The best time to build capacity is on a clear day, before the grey skies arrive. That idea sits at the heart of our next guest’s work, and it’s one every founder, technologist, and public servant should sit with.
Meet Tony Fung, founder of Valorlox, LLC, Amplitude9 and NexusOps AI. Tony joins our Robins Entrepreneur Series next Friday, November 13th at the University of Richmond.
Tony is one of Virginia’s most dynamic entrepreneurs, and his career is a rare blend of public service and building. As Deputy Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia, he created Virginia’s Office of Data Governance and Analytics - breaking down silos between state agencies and changing how government makes evidence-based decisions. Now he’s building Valorlox alongside emergency management experts, giving EM offices one dashboard to handle the administrative weight of the job, including plan reviews, grant documentation, exercise prep, recovery paperwork. This helps practitioners stay focused on keeping their communities safe.
His conviction cuts against a lot of the AI hype: AI should build capacity for the people doing the work and support their judgment, never substitute for it.
That’s a philosophy worth hearing from someone who’s led transformation from inside government and is now building from the outside. We’ll get into his journey, how he thinks about mission-first technology, and what it takes to build something that actually serves the people who depend on it.
Plus, if you’ve been to one of our Techstars Startup Weekend Richmond, you may recognize Tony as one of our judges.
The Discussion. This series of hybrid events is perfect for budding entrepreneurs, experienced executive mentors cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, early-stage investors, and students exploring innovative product design.
At each session, business founders serve as guest speakers share about their career, their firm's business model, as well as the successes and challenges in the product development process. Participants learn from the speakers’ experiences, discuss valuable insights, and connect with other entrepreneurs, students, faculty, and investors.
Logistics. A light lunch is served, as entrepreneurs connect with one another, learn from peers, and contribute to the conversation:
- Friday, , Nov. 13, 2026
- 11:30am EST - Coffee & Connection
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST - Presentation & Discussion
No pre-registration is requir16d. Join us:
Robins School of Business
102 UR Drive, iLab Room 123
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Parking. Free parking is available in the U5 and U6 lots immediately adjacent to the Robins School. Please enter the main foyer, turn to the left and proceed to room 123 (EY Innovation Lab) on the ground floor.
Please note that visitors have a two-hour parking window.
Please sign in when you enter the room, providing your license plate number.
On Zoom Webinar at 12pm Eastern:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86930744337?pwd=Yb4mzm4hNYboKII0f94aFbo4wVRnSz