Ryan Jones
President, Do Good Foundation · Founder, Do Good Brands
CreatorCon 2026 · Year Four
That's a wrap.
September 23–24, 2026 · UVA Wise
The recap
Thank you for filling the room.
Two days at UVA Wise with 11 speakers, five Pitch Battle finalists, and a room full of founders, creators, students, and ecosystem builders. Thank you to every speaker, sponsor, partner, and attendee who made year four happen.
Coming soon
Photos and the recap video are on the way.
Want to speak, sponsor, or pitch in 2027? Get in touchLook back
CreatorCon 2025.
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Overview
Two days of the real conversations.
CreatorCon is the annual entrepreneurship conference hosted by Do Good Foundation. We bring founders, creators, students, economic developers, and the people building the entrepreneurial ecosystem into the same room — for two days of sessions, conversations, and connections you won't find anywhere else.
The 2026 program brought together working founders sharing what's actually working in their businesses, ecosystem builders discussing how to support entrepreneurs at every stage, and plenty of unstructured time to meet the person you didn't know you needed to meet.
CreatorCon 2027 dates are coming soon. Want to speak, sponsor, or pitch next year? Get in touch.
2026 Speakers
Who took the stage.
Chancellor Donna Henry
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Randall Rose
Associate Vice Chancellor, Community & Economic Development, UVA Wise
Michelle Workman
Senior Destination Development Manager, Visit Virginia
Andrea Hicks
Owner & Founder, The Coffee Station
Ryan Hayes
Staff Software Engineer, Hilton Grand Vacations
Jessica Monroe
Principal Consultant, WING Strategies
Jessie Stamper
Senior Grants Associate, VIPC
Chuck Kirby
Vice President, Smart Communities, VIPC
Brooke Ring
Sr. Partner Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Thryv
Shannon Blevins
Vice Chancellor, Strategic Engagement and Government Relations, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise
A Do Good Foundation Event · Year Four
The Theme: Go Further
September 23–24, 2026 · The University of Virginia's College at Wise
- 5:30 PM
Pitch Teams Arrive
Check-in, tech check, and run-through
- 6:00 PM
Networking & Welcome Reception
Open to all attendees and partners
- 6:45 PM
The Pitch Battle$5,000 Prize
Five Appalachian founders · 5-minute pitch, 5 minutes of questions each
- 7:45 PM
Networking
Winner announced · reception continues
- 8:00–9:00 AM
Registration and Coffee
- 9:00–9:15 AM
Welcome
Ryan Jones (President, Do Good Foundation · Founder, Do Good Brands)
- 9:15–9:30 AM
Welcome Address
Chancellor Donna Henry, UVA Wise
- 9:30–10:00 AM
Go Further with Relationship CapitalSponsored by VCEDA
Brooke Ring (Sr. Partner Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Thryv) & Ryan Jones (Owner & Founder, Do Good Brands) — in conversation
- 10:00–10:15 AM
Explore Booths and NetworkSponsored by VFP
- 10:15–10:45 AM
Go Further With AI: Building Real Tech Without a Tech Team
Ryan Hayes (Staff Software Engineer, Hilton Grand Vacations)
- 10:45–11:30 AM
Breakout SessionsConcurrent — Choose One
- Go Further with Claude — Ryan Hayes (Staff Software Engineer, Hilton Grand Vacations)
- Go Further with Marketing & Visibility: Be the Answer — Jessica Monroe (Principal Consultant, WING Strategies)
- 11:30–11:45 AM
Explore Booths and NetworkSponsored by Wise County Chamber of Commerce
- 11:45 AM–12:30 PM
Go Further With Destination TourismSponsored by Visit Virginia
Michelle Workman (Sr. Destination Development Manager, Visit Virginia) & Andrea Hicks (Owner & Founder, The Coffee Station)
- 12:30–1:00 PM
Lunch
- 1:00–1:45 PM
Go Further with Virginia Innovation Partnership CorporationSponsored by VIPC
Jessie Stamper (Senior Grants Associate) & Chuck Kirby (Vice President, Smart Communities), VIPC
- 2:00–3:00 PM
Go Further with the Founder EcosystemSponsored by Opp SWVA Partners
Shannon Blevins (Vice Chancellor, Strategic Engagement and Government Relations) & Randall Rose (Associate Vice Chancellor, Community & Economic Development), UVA Wise
The Floor
Last year, in frames
68 stills from CreatorCon 2025 — speakers, the room, the people. Click any photo to view full size.
Hover to pause · Click any photo to expand
CreatorCon Pitch Battle
$5,000 to the founder with the best pitch.
2025 Winner
Justin Falin
Just Adventure Productions
$0
to the winner
$0+
awarded since 2023
Live
in front of the room
Every year at CreatorCon, founders pitch their businesses live in front of judges and the room. One walks away with $5,000 in non-dilutive prize money — and all of them walk away with the kind of feedback you can't get anywhere else.
Eligibility
- Active for-profit business
- Less than 5 years old
- Must have customers
The pitch
- 5-minute pitch
- Presenter must be the business owner
- Slide deck required (PowerPoint or Google Slides)
Questions? Email dogoodfoundationinfo@gmail.com
Thank you to our sponsors
Presented by
Student Sponsor
With support from
