The RISE Summit for Entrepreneurs and Innovators on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in Danville, VA will include networking opportunities and breakout sessions featuring amazing speakers to support entrepreneurs at each stage of business, from ideation to starting, growing, and scaling.
About this Workshop
From Startup to Scaleup: A Conversation with TECHnista Founder Kelsey Robertson
FIRESIDE CHAT
Description:
Follow TECHnista’s journey from startup to scaleup as founder Kelsey Robertson joins Natalie Davis for an honest conversation about building a high-growth business. Learn how innovation, strategic partnerships, and solving real challenges helped TECHnista become a trusted partner to educators, industry, and economic developers by bridging workforce needs with innovative solutions that strengthen manufacturing talent pipelines and create lasting community impact.
Speakers: Kelsey Robertson, Founder and CEO of TECHnista/MEERA, in conversation with Natalie Davis
Prerequisites: None
Kelsey Robertson
About the Speaker
Kelsey Robertson
TECHnista/MEERA, Founder and CEO
Kelsey Robertson, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, has spent over a decade working to enhance the education system in Southside Virginia. Her passion for exposing students to careers in advanced manufacturing, STEM, and information technology led her to focus on K-12 education, with an emphasis on hands-on learning and the integration of advanced equipment into the classroom.
Kelsey has worked closely with educational professionals across K-12 and post-secondary institutions to create a unique learning experience, introducing students to educational and career opportunities in these rapidly growing fields.
Kelsey Robertson
About the Emcee
Natalie Hodge Davis
Rudy’s Girl Media, Founder and Locus, Virginia Market Lead
Natalie Hodge Davis is the founder and CEO of Rudy’s Girl Media, an award-winning multimedia production company dedicated to transforming community narratives through powerful storytelling. Under her leadership, Rudy’s Girl Media has been recognized with the 2022 Gauntlet Grand Prize, the 2022 Comcast RISE Technology Award and the 2024 Main Street/American Express Backing Small Business Award. She is also the creator and producer of Hometown Hustle, a feel-good entrepreneurship reality series that highlights the resilience and creativity of small-town business owners.
Beyond her work in media, Natalie serves as a Community Market Lead with Locus, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), where she champions place-based investment strategies to strengthen Southern Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. A founding member of the Martinsville-Henry County Minority Business Consortium and a key contributor to the RISE Collaborative’s strategic planning team, Natalie is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and creating pathways for inclusive growth.
A dynamic speaker, storyteller, and ecosystem builder, Natalie continues to inspire audiences with her vision of how creativity, entrepreneurship and community capital can spark transformation in small towns and beyond.
Natalie Hodge Davis
Register TODAY for the RISE Summit
The 3rd annual RISE Summit for Entrepreneurs and Innovators will be held Thursday, August 27, 2026 at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research in Danville, VA. Don't miss out the unique opportunity to connect with peers and resources designed to help you start, grow, or scale your business in Southern Virginia.