Founders and Futurists combines Valley TechCon with the Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by SVTC and SCCF, respectively, to bring tech professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs together under one roof.

With our reimagined FOUNDERS & FUTURISTS event, we will explore how rural entrepreneurs can leverage technology to scale, innovate, and transform their communities—and how the tech sector can embed entrepreneurial thinking to stay agile and rooted in real-world impact.

Rural communities like the Shenandoah Valley face a choice: adapt someone else’s version of innovation—or create our own. Too often, tech and entrepreneurship ecosystems overlook places like ours, leaving behind untapped talent, struggling local economies, and fading downtowns. Founders and Futurists is our response: a gathering where visionaries, builders, and community champions come together to imagine a future rooted in local values, economic resilience, and shared opportunity. This event is more than a conference—it’s the starting point for a movement to grow community wealth, retain our identity, and shape a new rural economy on our own terms. 

​

Together, we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in our region while still honoring our roots. Whether you’re an entrepreneur in the agricultural technology industry, a small business owner who needs to stay ahead of AI trends, or a software developer who’s creating for tomorrow’s startups, we invite you to be part of the conversation.

Thank you to all who joined us this year for FOUNDERS & FUTURISTS!

With your feedback, we look forward to growing and refining an even more engaging and supportive event

next year for innovators across the Valley!