Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Chattanooga:

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported last week that a fourth organization might be in the works for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

According to the article, Chattanooga officials plan to renovate the old Kelley Building at 332 East M.L. King Boulevard, using $1.8 million the city received from the federal government during the pandemic. The city, which expects the new center will open in October, is aiming to give local entrepreneurs, particularly those in underserved communities, a fair shot at success.

It would join three other organizations that already support entrepreneurs and small businesses. They are:

1. The Company Lab which helps nurture a variety of businesses with a focus on sustainable mobility.
2. Launch Chattanooga which operates a kitchen incubator on Marlin Road where aspiring food entrepreneurs can cook or package products.
3. The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s INCubator which operates a 127,000-square-foot facility on the North Shore that is a mixture of office and manufacturing space.

From Oak Ridge:

The Oak Ridge-based East Tennessee Economic Council has announced that early bird registration is now available for its annual “Nuclear Opportunities Workshop” that will be held in a new venue July 22 and 23. After several years at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, the event outgrew the space and is relocating to the Knoxville Convention Center.

Early birds that register by April 30 save $150. To do so, click on this link.

Another from Chattanooga:

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) has named the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County as a 2024 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer, marking the fifth year the two local governments have received this designation. This national program recognizes the city and county’s efforts to close the digital divide, including:

 

1. Supporting local nonprofit efforts like The Enterprise Center’s Tech Goes Home;
2. Investing in access to broadband through HCS EdConnect powered by EPB; and
3. Providing digital programming and resources through libraries and community centers.

NDIA awarded 60 municipal, county, and regional governments that are building digitally inclusive communities across America. Chattanooga and Hamilton County were among 34 Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, a status that indicates communities that have deeply integrated digital inclusion through their government.

From Washington, DC but with Nashville Ties: 

Brad Smith, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Russell Street Ventures, has been tapped to lead healthcare reform for the Department of Government Efficiency, according to a post on LinkedIn. He’s a former Chief of Staff during the time that current U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty served as Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

Earlier in his career, Smith served as Chairman and CEO of Main Street Health, which provides primary care services to patients in rural America, and as Executive Chairman of CareBridge, which serves homebound Medicaid patients. He was also the Co-Founder and CEO of Aspire Health and served as Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

 

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