Entrepreneur Support Organization leaders sit at the center of the innovation economy. They see across founders, funders, partners, and policymakers. They absorb the ambition, risk, and uncertainty of dozens — sometimes hundreds — of entrepreneurs at once. And they are responsible for turning that complexity into structure, momentum, and measurable impact.
At the Tom Tom Foundation Innovation Summit, this 75-minute roundtable convenes ESO leaders for a focused, facilitated conversation grounded in the 2026 theme: Courage.
Rather than a presentation, this is a working leadership lab.
Together, participants will:
- Name the tensions shaping today’s entrepreneurial ecosystems
- Explore the emotional weight of ecosystem leadership
- Identify recurring patterns in how founders and communities navigate risk
- Clarify the transformation their organizations truly enable
- Strengthen the language they use to articulate impact
Through guided prompts and structured peer dialogue, leaders will move from reflection to articulation — defining the “From → To” transformation their organization creates and refining the narrative they carry into boardrooms, funding conversations, and founder relationships.
This roundtable creates space to pause, align, and elevate the story of the work.
Because supporting courage requires courage.
And the leaders who shape ecosystems deserve space to shape their own narrative with equal intention.
What Participants Will Walk Away With
- Greater clarity around shared ecosystem dynamics
- Stronger language to describe their organization’s impact
- A more confident personal leadership narrative
- Practical framing they can immediately apply with founders, funders, and partners
An intimate, high-value conversation designed for those building the builders — and ready to lead with deeper alignment and influence.
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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
