Reggie Prevail Sits Down With U.S. Senator Mark Warner on Entrepreneurship, AI, and the Future of Virginia Innovation

NORFOLK, Va. — October 17, 2026 — Reggie Prevail, founder of Prevail Group and a 2026 Inside Business Top Forty Under 40 honoree, led a fireside chat with U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia on October 16 at the Missy Elliott Presents Innovation Summit, held in the Dorothy Brothers Ballroom at the Norfolk State University Student Center. The conversation explored entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and how Virginia can build a more innovative economy.

Senator Warner shared his views on innovation and emerging technology, and spoke about his roots as an entrepreneur before entering public service. Asked whether the skilled trades will stand the test of time against AI, he answered, "Amen... yes," and went on to explain why he believes they will.

Prevail also asked the Senator about the losses along his own journey, and Warner responded with candid examples of setbacks that shaped him. The conversation also covered what innovation means, how to grow an innovative mindset across the Commonwealth, why anyone who wants to innovate has to be willing to lose along the way, and how AI, biotech, and robotics are about to reshape everyday civilian life.

Prevail, a Norfolk native, spent roughly five years in Silicon Valley consulting with Singularity University before returning home. Through Prevail Group, he advises organizations on growth and innovation, and through Prevail Ventures he invests in and acquires businesses, including blue-collar companies. He also serves on nonprofit boards supporting youth development and community advancement.

“Virginia has the talent. The question is whether we build the mindset and the infrastructure to keep it here. Hearing a Senator who started as an entrepreneur talk about that, on a university campus, is exactly the conversation our students need to hear.”