First Place: The Richmond Forum

richmondforum.org

Second Place: Ravenchase Escape Room RVA

Third Place: TEDxRVA

From world leaders to sports to the bright stars of screen and stage, the Richmond Forum offers a wow-worthy lineup of folks who engage in candid conversations about their work. “If the world’s most accomplished people know only one thing about Richmond, it’s that this is the place where 4,500 people will turn out on a Saturday night — to have their minds stimulated at the highest level,” says the forum’s executive director and producer, Bill Chapman. “It says something wonderful about our community that the largest public forum audience in America is right here in RVA.” Its next season kicks off in November with Virginia native and hot new director, Nate Parker, who will discuss his buzz-worthy film and Sundance standout, “The Birth of a Nation.” Richmonders also seem to enjoy a bit of mystery with their brain games, exploring the Ravenchase Escape Room RVA — an intense, problem-solving adventure against the clock to see the light of day again. And TEDxRVA continues to bring innovators and creators together with anything but predictable lineups.