Keynote Speaker

Joe Benevento serves as President and CEO of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA) and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC). 

VIPA/VIPC is Virginia’s designated statewide economic authority for leading innovation, technology, and startup growth across the Commonwealth of Virginia.  As part of its operations, VIPC manages internal investment funds which make direct investments in early-stage companies and venture capital funds; provides research and development commercialization grants to universities and startups; and support regional entrepreneurial ecosystems and public/private partnerships in collaboration at the local, state, and federal government levels. 

Mr. Benevento was previously appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve as Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a cabinet secretariat responsible for overseeing 13 operating groups with $3B total annual budget and 1,300 team members.  As Virginia’s Deputy Secretary, Mr. Benevento helped develop Virginia’s “Compete to Win” and “Innovation Framework” economic strategies for driving growth and opportunity across the Commonwealth, culminating in Virginia being ranked #1 as America’s Top State for Business by CNBC in 2024.

Mr. Benevento sits on the Board of Directors for a variety of organizations throughout Virginia including the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (Virginia Catalyst), the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST), and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC).  He has also worked with senior leadership of academic institutions, including University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mr. Benevento began his career in the private sector at Goldman Sachs and THL Partners and brings 20 years of business and investment experience across private and public markets, strategy and operations, and executive boards spanning early-stage startups, small-/mid-size companies, and Fortune 500 corporations.  Prior to serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mr. Benevento was a Principal at Bronfman Family Investment Office in New York City and a Managing Director at Falcon Affiliates, a family-office based investment firm in Richmond.

Mr. Benevento holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Benevento has been named one of Virgina’s Top 500 leaders on the Virginia Business Power List as well as a Tech Titan by the Washingtonian.