YOUNG INVESTORS GROUP
PRESENTS
Virginia Beach, VA
March 21, 2026 | 9am
Virginia Wesleyan University
Thank you to our
2026 SPONSORS!
Thank you to our
2026 Judges and Panelists!
Molly Mahoney is a digital marketing strategist, keynote speaker, and former NYC performer who helps entrepreneurs blend AI-powered marketing with authentic human connection. With viral videos hitting over 39 million views and features in Forbes and Inc., she’s known for turning complex tech into simple, profitable strategies. She launched her business The Prepared Performer in 2013… and has since helped thousands of people to show up more powerfully, turning their message into a revenue generating movement.
In 2021, Molly launched the world’s first AI-focused content membership (2 years before chatGPT hit the scene). She’s the author of Choose Confidence, Finding My Awesome, and the new Ai playbook, Ai-ify™ Your Business. She believes your “weird” is your superpower – and that the more fun you have, the more money you make!
Darrell Booker is a technology strategist and social impact leader with nearly 30 years of experience bridging innovation, culture, and community. As Global Developer Skilling Lead at GitHub and Principal of Seven and Grace, he partners with Fortune 100 companies, major sports leagues, and cultural leaders to design campaigns and programs that drive measurable impact. Previously, he led Microsoft’s $25M Nonprofit Tech Acceleration program, empowering 4,000+ nonprofits across 2,100+ communities. He also serves as Ambassador for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Racial Equity Task Force and founded The Twenty Four Foundation, using youth sports to open pathways in STEM and entrepreneurship. His mantra: “Build for the future, not the now.”
Michael Berlucchi serves as the District 3 Representative on the Virginia Beach City Council and is the Chief Executive Officer of Arts Alliance, a regional organization that supports arts and cultural organizations across South Hampton Roads. A lifelong Virginia Beach resident educated in Virginia Beach Public Schools, he is deeply committed to strengthening the community he calls home. Berlucchi focuses his public service on infrastructure improvements, flood protection, public safety, strong public education, creating pathways for economic opportunity, and policies that support a vibrant, business friendly economy. He serves as City Council liaison to the Virginia Beach Development Authority and works with regional partners to advance economic development and opportunity. He is also a strong advocate for the role arts and culture play in building vibrant communities and supporting regional growth.
Rukiya Kelly is the Global Head of Corporate Impact at FICO, where she leads initiatives at the intersection of financial inclusion, innovation, and philanthropy. She is the architect of the FICO Impact framework, aligning corporate impact strategy with business priorities, public policy, and community outcomes. Prior to FICO, she held senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo, leading national financial health and marketing initiatives that served millions of consumers. Rukiya is a sought-after voice on how data, education, and cross-sector partnerships can expand access to credit and strengthen the financial system.
Chioma Joy Petway is a licensed therapist, executive coach, and founder of Achieving Joy, a wellness and leadership organization. She has over a decade of experience helping leaders, entrepreneurs, and high performers strengthen emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing. Her work blends clinical mental health practice with leadership development and systems thinking.
Chioma is the creator of the Peace Driven Leadership model and transformational programs such as Return 2 Peace and Radical Healing. She helps individuals move from survival mode into clarity, creativity, and purposeful action. At InvestaCon, she will share insights on the intersection of mental health and artificial intelligence, and how emotional wisdom remains essential in an AI driven world.
Dr. Cristina Leira is a speaker, educator, and resilience expert who helps young people, families, and professionals navigate change with confidence in today’s fast-moving world. With more than 25 years of experience working in high-pressure, multicultural environments supporting U.S. Naval Special Warfare, she brings powerful insight into leadership, adaptability, and human potential. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology with a focus on cognition and instruction, and combines neuroscience, communication, and real-world experience to make complex ideas easy to understand and apply. She is a founding member of the American Society for Artificial Intelligence and is passionate about helping people find clarity, build confidence, make healthier choices, and thrive in times of uncertainty. Her work explores how AI, resilience, and human behavior can come together to create brighter opportunities for the next generation.
Thank you to our
past sponsors!
2026 Theme
AI in Everyday Financial & Career Decisions
InvestaCon 2026 includes artificial intelligence education, but InvestaCon is not only about AI. AI is taught as a tool families and youth must learn to understand, question, and use responsibly—especially as it impacts:
Money decisions
Careers and hiring
Entrepreneurship
Digital risk and opportunity
AI is integrated across all activations, not taught in isolation.
How AI Education Is Integrated (Youth + Families)
At InvestaCon, AI is introduced through real-world application, not coding lectures. Participants learn:
How AI influences financial decisions (loans, credit, pricing, marketing)
How AI shows up in careers and business tools
How to think critically about AI — risks, bias, and opportunity
How families can talk about technology and money together
AI becomes part of the conversation — not the entire conversation.
Core InvestaCon Activations
Big Money Big Business Family Hackathon & Pitch Contest
Families build and pitch a real business idea together. AI is used as a tool to build software to solve a community or business problem, while keeping human judgment at the center.FinTech Olympics (Youth Tournament)
Students compete in gamified financial challenges (mortgage underwriting, sales funnels/CRM, crypto & digital money). AI is introduced as it appears in real financial systems and platforms youth already encounter.Escape Room Workshops
Small-group, timed workshops where youth “escape” real-world financial traps such as digital scams, credit misuse, and bad contracts — including AI-driven risks.Pop the Balloon: Find a Career
A gamified career activation where youth engage professionals in real conversations about careers, pathways, and how AI is reshaping industries — without removing human skill or purpose.Media, Podcast & Fireside Chat + Gaming Panel
Youth-led interviews, gaming discussions, and fireside chats explore money, careers, entrepreneurship, and technology through storytelling and visibility.
Why InvestaCon Matters
Families learn together, not separately
Youth gain exposure to real financial and career systems
AI is taught in context, not fear or hype
Economic mobility is framed as a family conversation
Students leave with confidence, clarity, and awareness
Families are better prepared to navigate money, technology, and opportunity — together
Who Should Attend
Youth (middle school, high school, young adults)
Parents and families
Schools and youth programs
Workforce and career organizations
Community and corporate partners
Register. Participate. Partner.
Schools: Register your students or program
Families: Attend and participate together
Partners & Sponsors: Support an activation or tournament
Volunteers & Mentors: Help guide youth and families
Wealth Management
Real Estate Investments
Intellectual Property
BUILD YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE
What Is InvestaCon?
InvestaCon is a free, hands-on youth and family experience designed to help families have real conversations about money, careers, technology, and economic mobility — together.
Hosted by Young Investors Group, InvestaCon blends financial education, entrepreneurship, FinTech, and artificial intelligence (AI) into interactive, tournament-style learning experiences.
This is not a conference and not a lecture. InvestaCon is a live, immersive environment where youth and families participate, make decisions, and learn by doing.
InvestaCon 2026 will be our third event (2022, 2024, 2026) and the largest to date, as we build toward InvestaCon 2028, marking 10 years of Young Investors Group as a 501(c)(3) organization.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER?
You can help Investa-Con create an unforgettable experience by joining with our team of dedicated volunteers!