The City of Hampton’s future is accelerating.

On December 3, 2025, Mayor Jimmy Gray made that clear during his first State of the City address, titled Level Up.

Held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center and hosted by the Virginia Peninsula Chamber, the annual address brought together leaders from across the region to reflect on Hampton’s recent progress and its plans for the years ahead.

Mayor Gray highlighted the City’s surging economic momentum: new federal contract activity, expanded advanced manufacturing capacity, critical infrastructure investments, and workforce achievements that place Hampton among Virginia’s strongest-performing communities. From the HRBT Expansion positioning Hampton “at the epicenter for defense, energy, aerospace, and logistics” to major investments from HII Newport News Shipbuilding and Advex, the mayor underscored a city that is not standing still.

He also highlighted advances in housing, resilience, education, and neighborhood development, including record-breaking graduation outcomes through Hampton City Schools and the Academies of Hampton. “We have so much to work with,” Mayor Gray reminded the audience, “and citizens who love to live, work, play, and raise families here…Let’s continue to level up together.”

Innovation Is Part of Hampton’s Story And Its Future

Among the many attendees in the room were two REaKTOR founders whose companies reflect the spirit of innovation Mayor Gray described:

Their presence was not the focus of the event, but their trajectories embody the very themes the mayor emphasized: economic mobility, small-business growth, workforce development, and technology tied to real community challenges.

From Student-Led Ideas to City-Backed Innovation

HerculE-Q, now a City of Hampton EDA grant recipient, originated from NASA Technology Transfer University coursework at Hampton University. Today, the company is building secure wireless charging infrastructure for micro-mobility systems, an emerging need for cities preparing for the future of transportation.

VroomBrick, founded by REaKTOR startup co-founder Leland Remias, is expanding access to homeownership through a platform uniquely attuned to veterans, military families, and first-time buyers. As Hampton continues its push for more accessible housing and economic empowerment initiatives, companies like VroomBrick align directly with citywide priorities.

Both founders represent the kind of homegrown innovation that strengthens the region’s long-term economic resilience, something Mayor Gray uplifted throughout his remarks.

REaKTOR’s Role in a City Ready to Level Up

While the State of the City address rightly focused on Hampton’s achievements and vision, moments like these reveal how the city’s momentum and the region’s entrepreneurial energy are increasingly connected.

REaKTOR exists to help cultivate founders like Hannah and Leland, individuals building technologies and solutions that deliver both economic value and community benefit. When these entrepreneurs take their place among Hampton’s business and civic leaders, it reflects not a shift in focus but the emergence of a broader, more interconnected ecosystem.

Hampton’s strategy is clear: invest in innovation, support its people, and build capacity for future-ready industries. REaKTOR’s mission complements that direction by preparing the next generation of deep-tech founders and connecting them to opportunities that root their companies, and their impact, in the community.

Mayor Gray closed his address with a message about collective progress:

“We can’t do it without you. Thank you for what you have already done for Hampton in my first year as mayor, and thank you for continuing to bless our city with your talent, your passion, and your dedication.”

For REaKTOR, these words resonate. Hampton’s strength lies not only in large-scale infrastructure projects or major federal investments, but also in the people and ideas rising within its borders; from students and small-business owners to scientists, engineers, and founders.

As Hampton levels up, REaKTOR is proud to stand alongside the leaders, innovators, and changemakers shaping the City’s next chapter.