The Next Frontier | Mission Control
Hosted by The AI Collective + Rinny J + Erin Moore + 🧜♀️ The AI Collective Hampton Roads + Gerry White + Ted Patterson + Erin Marie + Andrew Stafford + Erin R Marie
Register with organizer
What to look forward to
Mission Control will kick off The Next Frontier 2026 with collaborative idea pitching, brainstorming, team formation, and an overview of the space innovation hackathon’s goals and resources. Hosted by AI Collective Hampton Roads, part of a global nonprofit community of more than 150,000 founders, researchers, operators, and investors, the event will welcome participants of all experience levels.
Inside the event
🚀 Mission Control: Pitch Day
Pitch your project. Win $1,000. ☄️
Mission Control is the in-person pitch day of The Next Frontier 2026, a community-driven space innovation hackathon hosted by AI Collective Hampton Roads and presented by ECPI University.
Teams pitch their ideas in exploration, space medicine, space agriculture, or space tourism, and the top team takes home $1,000, announced at the end of the day.
Missed Friday's Launchpad workshop? You can still come. Pitch something you've been working on, cheer on the teams, or come see what Hampton Roads is building for space.
During Mission Control we'll
- 🚀 Pitch: each team shares their idea and what they built
- 💡 Get feedback from judges and the community
- 🤝 Meet people who care about science, space, and AI
- 🏆 Announce the $1,000 winner
After pitch day, teams finish and submit their NASA project virtually on Sunday, November 15.
📅 Event Details
Saturday, November 14, 2026
🕚 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EST
📍 ECPI University | 5555 Greenwich Rd, Virginia Beach, VA
🌐 Event Website: https://aichr-nextfrontier.lovable.app/
💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/ecW2mY3DD
✨ No coding experience required. Beginners and curious minds welcome!
Pitch your idea. Win the mission. 🚀
Bronze partners
Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 150,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct. Additionally, by registering for this event, you agree to The AI Collective Hampton Roads chapter photo & video policy.
5555 Greenwich Rd
5555 Greenwich Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, USA. Confirm the venue with the organizer before traveling.
Open in Google Maps ↗Details come from the event listing and the organizer page; registration is managed by the organizer.
Last checked: Nov 13, 2026. Confirm current availability before making plans.
Organizer page checked: Nov 13, 2026. Check registration for the latest details.