Loading…
Wednesday April 22, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Tom Tom Annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night showcases 13 aspiring entrepreneurs to the Charlottesville community, who will vote with their dollars. Flash pitches will share the contestant's vision with the community and inspire the crowd to action! The evening will conclude with a round of crowd voting -- YOU get to be involved! -- in support of the idea the crowd feels is most likely to be successful. The pool of money goes to the winner. This event connects culturally diverse and innovative members of the Charlottesville community to showcase Charlottesville as a hub for unity and opportunity.

Each finalist has the opportunity to raise funds both before and during the pitch night. ALL donations intended for a startup or project will go to that startup! Before the pitch night, there will be a donation portal open to contribute toward a project, and at the pitch night, the audience can purchase votes to support the projects that most inspire them. ALL monies intended for a startup will go to that startup.

In addition to the crowdfunded support, the Community Investment Collaborate (CIC) is sponsoring a grand prize winner to receive a max $5,000. A winner will be selected by a panel of judges. Additional prizes and support services from CIC and other local business owners may also be awarded.

This event is free to attend and open to the public! 
Click here to see contestant highlights and event details!

A special thank you to our sponsors: The 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival is presented with the University of Virginia, Virginia Tourism, R.L. Beyer Custom Homes, Ludwig Kuttner, and The City of Charlottesville
Speakers
avatar for Andrew Schoka

Andrew Schoka

CEO & Co-Founder, Hardshell
Andrew is the co-founder and CEO of Hardshell, where he leads the company's efforts to support secure AI adoption by growth-oriented companies. Prior to founding Hardshell, Andrew spent over seven years on active duty as a cyber operations officer with U.S. Army Cyber Command and... Read More →
avatar for Jenny Lynn Walding

Jenny Lynn Walding

Founder/CEO, milkmade Innovations, Inc.
Jenny Lynn Walding’s personal breastfeeding challenges abroad inspired the creation of milkmade. Despite exclusively breastfeeding her firstborn, her daughter became malnourished and failed to thrive due to an undiagnosed tongue tie that limited effective milk transfer. This experience... Read More →
avatar for Jermeen Sherman

Jermeen Sherman

Managing Director, Black Ambition
Jermeen is the Managing Director at Black Ambition, a nonprofit founded by Pharrell Williams to close the opportunity and wealth gaps through the provision of capital, coaching, care and community to dynamic underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Jermeen combines the best of strategic and analytical thinking from the business world with an unrelenting commitment to social impact and equity. Having worked in and alongside executive teams in community-based organizations, nonprofits, universities, and municipal government, Jermeen... Read More →
avatar for Troy	Robinson

Troy Robinson

Owner / creator, Eat better today (EBT)

avatar for Amanda Terillo

Amanda Terillo

Co Owner, Penny's Imperfect Pizza
Penny's Imperfect Pizza: a sourdough pizza company specializing in artisanal, naturally fermented pizzas made with farm-grown vegetables and locally sourced ingredients... Read More →
avatar for Darrick Hanks-Harris

Darrick Hanks-Harris

Owner, It’s Mr. Bakers Vegan Donut Shop
MrBaker's Vegan Donut Shop: a plant-based bakery serving fresh, handcrafted vegan donuts with high-quality ingredients and bold flavors through pop-ups, markets, and special events... Read More →
avatar for Mollie Griddine

Mollie Griddine

Owner, Meme's Crown and Glory
MeMe's Crown & Glory: a Black-owned, family-made natural hair care brand created with intention, care, and lived experience
avatar for Jake Adler

Jake Adler

Founder, StorybookYou
StorybookYou: a personalized children's book company using AI to transform children's photos into accurate storybook characters, seamlessly integrating multiple children and pets into a single adventure... Read More →
avatar for Jay Berget

Jay Berget

Owner, SoundAround, All Access C-ville

avatar for Elliott Butler-Cisneros

Elliott Butler-Cisneros

Founder/Executive Director, The Sum (business) "The Power of Us" tabletop game (Project)
The Power of Us: a tabletop game that transforms how people experience shared humanity, difference, and belonging by helping players explore and transform unconscious patterns across race, culture, religion, gender, disability, and sexual orientation... Read More →
avatar for Christina	Washington

Christina Washington

Founder & CEO, [8:12] Project
[8:12] Project: an event discovery platform built for the faith community where young Christians can find and host experiences that align with their values
Sponsors
avatar for Black Ambition

Black Ambition

Black Ambition, a non-profit organization founded by Pharrell Williams in 2020, is dedicated to closing the wealth and opportunity gap faced by underrepresented entrepreneurs in the U.S, and abroad. Through prize competitions and bespoke founder programming, Black Ambition provides... Read More →
Wednesday April 22, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
CODE Building

Log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link