How is sentiment from the inaugural NOVA RISE event transforming the NOVA Roadmap?
NVC has released the 2026 NOVA RISE Key Takeaways & Insights Report, translating one of the region’s most important leadership convenings into a critical resource for business, government, and community stakeholders.
This report captures the substance of the inaugural NOVA Roadmap Innovators and Stakeholders Exchange (NOVA RISE), held in April 2026. It serves a broader purpose: ensuring that the ideas, questions, and solutions surfaced during the program continue to inform policy and collaboration across Northern Virginia.
What is NOVA RISE?
NOVA RISE is a signature program of NVC designed to support the implementation of the NOVA Roadmap, the region’s long-term economic strategy. While the Roadmap outlines where Northern Virginia needs to go, NOVA RISE focuses on how to get there by convening leaders around the region’s most complex, interconnected challenges, such as housing affordability and energy infrastructure.
The inaugural NOVA RISE program brought together executives, local government leaders, housing advocates, and infrastructure experts for three candid panel conversations on defining issues for the region’s future:
- The Business Case for Housing Affordability
- Powering Northern Virginia’s Digital Economy
- Leading the Next Chapter of Northern Virginia’s Economy
NOVA RISE was not just about the information of the panel discussions, but the level of audience engagement. Attendees were invited to submit real-time questions and feedback throughout the program, surfacing the priorities, concerns, and perspectives of those actively shaping the regional economy.
About the Key Takeaways & Insights Report
The 2026 NOVA RISE Key Takeaways & Insights Report captures that engagement and extends it beyond Valo Park.
Throughout the summit, NVC used a digital engagement platform to collect attendee questions. While many were addressed live, others required deeper analysis. Following the event, unanswered questions were synthesized and shared with panelists and moderators, who provided written responses grounded in their expertise and experience.
The report brings together:
- Expert responses to attendee questions
- Audience feedback data
- Context connecting these perspectives directly to the NOVA Roadmap goals
In doing so, the report ensures that stakeholder voices are heard, documented, analyzed, and elevated. It also supports the region’s ongoing decision-making process and informs NVC’s Legislative Agenda, which is presented in Richmond during the General Assembly session.
Housing Affordability and Workforce Readiness
Discussions during the housing affordability panel reinforced that housing supply constraints are a direct threat to economic competitiveness.
“Affordable housing development — providing housing options for the workers needed in our economy — is truly economic development,” said Thomas Fleetwood, Director of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.
Panelists and attendees emphasized reducing regulatory delays, modernizing zoning, and addressing affordability for middle-income workers, all priorities embedded in the Roadmap’s call to cultivate affordability for the workforce.
Carmen Romero, President & CEO of True Ground Housing Partners added, “Local and state budgets are strained, and private investors are cutting back. However, there are still things we can do to lower time and costs in the meantime.”
Dan Alban, Strategic Advisor and Co-Founder of YIMBYs of NOVA, added, “The housing crisis is not just about ‘affordable housing’ for those who are ‘low income,’ but also building enough quality housing that is attainable for middle income and growing families.”
Energy Infrastructure and Economic Competitiveness
As Northern Virginia’s digital economy continues to grow, NOVA RISE highlighted the infrastructure investments required to keep pace. Perspectives on grid reliability, emerging energy technologies, water reuse, and workforce development directly support the Roadmap’s emphasis on sustaining innovation while protecting long-term regional resiliency.
“Workforce shortages for skilled trades, engineers, and other technical experts are long-standing and nationwide,” said Bill Murray, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Dominion Energy.
Leading Northern Virginia’s Next Chapter
The fireside chat, featuring Acentra Health CEO Todd Stottlemyer, spotlighted the fact that talent retention, corporate responsibility, and intentional leadership are prerequisites for executing the Roadmap. Stottlemyer emphasized the importance of regional scrappiness, corporate investment, and the evolution of leadership for the next generation of talent.
“If we want more companies to step up like Amazon did, it starts with reframing housing not as a social issue, but as a core ingredient and critical factor for business growth,” said Stottlemyer.
What Comes Next?
NOVA RISE is an ongoing platform, not a one-time event. This report will inform future convenings, policy engagement, and the continued evolution of the NOVA Roadmap.
NVC invites business leaders, policymakers, and community partners to use this report as a starting point for deeper engagement and collective action.
To learn more about NOVA RISE or get involved with the NOVA Roadmap, visit our website or contact NVC Senior Vice President of Membership Engagement Jared Sloane.
Click here to view photos from this year’s inaugural NOVA RISE event, and click here to view the digital program.
