2026 Fall ECOSYSTEM BUILDER SUMMIT
September 29th - October 1st
Richmond, Virginia
In community
How a community shows up for itself is the most important thing an ecosystem can teach.
Come get a masterclass in love of place.
About Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is fiercely local — more local restaurants than chains, more independent stores than franchises, an arts district that is digging in to reconnect and rejuvenate a struggling downtown – all set the story for a masterclass in love of place. This is where Lighthouse Network, a nationally recognized accelerator, was founded by an SCN founding member. Where Capital One chose to put down roots and show up. Where CarMax, Dominion Energy, and Genworth were born and scaled. Richmond earns this the theme: In Community.
This city also has a complicated history. It was the capital of the Confederacy, it built confederate statues along Monument Avenue to intimidate Black residents, and it gerrymandered a neighborhood to contain the Black vote. That neighborhood, Jackson Ward, rose into one of America's great Black Wall Streets, most notably named “The Harlem of the South.” Maggie Walker — the first woman to charter a bank in the United States — built her legacy here. The Hippodrome hosted James Brown and Cab Calloway.
That's the Richmond pattern: pressure met with creativity, resilience, and an unshakeable love of place. You see it in the arts district that is fighting blight on Broad St. You see it in a startup ecosystem that is connected and community-rooted and you see it in homegrown companies like CarMax, Dominion Energy, and Genworth that scaled right here.
“In Community” is what Richmonders are every day and what summit attendees will experience firsthand.
Startup Champions Network (SCN) Summits
SCN Summits are unique in that we focus on the people and culture part of ecosystem building. Our agenda focuses on peer to peer learning with seasoned ecosystem builders focused on storytelling, sharing experiences, and mentoring.
Summits are a partnership with the member host with a lens on their community to showcase what the work looks like, celebrate its wins, and discuss the challenges. Unlike traditional conferences and events where the location is chosen based on tourism hype and destination, our Summit locations are chosen based on local ecosystem stakeholder engagement and dedication to the culture of SCN.
These 2-3 day intimate gatherings bring together the nation's top ecosystem builders and national ecosystem support organizations to convene conversations, gain insight from real-world case studies, and explore and experience new communities. Summits address topics most relevant to and of interest to members, such as inclusive entrepreneurship, fostering collaboration, engaging and empowering under-represented populations, and more.
We get out of the building. Explore the ecosystem, meet entrepreneurs, and see the work firsthand.
Vulnerable practice over performative success. We make space for real talk — failures, systemic challenges, and lessons learned.
Engaging, collaborative sessions. Unconferences, lightning talks, and collective problem-solving — not passive listening.
Equity, inclusion, and belonging. We build ecosystems where no one is left out, choosing belonging over performative inclusion.
We dig deep. Experiences designed to build real relationships and spark meaningful conversations.
Pitch-free content. This is a space for sharing best practices, learning, and connecting — not self-promotion.
What You’ll Experience in Richmond
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Kickoff the Summit with a Lighthouse Tradition. We’ll convene in a local distillery and mingle with the founders who are shaping Richmond.
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What happens when neighborhoods and businesses come together? We’ll ground you in the history of Jackson Ward, a once thriving Black neighborhood whose businesses and neighbors created the foundation for what the neighborhood is today.
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Walk the Harlem of the South for the history. Meet the movers and shakers who are here now.
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As we seek to strengthen our ecosystems, culture is at the heart of this work. In this session, we'll take a clear-eyed look at where things actually stand today — not where we hope they are, but where they are. From there, we'll explore how to close the gap between current reality and the culture of Respect, Transparency, Reciprocity, and Trust we're all working to build.
You'll walk away with a practical framework for seeding real culture change — the kind that has to be cultivated with your community, not handed down to it. Because while each of us brings a valuable perspective, none of us has the full picture. That's exactly what makes this work both humbling and powerful.
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Dinner with locals is an SCN Summit staple designed to build understanding and relationships with local ecosystem builders. These small, intimate gatherings, divide attendees up and allow them to dine in different locations in town.
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Have you ever heard of Punk Rock Banking? You’re going to meet the financial institution in every community who does the work but is often overlooked.
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Get a firsthand look at what it means to be in “founder development” from Lighthouse Network (formally Lighthouse Labs), a national accelerator with SCN roots.
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Peer-to-peer. No keynotes. Built for the conversations conferences don't have.
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Roses & Thorns is a staple at every Startup Champions Network Summit: A safe space to talk about what drives us, what keeps us up at night and why we do it anyway. Get ready to dig deep, be vulnerable, and share stories of struggle and hope with fellow ecosystem builders who know what you’re going through.
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When the sessions are over, it’s time to relax and keep those connections rolling. Every SCN summit has something to do in the evening to keep things fun.
SCN Host Members
Ashley Ray, SCN Communications / Community Builder
Ashley has been the Comms/Marketing/Summit planning support person for SCN since 2018, which means she’s helped plan 13 summits at this point. While she was not born and raised in Richmond, she’s a Richmonder through and through, supporting comms for Lighthouse Network, on the ground as a committee member of the Historic Jackson Ward Association, an active participant in the Arts District Business Alliance, and the Communications lead for Hack for RVA. Many of those roles are unpaid. All of them are important to helping the Richmond ecosystem continue to grow. Ashley lives in Historic Jackson Ward / the Arts District / Downtown (it’s complicated) and is working to help uplift the neighborhood and get more Richmonders to come downtown again. When she’s not doing all that, she’s working on comms for other organizations.
Debbie Irwin, Lighthouse Network / SCN Board
Debbie is a longtime SCN member and current board member who knows a thing or two about Summits. She’s been on the Summit Planning Committee for several, AND she was on of our hosts for the Shenandoah Summit. Debbie now calls Richmond home and is taking our ecosystem to a whole other level as the Executive Director of Lighthouse Network. Debbie’s work is centered on Founder development – meaning support the WHOLE founder, not just launching and accelerating startups.
Tickets
*Please note that you must purchase each ticket individually, so we can properly collect all attendee data per ticket. Not a member and want to save on your summit ticket? Join here first.
Travel & Accomodations
Lodging
Coming soon but checkout Quirk Hotel, The Graduate, and local airbnbs in Jackson Ward
Getting to Richmond
Richmond International Airport (RIC) is an easy 15 minute drive from Jackson Ward!
Rides & Rooms Spreadsheet
Every Summit, we create a spreadsheet for attendees to coordinate rides and room sharing. If you're looking to share a hotel room or airbnb with a large group, this is a great place to start. If you want to carpool from the airport or hope some kind soul will give you a ride, this is the place to do it! While we don't link this spreadsheet to the public website, it is sent via email upon summit registration.
Sponsors
