Something in the Water was never just about music. In this conversation, Robby Wells breaks down the bigger strategy behind cultural moments, regional storytelling, and building events that make people feel ownership in where they live.

Wells is a branding and cultural strategy leader who has worked behind the scenes on major Virginia moments like Something in the Water and Mighty Dream. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling, events, culture, commerce, and community impact, helping turn big ideas into experiences that make people think differently about their cities.

From Pharrell's influence, Something in the Water, Mighty Dream, and Atlantic Park to Noodle, Newport News, skateboarding, city branding, and the next generation of builders, this conversation explores why culture can change how a city sees itself, and why emerging leaders need access, belief, and a real chance to take the ball and run with it.

0:00 Thinking bigger and being free to dream
0:17 Robby Wells joins the conversation
0:45 Moving from Los Angeles to Virginia
1:14 The assumption that Robby and Pharrell grew up together
1:59 How skateboarding shaped Robby's view of creativity
4:00 Skateboarding, hustle, and innovation
7:17 Atlantic Park and the skater mindset
9:10 Culture, commerce, and modern city-building
10:30 Why festivals can be bigger than ticket sales
11:33 Why some people only see the surface
13:01 Understanding the festival experience
14:00 Applying big-brand strategy to the 757
16:14 Why others have to take the ball and run with it
17:01 Elephant in the Room and what happened next
21:12 The gap between emerging builders and the establishment
24:32 Lionel Sapp, AI, and giving builders a real shot
25:56 Everybody wants to be invited
28:25 Bringing the future into the room
29:46 Thinking small, systemic doubt, and taking chances
32:28 How to give more people a shot
33:32 Risk-taking, doubt, and learning to move anyway
34:12 Free to Dream and why big ideas matter
36:01 What "Something in the Water" really means
37:54 Creating emotional ownership around an event
39:35 Could Something in the Water come back?
40:52 Why Newport News needed more than another music festival
41:49 Building the pitch for Noodle
42:55 Collective illusion and changing a city's story
45:05 Culture, science, music, and Newport News' opportunity
47:05 Handling negativity while building something new
49:45 How negative narratives become accepted
51:22 Using AI to imagine the future of Newport News
53:42 Why Noodle's programming came together so easily
54:49 Robby's first impressions of Virginia
57:15 The people who changed how Robby saw the region
59:34 Favorite food in town and closing thoughts

Watch more episodes of The Fervent Four Show:
https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

Learn more about NOODLE:
https://www.noodlecon.com/

Follow Something in the Water:
https://www.instagram.com/somethinginthewater/

Learn more about Mighty Dream:
https://eitr.com/

Follow Innovate Hampton Roads:
https://www.innovate757.org/

Former Navy SEAL and Neptune Shield CEO Nicholas Rocha joins The Fervent Four Show to talk about military service, entrepreneurship, veteran transition, mental health, and why building a company can be harder than elite military training.

After 26 years in the Navy, nine combat deployments, and a career inside one of the most demanding communities in the world, Rocha found himself facing a different kind of challenge: figuring out life after service. In this conversation, he shares how veterans can find a new mission through business, why the right team and support system matter, and how entrepreneurship can give former service members purpose, structure, and a reason to keep going.

Rocha also opens up about veteran suicide, his own moment of crisis, the "Quick Reaction Friends" concept, and why asking for help can be one of the strongest things a person can do.

This episode is for veterans, founders, military families, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to build something meaningful after a major life transition.

https://neptuneshield.com/

0:00 Intro, giving veterans a new mission
1:22 How Nick first connected with Virginia Cup
2:17 Failing eighth grade, ADHD, and finding structure
4:07 Catching up in school and discovering the Navy
6:20 Seeing Navy SEALs for the first time
7:47 How Nick entered the SEAL pipeline
11:19 Why SEAL culture used to stay quiet
14:00 SEAL books, public stories, and what not to reveal
17:20 Why "team" matters more than "SEAL"
19:18 What was harder, Neptune Shield or the SEAL teams?
22:00 Why so many startups fail
23:57 Starting a CBD company to help his daughter
28:02 Transitioning after 26 years in the Navy
30:22 The crisis veterans face after service
32:30 The cost of training a Navy SEAL
33:30 "Everybody dies, but not everybody truly lives"
34:44 Helping veterans understand the new battlefield
35:30 Nick opens up about his own crisis
38:15 Quick Reaction Friends and suicide prevention
42:42 How the same framework applies to business
44:46 Why veterans need tools, resources, and a plan
46:16 Why founders have to ask for help
47:44 Showing up and doing the work
53:20 Could Neptune Shield expand to other cities?
54:38 Validating technology with operators
56:05 What's next for Neptune Shield
58:01 The food of Hampton Roads
59:42 Closing thoughts

The Fervent Four Show

Where Hampton Roads entrepreneurs tell their stories.

Since 2020, The Fervent Four Show has been the weekly conversation connecting the entrepreneurs, innovators, and community builders shaping the future of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Each Thursday at 11 a.m. EST, hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with founders, CEOs, investors, and ecosystem leaders to explore the real stories behind regional growth — from bold startups and 757 trailblazers to nationally recognized brands born right here.

Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling your next big idea, these candid, conversational episodes deliver insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and business growth that will keep you fired up long after the mics go off.

Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fervent-four/id1596516837
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7egTPUyiUEZF4QACNKBYI6?si=704d8e723f3842f5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Innovate757?sub_confirmation=1

Organized startup capital has been one of the biggest challenges for cities across the country, and Hampton Roads struggled with it for decades.

That started to change in 2015 when Monique Adams helped launch 757 Angels, building one of the region's first organized angel investment networks focused on backing high-growth startups and entrepreneurs.

After surviving the pressure of Wall Street investment banking in New York, Adams brought that experience to Hampton Roads and helped shape a new era of startup investing in the region.

In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, Adams reflects on what it really took to build 757 Angels, from investor skepticism and startup risk to the pressure of creating systems, relationships, and infrastructure for a startup ecosystem that was still finding its footing.

The Fervent Four Show is where Hampton Roads entrepreneurs tell their stories.

New episodes every Tuesday at 6AM.

Explore more: Innovate Hampton Roads https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

0:00 Why Startup Capital Was a Problem in Hampton Roads
1:41 Meeting Monique Adams and the Origins of 757 Angels
5:12 Surviving Wall Street Investment Banking
12:29 Leaving New York for Hampton Roads
17:12 The Reputation That Followed Monique Into Virginia
21:48 The Lunch That Changed Everything
23:24 The Self Doubt Behind Building 757 Angels
29:37 "There's No Way This Is Part Time"
35:35 The Biggest Problem With Angel Investing
41:20 Why 757 Angels Never Became a Fund
49:00 The Real Mission Behind 757 Angels
50:48 Building the Startup Pipeline in Hampton Roads
52:45 "Hard Things Are My Middle Name"
56:14 Handling Pressure While Building an Ecosystem
58:13 The People Who Helped Shape Monique's Career
1:00:25 Learning the "Power of the Pause"
1:02:26 Why She's Going to Meet the Dalai Lama
1:04:13 What Founders Still Need Most
1:06:25 Final Thoughts