FOUNDERS
FORUM 2026

Reggie Aggarwal is the CEO and Founder of Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events and hospitality technology provider. A lawyer by trade, Reggie founded Cvent in 1999, with the goal of making meeting planning easier for his peers in the business community. Driven by the desire to transform the meetings and events industry, Cvent has grown to 5,000+ employees and 24,000+ customers worldwide. 

Kat Cole is a seasoned operator and executive who has helped scale some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands. She rose from Server to Vice President at Hooters before joining Focus Brands, where she became President of Cinnabon and later COO and President of the global portfolio. She then served as President and COO of Athletic Greens (AG1), guiding its rapid expansion in the health and wellness space. Today, Kat invests in and advises emerging consumer and technology companies, drawing on her deep expertise in brand building and leadership.

Tom Cortese co-founded Peloton in 2012, where he led product innovation teams and helped shape the company’s highly engaging, user-centered experience. Tom served as Peloton’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer for more than a decade, helping grow the company from an early idea into a globally recognized brand. In 2025, he teamed up with Chipotle Founder Steve Ells to launch Counter Service, a technology-enabled, quality-first sandwich concept reimagining fast food as real food.

Wilson Craig is the Founder of Waterbird Spirits, a fast-growing canned cocktail brand with distribution in nearly 40 states. Wilson began his career in real estate finance before returning to Charlottesville to launch Waterbird in 2019. Under his leadership, Waterbird expanded rapidly, securing national retail partnerships including Walmart and Buc-ee’s, and was acquired by E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2024.

Steve Ells is a visionary in the restaurant industry, known for transforming fast food into an innovative and delicious experience. He founded Chipotle Mexican Grill, growing it from a single restaurant to a $40 billion global brand over 27 years. After leaving Chipotle, he again began to reimagine a new future for fast food. In early 2025, after iterating on concepts, he launched Counter Service, a technology-enabled, quality-first sandwich concept poised to revolutionize the $48 billion U.S. sandwich market.

Mike Faherty is the Co-Founder and Creative Lead of Faherty, a lifestyle clothing brand known for its focus on quality, craft, and authentic design. Mike teamed up with his twin brother, Alex, who serves as CEO, to build the brand after nearly a decade of experience at Ralph Lauren. Together, they have grown Faherty into a multi-generational company with over 80 stores, blending timeless style with a commitment to comfort and craftsmanship.

Seth Goldman is Co-Founder of JUST ICE TEA, a line of organic and Fair Trade bottled tea that’s Just Sweet Enough. Seth and his Co-Founder, celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn, are also co-founders of PLNT Burger, a plant-based quick-serve restaurant that offers delicious burgers, fries, and soft-serve. Seth also serves as Chair of the Mission Guardians for Tony’s Chocolonely, supporting an exploitation-free chocolate supply chain.

Kat Hantas is one of the three Founders of 21Seeds Tequila, a breakthrough, female-founded brand that helped create the modern flavored-tequila category. Launched with a focus on real ingredients and real moments, 21Seeds scaled from idea to national brand and was acquired by Diageo in 2022. Kat brings a founder’s perspective on consumer insight - how culture, behavior and timing shape brands that truly connect.

Chase Heard is the Co-Founder of Howler Brothers, a lifestyle apparel brand based in Austin, TX. Chase serves as Co-CEO, focusing on creative direction and apparel design as the company marked its 15th anniversary in 2025. He has helped build Howler Brothers into a distinctive, story-driven brand with a strong design and creative identity.

Merrilee Kick is Founder of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion, a Dallas-based distillery/winery/brewery. The Carrollton, Texas, company manufactures ready-to-drink cocktails called BuzzBallz and Uptown Cocktails, as well as spirits including rum, vodka, gin, bourbon, and some private label brands for 7-Eleven and H-E-B. With products sold in 50 states and 30 countries, the company is home to over 1,000 employees in the Dallas area. She sold the company in May 2024 to Sazerac, the third largest liquor manufacturer in the world.

Kathleen King founded Tate’s Bake Shop, the beloved Southampton-based brand known for its signature thin‑and‑crispy chocolate chip cookies. Kathleen began selling homemade baked goods as a teenager and went on to build Tate’s into a nationally distributed, award‑winning company celebrated for its simple ingredients and uncompromising quality. After decades of leadership, she sold Tate’s to Mondelēz International in 2018, marking one of the most successful exits in the specialty food industry.

Mike Kirban is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of The Vita Coco Company, a B Corp–certified public benefit corporation focused on building better-for-you beverage brands. Mike helped scale Vita Coco into a global leader in coconut water and previously co-founded Software Answers Inc., a hospitality technology service provider. His entrepreneurial approach has been widely profiled by major outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, and Bloomberg.

Chris Kirby is a trained chef who left the restaurant world in 2013 to sell fresh lemon garlic hummus at the Ithaca Farmers Market. What began as a single stand built on real ingredients and bold flavor grew, under Chris’ leadership, into Ithaca Hummus, now the #1 premium hummus brand in America. In 2026, Chris co-founded Guillermo’s Salsa with Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s Guillermo Rodriguez, extending the same chef-driven, culture-first philosophy to disrupt the salsa category.

Joseph Linzon is the Co-Founder of Roots Natural Kitchen and Corner Juice, two Charlottesville-grown ventures focused on making healthy, affordable food accessible to local communities. He brings a service-driven approach to entrepreneurship and has helped scale both brands while staying rooted in community impact. His work expanding access to nutritious food earned him recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Matt Loftus is a Co-Founder of Rhoback, an active lifestyle apparel brand founded in Charlottesville, VA, in 2016. He launched Rhoback alongside his wife and Co-Founder, Kristina Loftus (Darden ’17), and friend, Kevin Hubbard. Since its founding, Rhoback has grown from a small startup into a nationally recognized brand apparel brand with a multi-channel presence across e-commerce, wholesale, collegiate licensing, and retail.

Eddie Micklovic (aka "Eddie Mick") is the Founder of Nero, a VC-backed tech platform that helps artists earn millions by reacting to fan-submitted music on livestreams. 
Used by thousands of artists—including Chris Lake, Vic Mensa, and Sonny Digital—Nero is reshaping how music is discovered and monetized for the livestream generation.

David Roselle is the Founder and CEO of DoorList, a social platform used nationwide for event planning and discovery. Since launching at UVA in 2022, DoorList has grown to more than 250 campuses and facilitates millions of invites each month. David now lives in New York City.

Louisa Serene Schneider is the Founder and CEO of Rowan Inc., a high-growth piercing services and consumer products brand operating approximately 100 locations across 33 states. She leads the company’s strategy, operations, capital formation, and financial oversight, guiding Rowan through multiple phases of national expansion. She also serves on the boards of OTC Markets and the nonprofit NextGenFace.

Sam Spelsberg is the Founder and CTO of the consumer AI company Delphi. Sam is building a living profile powered by a digital mind, focused on preserving and extending personal knowledge, voice, and perspective.

Andy Stepanian is the Co-Founder of Howler Brothers, a lifestyle apparel brand based in Austin, TX. Andy serves as Co-CEO, focusing on brand voice and creative campaign direction as the company marked its 15th anniversary in 2025. He has helped build Howler Brothers into a distinctive, story-driven brand with a strong creative identity.

Susan Tynan is the Founder and CEO of Framebridge, a custom framing startup that has raised more than $67 million in venture financing. A graduate of UVA and Harvard Business School, she began her career at Accenture, and served as a management adviser on technology and customer service for the Obama White House.