The Chamber is a proud sponsor of the 13th Annual Tom Tom Festival and EVOLVE Conference!
About the Civic Futures Track
What is the Big Vision for our community? Join a multi-sector gathering designed to ignite visionary thinking and inclusive regional storytelling. The EVOLVE Conference launches with a day-long exploration of how we build the relational capital and community cohesion, to envision and shape the future of our hometown. CIVIC FUTURES is a pioneering multi-sector gathering designed to inspire bold regional storytelling rooted in inclusion, creativity, and innovation. This full-day event unites changemakers from diverse sectors—private industry, government, philanthropy, academia, and institutions—into a dynamic, creative space. Through interactive dialogue we’ll explore: What could our region be known for? And What coalitions and partnerships are essential to getting us there? Together, we’ll co-create a roadmap for the region’s identity and growth, paving the way for meaningful action.
See all the details
8AM - Registration & Coffee
9AM - Welcome
9:10AM - Reflecting on the Past, Imagining the Future: American Democracy at 250
10:15AM - (1) The Innovation Economy: A Coalitional Model for Building the Region's Future
10:15AM - (2) Education Innovator Summit: Bringing a Community Schools Mindset to Charlottesville
11:30AM - (1) Building Stronger Communities Through Partnership
11:30AM - (2) Charlottesville's Narrative: Who Shapes Our Story?
12:30PM - The Future of Philanthropy: A New Coalition Model for Change
1:00PM - Homegrown Innovators Roundtable - Scaling Success in Charlottesville
2:15PM at CODE - What Does Multi-Sector Advocacy Look Like? *Featuring the Chamber*
3:30PM - Capstone Conversation