Seeing Different with the Tom Tom Founders Festival

Rule29 had the privilege of being a keynote and talking about founding Rule29 and how we strive “To See Different” at the Tom Tom Fest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Additionally, our creative director Justin Ahrens talked about the world water crisis through the lens of Wheels4Water and with other organizations MadiDrop and Waterboys started by NFL star Kyle Long. The Tom Tom Fest celebrates and empowers the founders of creative, civic, and entrepreneurial projects. The signature project of the Foundation is the Tom Tom Founders Festival, which occurs each April over Thomas Jefferson’s birthday week (April 13), as Charlottesville’s historic downtown is reimagined as a creative canvas.

Like the founding polymath, the Founders Festival explores diverse disciplines – society, education, energy, food, and technology — and links the rich history of the City with an exploration into the future. Ultimately, the festival seeks to leave lasting legacies of creativity throughout Charlottesville through public art and business formation.