top of page
Search
Jun 1, 20173 min read

Founding Cville Nominations Close Tomorrow

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (June 01, 2017) –  Nominations for the 4th annual ‘Founding Cville’ Award close tomorrow, Friday, June 2nd, at 11:59PM. This initiative of the Tom Tom Foundation honors Charlottesville-area founders whose groundbreaking and original work has had a local, national, or  global impact. Past honorees have included artists, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs, and represent some of the most acclaimed innovators and leaders in Charlottesville.

“Tom Tom is dedicated to celebrating and encouraging founders–individuals who not only had a great idea, but also had the drive and perseverance to turn their idea into a reality,” said Tom Tom Founders Festival director festival director, Paul Beyer. “We recognize both up-and-coming founders, as well as well-established founders. The common thread is that all of our honorees have committed their personal, social and financial capital to making our community better.”

Award recipients will be honored at  a special ceremony during the Sept. 22, 2017 Tomtoberfest Fall Block Party in downtown Charlottesville’s Lee Park.  Recipients’ portraits will be displayed on the Downtown Mall throughout the month of September.  

Nominating Cville Founders

The Tom Tom Foundation encourages members of the public to nominate candidates who have founded or cofounded a project, business, or organization in Charlottesville or Albemarle County. Founding Cville recipients will be selected by past Founding Cville recipients and the Tom Tom Advisory Board. Criteria for Founding Cville nominations include:

  1. The individual has founded or cofounded a civic, entrepreneurial, or cultural initiative in Charlottesville or Albemarle County.

  2. The individual has taken risks and displayed leadership to realize a vision.

  3. The project has had positive local, national, or even global impact.

  4. The individual is a positive example and role model to aspiring founders, and communicates positive narratives about the entire community.

  5. The individual is presently working on or  building his or her idea. Posthumous recognitions  may be granted to founders who have passed away within the last two years.

  6. Nominations can be made at tomtomfest.com/foundingcville;thedeadline for submitting a nomination is Friday, June 2 at 11:59 p.m.

Past Recipients

In its first three years, the Founding Cville initiative generated hundreds of nominations and granted awards to  36 individuals. Full bios, as well as  interviews with previous award recipients, can be found at tomtomfest.com/foundingcville:

2016

  1. Brian Calhoun, Founder, Rockbridge Guitar

  2. Ty Cooper, Founder, Lifeview Marketing

  3. Lynn Easton, Founder, Easton Events, Cofounder, Easton Porter Group

  4. Monica Gray, Cofounder, DreamWakers

  5. Ludwig Kuttner, Developer and Cofounder, IX Art Park

  6. Cynthia Lorenzoni, Cofounder, Ragged Mountain Running

  7. Jaffray Woodriff, Founder, Quantitative Investment Management

  8. Gabriele Rausse, a Father of Virginia Wine

  9. Sandy Reisky, Founder, Apex Clean Energy

2015

  1. Zach Buckner, Founder, Relay Foods

  2. Tom Burford, A father of the Virginia Cider movement

  3. Kathryne Carr (In Memoriam), Mentor and Investor

  4. Neal Kassell, MD, Founder, Focused Ultrasound Foundation

  5. Michael Mallory, Cofounder, Ron Brown Scholar Program

  6. Deb McMahon, Cofounder, Scitent

  7. Jennifer Hoyt Tidwell, Cofounder, CLAW

  8. Boyd Tinsley, Founding member, Dave Matthews Band & the BAMA Works Fund

  9. Phil Wendel, Founder, ACAC

2014

  1. Wendy Brown, Cofounder, Community Investment Collaborative (CIC)

  2. Dr. Benton Calhoun, Cofounder, PsiKick

  3. Sara Clayborne, Cofounder, Charlottesville Ballet

  4. Kate Collier, Cofounder, Local Food Hub

  5. Bill Crutchfield, Founder, Crutchfield Corporation

  6. Greg Fairchild, Founder, Prison Entrepreneurship Project

  7. Robin Felder, Founder, Global Cell Solutions

  8. Matt Hantzmon, Cofounder, HelioSage Energy

  9. John Herr, Founder, SpermCheck

  10. Spencer Ingram, Cofounder, HackCville

  11. Marcia Invernizzi, Founder, PALS Marketplace

  12. Dr. Marcus Martin, Founder, UVA’s Emergency Medicine Center

  13. Jessica Nagle, Cofounder, LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph & SNL Financial

  14. Brynne Potter, Cofounder, Maternity Neighborhood

  15. Alan Rimm-Kaufman, Founder, RKG

  16. Gabe Silverman, Architect & Developer

  17. Mark Thompson, Cofounder, Starr Hill Brewery

  18. Rob Vaughan, Founder, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

Tom Tom’s fall block party, Tomtoberfest, will be held September 22 and 23  in Lee Park, marking  the Festival’s sixth  annual end-of-summer bash. The event will feature a two-day concert series, a regional tech mixer, a mid-Atlantic craft fair, local food trucks, craft beer, and family activities. A full schedule will  be available soon at www.tomtomfest.com.

#  #  #

ABOUT THE TOM TOM FOUNDATION AND THE FOUNDERS FESTIVAL

The Tom Tom Foundation is the nonprofit organization that hosts the annual Tom Tom Founders Festival. Supporting high-impact events throughout the year, the Foundation seeks to empower the innovators whose creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to community help ensure a better future for us all. Now in its sixth year, the action-packed Founders Festival is held during the week of April 13 (hometown hero Thomas Jefferson’s birthday) in Charlottesville, VA. Learn more: www.tomtomfest.com.

SPONSORS

Comments

bottom of page