There is no single path to building something meaningful.
Some founders come from industry. Some from policy. Some from the lab, the classroom, or the job site. What connects them is not background. It is mindset. The willingness to take risks, embrace uncertainty, pivot when necessary, and keep building anyway.
At the Tom Tom Foundation Innovation Summit, Built Different: The Making of Modern Builders explores the human side of innovation — the lived experiences behind companies, infrastructure, technology, and community transformation.
This conversation moves beyond pitch decks and growth metrics to examine:
- The unconventional paths that lead people into building
- The pivots and setbacks that shape resilience
- Navigating risk in infrastructure, tech, construction, and early-stage ventures
- Balancing conviction with adaptability
- What separates those who start from those who sustain
From rail infrastructure to technology platforms, from construction to student-led ventures, these leaders represent a new generation of builders redefining what innovation looks like across sectors.
This is not a discussion about overnight success. It is about long-term construction — of companies, of systems, of communities, and of self.
Because being “built different” is not about personality.
It is about perspective.
It is about stamina.
And it is about choosing to build when the outcome is not guaranteed.
A candid conversation about risk, reinvention, and the realities of modern entrepreneurship — told by those actively in the arena.
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Note: This Summit session is ticketed.
Please purchase your
tickets on Humanitix. You will then receive an email from Sched with login information that allows you to make your personal schedule.
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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
