely isolate coding as a standalone screen-bound activity, leaving K–12 teachers without the specialized training necessary to guide their classrooms. Born from a UVA research collaboration and backed by a $1.3M National Science Foundation grant, co-founders Kim Wilkens and Eric Bredder engineered an open-source, affordable, and multilingual robotics platform that embeds physical computing directly into core elementary subjects—manufacturing components locally in Charlottesville to empower the next generation of global builders.
The Sum | thesum.org
The Sum pioneers a vital evolution in diversity, equity, and inclusion by shifting the focus from external conflict to internal transformation. Traditional DEI frameworks frequently trigger resistance and deepen cultural polarization, failing to create lasting behavioral change or equip individuals with the tools to navigate unconscious biases. Utilizing its validated Power of Difference Assessment alongside experiential tools like the Power of Us tabletop experience, The Sum has stepped onto the frontlines of post-2017 community healing in Charlottesville—empowering youth and organizations to move past systemic fragmentation and build a sustainable, deeply connected civic infrastructure.
CBIC IMPACT AWARD
Sponsored by Hantzmon Wiebel CPA and Advisory Services
CBIC established this award in 2022 to honor exceptional individuals, organizations, or projects that have made a tremendous positive impact on our ecosystem, an industry, or the world over an extended period of time, in rapid order under unique circumstances, or even in memoriam. An award recipient may be chosen at CBIC’s discretion.
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS:
- 2025 Tim Rose
- 2024 Sean Tubbs
- 2023 Damon Devito, In Memoriam
- 2022 Sandy Reisky
INNOVATORS ROW PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Sponsored by CBIC
Each guest receives CBIC InnoBucks at registration—now it’s time to put them to good use!
How to participate:
- Explore Innovators Row – During the Gala reception, visit Innovators Row to meet groundbreaking startups and innovators.
- Invest your InnoBucks – Give your InnoBucks to the innovator(s) who impress you the most. This is your chance to support ideas you believe in!
- Help determine the People’s Choice – The innovator who collects the most InnoBucks will be named the People’s Choice Innovators Row Recipient during tonight’s Gala ceremony.
What’s at stake? The winner will receive a lifetime CBIC membership to further their journey.
CBIC VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by CBIC
CBIC recognizes its volunteers who have gone above and beyond expectations to make substantial and lasting contributions to the organization’s growth and development.
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS:
- 2025 Hope McCutcheon
- 2024 Katina Dudley
- 2023 Adrian Felts and Alex Struminger
- 2021-2022 Sherry Gray and John Martin
- 2020 Hope McCutcheon, Justin Ritter, and Lily Garcia Walton
- 2019 Jon Moriarty
- 2018 Heidi Tombs
- 2017 Katie Murphy
- 2016 Kim Wilkins
- 2015 Liane Landers
- 2014 Jim Bain
- 2013 John Berryman
- 2012 Beth Roireau
- 2011 Chris Engel
- 2010 Laura Greene and Rusty Schundler
- 2009 Arin Sime
- 2008 Michelle Prosser and Linda Kolker
- 2007 Tracey Greene, Dave Keller, and Michael Latsko
- 2006 Reenst Leseman
- 2005 John Peterson
- 2004 Tracey Greene and Donna Shirley
DINNER
DJ EPIC SOUNDS | GALA DANCING
COFFEE & COCKTAILS
CONVERSATION
OUR GALA SPONSORS
CBIC ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
CBIC EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
CBIC STARTUP OF THE YEAR
CBIC IMPACT AWARD
CBIC STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
CBIC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
CBIC TECH IN EDUCATION GRANT
CBIC INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
CBIC BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
CBIC VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
CBIC PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR
CBIC SOCIAL GOOD AWARD
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
INNOVATORS ROW
INNOVATORS ROW
INNOVATORS ROW
SPECIAL THANKS TO GALA COMMITTEE MEMBERS
CBIC STAFF
Tracey Greene
CBIC Executive Director
Lalaine Mat-an
CBIC Digital Marketing Coordinator
GALA CO-CHAIRS
Sherry Gray
Buildertrend, CBIC Chairwoman
Adrian Felts
Mantel Technologies
John Griffith
MITRE
Claudia Veysel
Olive Oil Flights
Lisa Winn
Castle Hill Gaming
2026 GALA VOLUNTEERS: PLANNING TEAM AND JUDGES
Navya Aenugu, esSTEMtials
Seth Chokel, Kyria Capital Management
Shannon Coble, Coble Axis Advisory
Jim Coleman
Katina Dudley, Albemarle County Public Schools
Clay Eure, Eure Consulting
Joey Groah, Digico
David Hadwin, Think Systems
Rebecca Haydock, Venture Central
Noah Healy, Coordisc
Craig Honick, Good People Research Company
Jason Itri, Longevity Health Clinic
Rick Kulow, Business & Entrepreneurship Mentor
Jay Lester, Essex Strategic Consulting
Ellie Linkous, Eliah Peyton Photography
Bob Lloyd, Walnut Partners
John Martin, Adial Pharmaceuticals
Hope McCutcheon, C’Ville Capital Group
Shawn Mulligan, Design Clarity
Ewan Oglethorpe
Askhita Tiwari, qMe
Marty Weiner, CodeZero
CBIC'S MISSION
CBIC welcomes, amplifies, and strengthens the innovators building Greater Charlottesville’s future.
CBIC'S VISION
To make Greater Charlottesville the most welcoming home for innovators, bold ideas, and the companies changing the world.