Advancing Central Virginia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Venture Central:
- supports programs & projects that help entrepreneurs
- builds infrastructure to fill gaps
- is led by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs
Our Driving Principles
- Be Inclusive & Efficient. VCVA shares project proposals widely to engage participation, feedback, and optimization of existing resources in service of regional business success.
- Convene, Connect, Support. VCVA convenes and connects leaders to solve the needs of the ecosystem, and offers support for those activities via a home for programs, grant assistance, facilitation, or project management.
hosted programs
434 Accelerator
A Charlottesville-based business accelerator that provides mentorship, programming, grants and more
hosted programs
VC Food & Bev Accelerator
A Central Virginia food and beverage acceleration project
Staff
Rebecca Haydock
CEO
David Touve
434 Managing Director
Hope Lawrence
Program Director
Jenny Lynn Walding
Program Assistant
Board of Directors
- Timothy Harvey, CEO co-founder – Owl Peak Technologies
Board Chair / Communications Committee - John Gaskins, CEO – Laser Thermal
Vice Chair / Treasurer / Finance Committee - Don Long, Business Attorney – Flora Pettit
Secretary / Governance Committee Chair - Lianne Landers, Communications & Content Strategist – Luna Labs Communications Committee Chair
- Sarah Rumbaugh, VP of Business Development – 12twenty
Governance Committee / Communications Committee - Charlie Rogers, CEO – RE Innovative Software Solutions
Governance Committee - Chris Engel, Director Economic Development- City of Charlottesville Governance Committee / Finance Committee
- Emily Kilroy, Economic Development Director – Albemarle County Communications Committee
- Payam Pourtaheri, Founder CEO – Agrospheres
- Daniel Bailey, CEO – Go Online Strategy Group
Venture Central is supported by Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, GO Virginia, and anonymous donors.
