May 7, 2015
Chairman’s Breakfast

Community Foundation's 2015 Annual Meeting a Success!

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia presented its inaugural Chairman’s Breakfast on Thursday, May 7, 2015 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Gannett headquarters in McLean, Virginia to celebrate the impact of its work in the Northern Virginia community and to inspire donors to think about their philanthropy in new and innovative ways. The program included a presentation of the Chairman’s Awards to outstanding individuals and community partners whose commitment to meeting community needs has significantly helped further the Community Foundation’s mission. It also included a keynote presentation by James Quigley, CEO of Canvas and co-founder of Refraction, the fast-growing co-working experiment in Reston, on the intersection of philanthropy and innovation.

The Chairman’s Awards were presented by Chair of the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, Lynn Tadlock, Deputy Executive Director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. “The Community Foundation exists to nurture what is good, what is growing, and what is best about this Northern Virginia community, and we do nothing alone,” she said. “Today we honor partners who have not only supported our programs and initiatives, but have made a significant impact in strengthening our community.”

The following organizations received awards for their commitment to partnering with the Community Foundation to meet critical needs in Northern Virginia:
  • Boeing: Outstanding Community Partner
  • Washington Business Journal: Outstanding Community Partner
  • John H. Wolff, CEO and Managing Director, Capital Fiduciary Advisors: Outstanding Board Member.

The second half of the program focused on engaging donors in a discussion about philanthropy and innovation. Keynote speaker, James Quigley, is the CEO and co-founder of Canvas, a cloud-based software service that enables businesses to replace expensive and inefficient paper forms with powerful apps on their smartphones and tablets. Prior to Canvas, James was Vice President and Managing Director of Mobile Solutions at VeriSign. James was named one of the 2012 "Top 50 CEOs" by the Center for Innovative Technology, one of the top 20 global executives in his field by CLO Magazine and the World Supply Chain Forum, and one of the top start-up CEOs to follow on Twitter from the DC area. He sits on the board of and has founded several nonprofits (including Letsgiveback.org) and is a co-founder of the fast growing co-working experiment Refraction.

Inspired by changing trends in philanthropy, both locally and nationally, and new technologies driving workforce development, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia designed this presentation to engage donors in a discussion about how private philanthropy can play a role in building a stronger economy in the region. “The Community Foundation has supported innovative, new initiatives that help diversify the local economy and promote creative thinking through our Innovation Fund,” said Eileen Ellsworth, president of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. “We hope this seminar has inspired donors to think differently about how their support can impact business development and inspire future leaders in our region.”

The program included a panel discussion with three individuals working in the field of innovation. David Miller is the Director of Entrepreneurship at George Mason University and Director of the Mason Innovation Lab, a business accelerator for students and alumni of the University. Kristin D’Amore serves as the President of the Entrepreneur Center at NVTC, a resource hub for technology-focused startups and entrepreneurs at every stage of their lifecycle. Brian Jacoby, President of Nova Labs and founder of the Nova Mini Maker Faire, is also an active donor to the Community Foundation’s Innovation Fund.

This event was made possible with support from Gannett Company, Inc.