“The TENN” visits PYA Analytics during a Knoxville stop
By Tom Ballard, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C.
“The TENN” roadshow launched yesterday in Kingsport and ended the first day of its statewide tour with a public event at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC).
Earlier in the afternoon, eight of the nine start-ups in this year’s cohort made a stop at Cherokee Mills, home of PYA Analytics, LLC (PYAA). The nearly two-year old start-up is an affiliate of Pershing Yoakley & Associates (PYA), the sponsor of teknovation.biz.
During the visit, six of the eight entrepreneurs – two had other meetings – used the stop as an opportunity to have two 40-minute sessions with several of PYAA’s data scientists. Those discussions allowed “The TENN” participants to outline the ways in which they plan to incorporate analytics and get feedback from PYAA staff.
PYAA, launched in May 2013, is the newest affiliate in the PYA family. Other companies include Healthcare Horizons Consulting Group, Inc.; PYA Waltman Capital, LLC; and Realty Trust Group. PYA itself provides management consulting, assurance,
and tax services to clients in a variety of industries including the nation’s largest healthcare organizations.
Since its launch 21 months ago, PYAA has used its advanced analytics expertise to provide services to clients in healthcare, fast food, logistics, law, finance, state and federal government, and higher education.
The statewide tour continues today, ending with another public event in Chattanooga that begins at 4:30 p.m. at Coyote Logistics, 1110 Market Street (3rd Floor). “The TENN” is Launch Tennessee’s master accelerator program.
Two Knoxville companies – Closeup.fm and Fiveworx – are participating in this year’s program. To learn more about the nine start-ups, read these snapshots.
Here are some pictures from yesterday’s visit to PYAA. They are, in order: (1) the arrival of the bus at Cherokee Mills, home of PYA and PYAA; (2) “The TENN” entrepreneurs and Launch Tennessee staff working over lunch and some free time; (3) Patrick Hunt of Fiverworx talking with PYAA’s Blair Christian (back to camera); and (4) PYAA’s Jordan Chapian (left) talking with Closeup.fm’s Nathan Fray and Austin Church.
