Hannah LaCon is in the hard middle of building HerculE-Q.

The research relationships are growing. Investor conversations are being tested. The company is getting in the right rooms. And now that work is getting a larger platform through NASA’s Startup NASA webinar.

Led by LaCon, HerculE-Q is developing wireless charging infrastructure for electric mobility, an area that sits at the intersection of energy, transportation, infrastructure, and the future of how people and communities move. On June 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, LaCon will be featured alongside Helixis Technology in a webinar focused on PWR-ARC™, a joint initiative that brings together wireless energy, infrastructure, and governance to support urban mobility, autonomous systems, energy resilience, and electrified transportation.

For Hampton Roads, the story connects to something larger.

Energy has become a major piece of the region’s broader growth conversation, including the Hampton Roads Playbook’s DEAL framework, defense, energy, aerospace, and logistics, and themes from the 2026 State of Innovation Address. HerculE-Q shows what that can look like at the ground level: not as a strategy document, but as a founder building around wireless charging, electrification, mobility, and infrastructure.

LaCon said the company is still in prototype development, but its research relationships are expanding.

“Still in prototype development, but the relationship with NYIT is growing, and there are additional departments eager to do research on areas of wireless charging that are currently still unknown.”

That is the real work behind a company like this. Wireless charging is not just about moving power from one point to another. It raises bigger questions around how electric mobility systems are designed, deployed, managed, and trusted in the places where people live, work, and travel.

For LaCon, NASA Tech Transfer has been an important part of the path because it gives founders a stronger starting point.

“NASA Tech Transfer is important to me because it gives aspiring entrepreneurs a real starting point. A lot of people have great ideas, but not everyone has the resources or technical foundation to build something completely from scratch. NASA can provide a critical piece of your solution that can help turn an idea into an actual business, and that creates opportunities for growth, innovation, and real impact.”

LaCon has also been doing the other work that comes with building a startup. Earlier this year, she won Start Peninsula 2026 Micro Pitch 2, adding a regional milestone to HerculE-Q’s momentum. She has also been testing the company’s story with investors, including meetings in San Francisco.

“There were a few investors whom we met with, but it wasn’t a good fit. However, I am going back to SF in a couple of weeks for an investor conference event.”

That is often how startup progress actually looks. Not every meeting becomes capital. Not every opportunity is the right fit. But each room can sharpen the story, expand the network, and help a founder understand where to go next.

More visibility is already ahead for HerculE-Q.

“Some events to keep an eye out for: I will be a speaker at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Advanced Transportation Summit, July 21-23 https://maccce.org/conference/ , HEQ will be featured in next season’s Virginia Business Magazine, and we will be featured and highlighted on the Transportation channel”

The NASA webinar adds another layer to that momentum. It gives LaCon a platform to showcase how HerculE-Q is approaching wireless charging infrastructure at a time when energy, mobility, and electrification are becoming bigger parts of the national conversation.

“Being featured in the NASA Startup Series is an incredible opportunity to showcase how HerculE-Q is transforming wireless charging infrastructure for the future of mobility. This experience reinforces that Hampton Roads-based innovation can compete on a national stage while building solutions that create cleaner, smarter, and more connected communities.”

HerculE-Q’s story is not about overnight success. It is about what happens when a founder keeps building, keeps taking meetings, keeps making connections, and keeps pushing a hard idea forward.

To learn more about HerculE-Q’s work with Helixis Technology and PWR-ARC™, register for the Startup NASA Feature Webinar on June 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET.

Want to stay in the loop on big moments like this? From local tech events to entrepreneur spotlights, This Week in 757 brings you all the business and innovation highlights from Hampton Roads and beyond.

👉 Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/twi757newsletter