About

What We Do

VIPC fuels Virginia’s innovation-driven economy by amplifying entrepreneurial startup ecosystems, accelerating technology commercialization pathways, and attracting early-stage investment capital.

VIPC drives impact by equipping entrepreneurs, researchers, and ecosystem partners with critical funding, expertise, and connections. From seed-stage investment and research commercialization grants to statewide networks and public-private partnerships, VIPC builds the infrastructure that allows innovation to thrive across the Commonwealth. VIPC is the operating nonprofit of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA).

Who We Are

Our Team

Joe Benevento

President and CEO

Nina Araujo-de-Kobes

Senior Executive Assistant

Thomas Best

Venture Capital Funds Operations Analyst

Robert Brooke

Director, Federal Funding Programs

Mona Davis

Director, Fund Management and Operations

Dustin Dunbar

Senior Investment Associate

Heather Engen

Director, Enterprise Analytics

Alex Euler

Senior Investment Director

Aurelia Flores

Investment Director

Dawn Gibbs

Manager, Information Systems

Todd Hancock

Portfolio Analyst

Conaway Haskins

Vice President, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Christine Hill,
MBA, MSHR

Senior HR Director

Jennifer Hiltwine

Director, Higher Education Initiatives

Meredith Hundley, PhD

Director, Grants and Research

Michael Jarvis

Senior Investment Associate

Minji Kim

AI Fellow

Chuck Kirby

Vice President, Smart Communities

Sharon Kozar

Executive Financial Assistant

Sandra McCutcheon

Director, Partnerships and Projects

Lynn McDaniel

Director, Smart Data

Carole McPhillips

Director, Contracts and Grants

Jennifer O’Daniel

Senior Investment Director

Marco Rubin

Senior Investment Director

Chris Sadler

Senior Director, Unmanned Systems and Public Safety

Amber Salter

Manager, External Relations

Jessica Stamper

Senior Grants Associate

Jenna Swanson

Senior Accountant

Frank Taylor

Investment Director

Priscilla Trimble, CMP

Events Director

Heather Tyler

Jr. Contracts and Grants Administrator

Kelly Weaver, CPA

Controller

Tom Weithman

Chief Investment Officer and Vice President, Investment

Ellie Wess

Executive Project Specialist

Leslie Williams

Chief Administrative Officer

Allison Youngblood

Director, Life Science Partner Relations

Anthony Obi Jr.

Senior Investment Associate

Board of Directors

Lindsay Winter
Chair

Head of Virginia Public Policy, Amazon

The Honorable Carrie Chenery
Vice Chair

Commonwealth Secretary of Commerce and Trade

John Minor

Managing Director, Struie LLC

Marilyn Perkins

Director, VCU Investment Management Company

Kelley Powell Williamson

Managing Partner, Kefiweh Group and President, Kelley W. Powell, Inc.

Rob Quartel

Executive Chairman of the Board, NTELX

Dr. Angela Reddix

Founder and CEO, ARDX

Dr. Rita Roy

CEO, National Spine Health Foundation

VIPC Core Values

Integrity

We treat everyone with respect, fairness, and professionalism. We honor our commitments and foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.

Collaboration

We foster cohesive and inclusive collaboration across VIPC and Virginia's early-stage innovation ecosystem. By uniting our strengths and breaking down silos, we work together to achieve shared success.

Excellence

We set high standards and deliver quality in everything we do. We believe diverse perspectives are essential to enabling innovation and continuous improvement.

Innovation

We embrace innovation and a growth mindset over status quo. We continuously improve our programs and processes to meet the evolving needs of a dynamic Commonwealth.

Mission-Driven

We are driven by our mission to unleash innovation and economic development across the Commonwealth. We are action-oriented and focused on measurable, data-driven outcomes to ensure our work creates meaningful, lasting impact