2026 C-suite government: JOE BENEVENTO

Since Benevento became permanent president and CEO of the VIPC in 2024, Virginia has reported record levels of startup formation. In 2025, the state surpassed 25,000 new high-growth startups launched over five years — a state record — while ranking No. 10 nationally for venture capital investment in early-stage companies, the highest Virginia has placed in roughly a decade, and No. 8 for technology and innovation in CNBC’s annual Top States for Business rankings, the state’s best-ever showing.

Benevento started his career at Goldman Sachs and private equity firm THL Partners and served as managing director of an investment firm. He would later become Virginia’s deputy secretary of commerce and trade before joining VIPC, the nonprofit arm of an entity created by the state legislature.

In the past year, Benevento secured more than $50 million in new federal funding for Virginia startups and forged public-private partnerships exceeding $100 million in commitments. He also helped develop Lab-to-Launch, a statewide university commercialization initiative done in partnership with all six of Virginia’s major research universities. A Cornell University and Harvard Business School graduate, Benevento has appeared twice in the Virginia 500 and was an inaugural recipient of this award in 2025.