NOVA Roadmap Innovators & Stakeholders Exchange (NOVA RISE)
Thursday, April 16, 2026 | 8:00 - 11:30 am
Valo Park Auditorium (7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22102)
NOVA RISE is the definitive NOVA Roadmap vision and strategy exchange — uniting business leaders and investors with the innovators shaping the future of our regional economy.
This inaugural summit features two panels of experts on topics related to Roadmap innovation initiatives. The event is capped with a fireside chat featuring influential executives, followed by a private VIP Luncheon.
Panel 1
The Business Case for Housing Affordability
The high cost of living in our region impacts every employer, hampering their ability to attract and retain a high-quality workforce. The NOVA Roadmap identifies housing affordability as a critical issue in our region.
This panel will feature developers, planners, and business leaders who will examine what is actually slowing housing production in Northern Virginia, from permitting delays to community opposition. This conversation will explore solutions that are proving effective in other fast-growing regions, and focus on actions our business community can take to increase Northern Virginia's housing supply so we can continue to attract and retain the talent that supports our economy.
Panelists:
Dan Alban
Strategic Advisor & Co-Founder
YIMBYs of NOVA
Evan Goldman
Executive Vice President, Land Acquisition and Development
EYA, LLC
Moderator:
Carmen Romero
President & Chief Executive Officer
True Ground Housing Partners
Panel 2
Powering Northern Virginia's Digital Economy
Northern Virginia is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers, firmly placing our region at the center of the global digital economy. As our ecosystem of AI, cloud, and advanced technology companies rapidly grows, the demand for energy infrastructure is reaching a critical inflection point. To maintain our leadership position, we must strengthen the power grid, scale renewables and battery storage, and adopt on-site small modular reactors (SMRs) — all of which are fundamental to powering Northern Virginia's digital future.
Leaders from the energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors will examine how we balance the growing demand for power with the need for resilient, future-ready energy infrastructure. Join us as we discuss the strategies required to sustain Northern Virginia's innovation-driven growth while building the infrastructure a world-class digital economy demands.
Panelists:
Vardahn Chaudhry
Senior Vice President, Asset Management
American Real Estate Partners
Kevin Gundersen
Head of Public Affairs
Digital Realty
Bill Murray
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Dominion Energy
Brandon Todd
Vice President, Government Affairs, Policy & Advocacy
Washington Gas
Moderator:
Mark Looney
Partner
Cooley LLP
Fireside Chat
Leading the Next Chapter of Northern Virginia's Economy
Special Guest:
Todd Stottlemyer
Chief Executive Officer
Acentra Health
Northern Virginia’s economy has long benefited from our proximity to the federal government, a highly educated workforce, and world-class digital infrastructure. However, we are at a critical juncture. As the region faces mounting pressures — from workforce transitions and affordability challenges to intensifying national competition — the business community must take a definitive role in shaping our regional trajectory.
This fireside chat features a leading voice in business and policy to examine Northern Virginia's economic competitiveness and the strategic leadership required to sustain our momentum. The discussion will focus on how cross-sector collaboration and coalition building can translate the vision of the NOVA Roadmap into tangible solutions that strengthen the region’s long-term growth and ensure our competitive edge.
2026 Sponsors
Insights Sponsors
VIP Luncheon Sponsor
INTERESTED IN EVENT SPONSORSHIP?
For more information, please email Jared Sloane, Senior Vice President of Member Engagement.
2026 Guestlist
Business
Accenture Federal Services
Accenture LLP
Acentra Health
ACI Solutions
Acuity Advisor, LLC
American Real Estate Partners
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Aon Corporation
Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA)
B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group
Bala Consulting Engineers
BDO USA PC
CALIBRE
Capital Area Food Bank
CCS Fundraising
Chevy Chase Trust
Children's National Health System
Comstock
Cooley LLP
Cox Communications
DAVIS Construction
Digital Realty
Dominion Energy
DPR Construction
Employment Enterprises, Inc.
EYA, LLC
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA)
First Citizens Bank
First National Bank
Forgepath
George Mason University
Grant Thornton LLP
Harmonia Holdings Group, LLC
Hirschler
Huntington National Bank
Inova
Jefferson Solutions Group
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Liberty Construction
LMI
Lockton, Inc.
M&T Bank
Marsh McLennan Agency
Maixmus, Inc.
Meerkat Cyber, LLC
Melwood
Micron Technology, Inc.
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Family Services
Northern Virginia Health Foundation
Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance
NOVA Business Law Group, LLP
Old Dominion National Bank
Peterson Companies
Piedmont Global
Pinkston
PNC Bank
Rand Construction Corporation
Resolve Solutions Incorporated
Saul Ewing
Securis
Sentara
ServiceSource
Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership (UVA)
TD Bank
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
TripleCyber Corp
True Ground Housing Partners
Truist
Unissant, Inc.
United Airlines
United Bank
Versaolve/Moxie Award
Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)
Washington Gas
Wells Fargo Bank
Wesley Housing Development Corporation
William A. Hazel, Inc
Wilmington Trust
Xcelerate Solutions
YIMBYs of NOVA
Government
State
Virginia General Assembly
Senate
- Senator Saddam Salim (Fairfax City and Falls Church City)
- Senator Kannan Srinivasan (Loudoun County)
House of Delegates
- Delegate Briana Sewell (Prince William County)
- Delegate Irene Shin (Fairfax County and Herndon)
- Delegate Josh Thomas (Prince William County)
- Delegate Vivian Watts (Fairfax County)
County
Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors
- Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay (At-Large)
- Supervisor Walter L. Alcorn (Hunter Mill)
- Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield)
- Supervisor Dalia A. Palchik (Providence)
County Executive
- Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill
- Deputy County Executive Jennifer Miller
County Government
- Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development
- Fairfax County Office of Government Relations
Loudoun County
- Office of Chair Phyllis Randall (At-Large)
- Loudoun County Economic Development Authority
