Impact
- Secured inclusion in FY25 Financial Services and General Government Bill for Congressional Direct Spending consideration.
- Orchestrated key placement on U.S. Senator’s regional technology and innovation tour.
- Hosted event with 150+ in attendance, including entrepreneurs showcasing innovations and high-level business plans to senior legislative staff and U.S. Senator Warner. Generated 3X expected attendance, becoming the tour’s highest-attended stop, prompting U.S. Senator to extend the length of his visit.
- Regional media attention that extended the conversation beyond the event.
PURPOSE
The Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA) demonstrates how strategic public relations can elevate nonprofit visibility and impact through government engagement. By securing a spot on Senator Mark Warner’s economic development tour, we created a high-profile platform showcasing both entrepreneur innovation and organizational effectiveness to key government stakeholders.
SOLUTION
Leverage the strong relationships built over the years, while creating new partnerships to build the needed attention and eventual support from multiple sources. This particular campaign was focused on government relations.
The target audience:
- U.S. Senator Mark Warner with messaging on the important economic impact of smaller communities.
- Attendees with messaging on the opportunity they would have to meet and hear from the senator as well as the potential to present and highlight their innovations.
THE STORY
The Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA) stands as a testament to the strength that comes in pulling together people with challenges and pain points and those who have the solutions; whether it’s entrepreneurs solving problems with their latest inventions or the entrepreneurial nonprofit looking for solutions to fund and support the entrepreneurs it serves. This one event was the culmination the VIA team’s strong community partnerships, and its knowledge and genuine brand that shows the constant desire to build new partnerships and bring new collaborations into its ecosystem.