FOUNDERS FORUM 2027

A meeting of entrepreneurial minds, curated by McIntire School students

The fourth annual Founders Forum returns Friday, Feb. 26, 2027, to the UVA McIntire School of Commerce. Registration opens soon.

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This year's theme:

Interregnum

Interregnum is the period between the fall of one regime and the rise of another, when the old order is clearly in decline but the new has not yet emerged. It is a time of uncertainty, instability, and immense possibility. Antonio Gramsci, the 20th-century philosopher who popularized the term, advised living “without illusions, while not becoming disillusioned,” staying fully engaged with the world as it is, in all its nuance, without losing sight of how it could be.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are fundamentally about designing the world we want to live in. Through conversation, we will explore this Interregnum, theorize about the opportunities in uncertainty, and reimagine the role that CEOs, founders, and the institutions that prepare young people for business can play in shaping the future.

Featured Speakers

Curated by McIntire students

This lineup didn’t come from a booking agency. It came from UVA students. Undergraduates identified the founders and innovators they most wanted to hear from, researched their work, and reached out themselves. Now they’re shaping each visit and the conversations on stage, so the questions come from the people who asked for the answers.

Keep an eye on this page in the weeks ahead—our speaker announcements are coming soon!

The Galant Center is grateful to collaborate with GAME, which has again generously sponsored this year’s Forum.

This event is open to all individuals regardless of race, color, sex, or national origin, in accordance with Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act and the University of Virginia’s nondiscrimination policy. To learn more, visit UVA’s Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity.