VIPC CEO Joe Benevento had the privilege alongside @RTDNEWS President Kelly Till to moderate an AI Innovation panel at the Big Dipper Innovation Summit featuring four distinguished Virginia leaders: @VCU President Michael Rao, @GeorgeMasonU President @GMUPres, @UVA President Scott Beardsley, and @virginia_tech President Tim Sands. The discussion offered keen insights into how AI is influencing higher education, research commercialization, and workforce readiness — and bold vision for how Virginia leads the next generation of talent and innovation! #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #BigDipperInnovationSummit #AI #VCU #GMU #UVA #VT

Coffee with VIPC's Virginia Venture Partners - "Are you actually venture-scale, or just a strong small business?" Join Coffee with VIPC's VVP for a Fireside Chat on Friday, June 12 at 9:00AM with VIPC's, Dustin Dunbar, VIPC Senior Investment Associate, and Debbie Irwin, Executive Director of Lighthouse Network to talk about what it really means to be venture-backable, how that differs from building a small business, and how founders can tell which path they’re actually on. Neither path is “better” but they are very different games with very different rules. We’ll dig into the signals that matter to the kind of company you’re really trying to build. There will be an opportunity for breakout sessions to dive deeper into VIPC's funding opportunities and to ask questions following the presentation. Click here to RSVP:bit.ly/4hWjfpo #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #StartupFunding #VVP #VIPC

Innovation can unleash opportunity, but it’s collaboration that drives success was the key theme shared by CEO Joe Benevento — and we celebrated both last night at VIPC’s Hampton Roads ecosystem reception hosted at beautiful @ODU with 100 community leaders, research innovators, and startup entrepreneurs. Impossible to thank everyone but much gratitude to Sarah Jane Kirkland and the entire @ODU team; participating state representatives @jackie4norfolk, @FriendsOfVirgil and Senator Emily Jordan; ecosystem builders like Tim Ryan of Innovate Hampton Roads and the entire amazing team from 757 Collab; university partners from @_HamptonU, @Williamandmary, @Vawesleyan, @CNUcaptains; local/regional EDA’s; industry and investors; and our real stars — the incredible founders and entrepreneurs showcased throughout the evening! VIPC is proud to find new opportunities to partner and grow together throughout all of our ecosystem communities across the Commonwealth. #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

VIPC is hosting an in person workshop on Thursday, June 4, 2026. This workshop is a fast, founder- and investor-oriented introduction to how strategic competition, foreign influence, and U.S. government scrutiny increasingly intersect with advanced technology development. The session places Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) in its operational context: how states pursue access, how influence is exercised indirectly, and how early signals shape outcomes long before any formal review or enforcement action occurs. Topics include: •How foreign state and state-aligned actors engage U.S. innovators today, including current collection trends, indirect access strategies, and soft-power engagement across research, startup, investment, and scaling environments. This includes the periods where vulnerabilities spike. •How FOCI is interpreted across the U.S. government, where thresholds differ between agencies (DoD, DOE, NIH, NSF, etc.), and how those interpretations continue to evolve. •What actually draws attention in practice, funding structures, partnerships, personnel, data access, and commercial behavior, often years before companies realize they are being evaluated. •Practical mitigation options teams can consider if and when FOCI-related issues arise. Event Details: Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026 Location: APEX Accelerator Offices Address: 10306 Eaton Place, WillowWood plaza, Fairfax, VA Time: 11:30AM-2:00PM Register today: bit.ly/3S54QQd Please join us! #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

Empowering week in Southwest Virginia with Team Commerce & Trade and VIPC! From the @GovernorVA's Economic Development Regional Input Session in Abingdon to the SWVA Economic Forum at @UVA_Wise, we joined community leaders and economic development partners to listen and discuss opportunities for future growth and expanded collaboration. Southwest Virginia showcases the strengths that fuel all entrepreneurs and innovators — hard work, resiliency, ingenuity — to name just a few. Much appreciation for the wonderful hospitality of SWVA, the leadership and engagement of Secretary Carrie Chenery and Deputy Kristen Dahlman and collaboration across Commerce and Trade teams: Eric Lin @VirginiaSBSD, Rita McClenney @VisitVirginia, Jason El Koubi @VEDPVirginia, Dr. Tamarah Holmes @VADHCD, Mike Skiffington @Virginia_Energy and Joe Benevento @VirginiaIPC. #SWVA #VirginiaRegionalCollaboration #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

VIPC is hosting a full‑day, Department of Defense–focused SBIR/STTR proposal workshop designed to help innovators build competitive, compliant submissions for upcoming DOD opportunities. This workshop will cover: • SBIR/STTR program basics and the latest on the DOD landscape • Differences across DOD components • How to identify the right topic • Why connecting with Technical Points of Contact early matters • Using the DOD SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal • Writing to meet reviewer expectations • Common pitfalls—and how to avoid them Event Details: Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 Location: Activation Capital/VA Bio Tech Park Address: 800 E. Leigh St., Richmond, VA 23219 Time: 8:30 AM–4 PM Register today: bit.ly/4nZNkch Please join us! #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

Wonderful to host and gather together this evening with University Senior Research Officers and VPR’s from all across Virginia - @CNUcaptains, @GeorgeMasonU, @JMU, @Norfolkstate, @ODU, @radfordu, @VCU, @VSU_1882, @virginia_tech, @williamandmary,@UVA - to break bread, expand relationships, and foster collaboration. VIPC is a proud partner and committed to both growing and accelerating university research, innovation, and commercialization in Virginia. Thank you, Dr. Nicole Guajardo, Dr. Andre Marshall, Dr. Anthony Tongen, Dr. Aixi Zhou, Dr. Kenneth Fridley, @mekolichick, Dr. Srirama Rao, Dr. M. Omar Faison, Dr. Daniel Sui, Dr. Alyson Wilson, Dr. Lori McMahon and VIPC’s Doug Buerkle. #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #CNU #GMU, #JMU #NSU #ODU #RadfordU #VCU #VSU #VT #WilliamandMary #UVA

VIPC is on the ground at @AUVSI XPONENTIAL conference connecting with innovators and industry leaders shaping the next generation of autonomous and robotic systems across air, land, sea, and space. From defense and maritime innovation to advanced aviation and robotics, Virginia continues to be a hub for breakthrough technologies. A special thank you to our partners at the @VEDPVirginia, the Virginia Department of Aviation, Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and @DominionEnergy for their collaboration and for helping us represent Virginia at the VIPC pavilion. #XPONENTIAL #AUVSI #VirginiaInnovation

VIPC was excited to join the @GovernorVA's Economic Development Regional Input Session in the Shenandoah Valley at @JMU, helping drive and accelerate connections with ecosystem leaders across the region. Thank you to Secretary Carrie Chenery, JMU President Dr. James Schmidt, and the Commerce and Trade team for a productive session to support the Shenandoah Valley region and strengthening Virginia’s economic growth and opportunities for all Virginians! #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

VIPC was proud to be in Roanoke to celebrate the opening of RoVa Labs, a new state-of-the-art 40,000 sq ft biotech incubator where startup entrepreneurs and researchers will now have local access to wet lab space, commercialization infrastructure, talent and capital connections to grow and scale in Virginia. RoVa went from vision to reality because of collaboration with local and regional partners - @CarilionClinic, Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance, @City_of_Roanoke, @virginia_tech and the @FralinBiomed, @VirginiaWestern - and leaders like Roanoke City Director of Economic Development Marc Nelson and RBIA President Erin Burcham. Exciting to see the Roanoke Innovation Corridor rapidly grow as a regional tech hub part of Virginia's thriving statewide life sciences innovation ecosystem! #VirginiaLifeSciences #RoVaLabs #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

Virginia’s success is driven by strong collaboration across local, regional, and state partners. VIPC was thrilled to participate in @GovernorVA's Economic Development Regional Input Session at @GeorgeMasonU today alongside a diverse group of community and industry leaders. Thank you Secretary Carrie Chenery, @GMUPres, Virginia Senators and Delegates, and the entire Commerce & Trade team for an insightful and productive morning focused on strengthening the Commonwealth’s economic future! @C_Herring, @VA_JET, @SenDaveMarsden #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives

Join us on May 15 for Coffee with VIPC's Virginia Venture Partners for a Fireside Chat with Frank V. Taylor, VIPC Investment Director, and Joseph Murray, Managing Partner, DoD Accelerator Fund. DoD Accelerator Fund is a new venture capital fund focused on supporting defense focused early stage startups. Joe was previously CEO of Blue Force Technologies, a defense tech startup acquired by Andruil in 2023. There will be an opportunity for breakout sessions to dive deeper into VIPC's funding opportunities and to ask questions following the presentation. Click here to RSVP: bit.ly/4tjnEYN

Join us for Coffee with VIPC's Virginia Venture Partners -"Making Economic Hay in Virginia: Investing in Agriculture, Ag Tech and Adjacent Spaces." Agriculture is Virginia's large private industry, supporting more than 381,800 jobs, with a total impact of over $105 billion when combined with forestry. The sector is driven by over 41,500 family-owned farms covering 7.7 million acres, focusing heavily on livestock (63% of cash receipts), particularly poultry, cattle, and dairy, alongside key crops like soybeans and corn. Agricultural technology in Virginia drives a billion annual economic impact, focusing on innovation in controlled environment agriculture (hydroponics/aquaponics), AI for crop management, and drone technology for targeted spraying. There will be an opportunity for breakout sessions to dive deeper into VIPC's funding opportunities and to ask questions following the presentation. Click here to RSVP:bit.ly/4cMN9eY #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #StartupFunding #VVP #VIPC

Great morning at the Virginia Bio Thrive Conference with Secretary Carrie Chenery, @vabio CEO John Newby, @MayforVA, Healthcare Leader Mia Masten and VIPC CEO Joe Benevento. VIPC is grateful for partnership with Virginia Bio and regional partners to collaborate and coordinate the growth of Virginia’s statewide life science innovation ecosystem. #StateofInnoVAtion #WhereinnoVAtionThrives #VirginiaBio #Merck #Elililly #AstraZeneca #ActivationCapital #Cvillebiohub #Nexus234 #ABBM #ODU

Amazing to welcome Secretary of Commerce and Trade Carrie Chenery with VIPC to Charlottesville for @TomTomFest Festival to celebrate Virginia’s innovators and entrepreneurs. The Secretary’s unifying and inspirational opening remarks kicked off a phenomenal Innovation Summit Day. Thank you Paul Beyer and entire Tom Tom team for bringing the community together to connect and continue to find opportunity for positive impact. #TomTomFestival #StateofInnoVAtion #WhereinnoVAtionThrives

Are you a Virginia community college student seeking a summer internship/research experience with NASA? Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) is accepting applications for the STEM Takes Flight (STF) NASA Research Experience Program. STF provides summer research experiences for students to work directly with NASA research advisors. STF summer research experiences are open only to Virginia community college students! Placements are available at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton and at Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore. Apply here: bit.ly/3Pa5Ykq Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to launch your future in STEM! #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #STEM

Your coffee is brewing! Join us on Friday, May 1 for the next installment of Coffee with Virginia Venture Partners, hosted by Virginia Venture Partners at VIPC. This session will offer a closer look at VIPC’s funding opportunities, followed by breakout discussions where attendees can dive deeper, ask questions, and connect directly with the team. Click here to RSVP: bit.ly/4cMN9eY #StateoInnoVAtion #WhereInnoVAtionThrives #StartupFunding #VVP #VIPC

Virginia is home to world class university research hubs and VIPC’s statewide Lab-to-Launch collaboration is now accelerating commercialization, lowering costs, and unleashing innovation into the marketplace faster than ever before to drive real-world impact. CEO Joe Benevento delivered a presentation to the National Association of University Research Parks I2RP Conference in Manassas, sharing how we are leading the way in growing Virginia’s innovation ecosystems, through the power of partnership and finding win-win solutions. Thank you Amy Adams and @GeorgeMasonU for hosting and to our amazing mission-driven ecosystem partners all across the Commonwealth! @UVA, @GeorgeMasonU, @virginia_tech, @VCU, @williamandmary, @ODU, @activationRVA, @vabio #StateofInnoVAtion #WhereinnoVAtionThrives #ResearchCommercialization

VIPC President and CEO Joe Benevento recently presented to the @VAChamber alongside Deputy Secretary of Commerce Kristen Dahlman. Joe shared how VIPC is growing Virginia’s innovation ecosystems to attract talent and capital, while accelerating growth, opportunity, and impact through collaboration and public-private partnership. Thank you to Virginia Chamber of Commerce President Keith Martin and Board Chair Jen Siciliano for supporting Virginia innovation and entrepreneurship. Virginia is where innovation thrives! #StateofInnoVAtion #WhereinnoVAtionThrives #VirginiaChamberofCommerce

Calling Virginia faculty researchers with breakthrough ideas! The VIPC Higher Ed Proof-of-Concept Grant Program supports university innovations with strong commercialization potential, helping move promising technologies closer to market. If you are considering applying, now is the time to coordinate with your technology transfer office and Office of Sponsored Programs to prepare your submission. Applications are due April 30 at noon. Explore program details and apply: vipc.org/funding/he-poc/ #StateofInnoVAtion #HigherEdResearch #ResearchCommercialization #TechTransfer #InnovationFunding