Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Chattanooga:

The Enterprise Center, a nonprofit partner to the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, has reopened applications for a new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The small organization works behind the scenes on some of our region’s most innovative and impactful projects, particularly those focused on digital inclusion, equity, and economic development in our region.

The position description can be found here. Review of applications started last week.

From Nashville:

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) top economic developer is retiring on October 1.

John Bradley will hand the title of Senior Vice President of Economic Development to Heidi Smith, the longtime Director of Global Business, who was his first external hire in 2002. Smith became vice president of economic development as part of the transition. According to the article, Bradley plans to stay at TVA until June 30, 2026, to help with the transition.

Since joining TVA in 2002, Bradley and his team have helped attract more than $150 billion in capital investment to the region, creating nearly 490,000 jobs and retaining more than 800,000 existing jobs, according to the federal utility.

From Oak Ridge and Chattanooga:

Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has been appointed to the Board of Governors of UT‑Battelle LLC, the nonprofit partnership that has managed and operated Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 2000. UT‑Battelle is jointly owned by the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Appointed as UTC’s 19^th chancellor effective June 30, 2025, Bruce brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in academic affairs, research growth, and strategic planning. As Provost at Tennessee Technological University, she significantly expanded research funding from $16 million to more than $46 million and launched major infrastructure and faculty development initiatives.

Her appointment to the UT‑Battelle Board of Governors adds her voice to the leadership overseeing one of the nation’s premier research institutions. UT‑Battelle plays a central role in advancing U.S. scientific leadership, fostering partnerships with UT System campuses, and supporting science education outreach — including millions of dollars in contributions to local schools and institutions.

From Johnson City:

The Johnson City Chamber will launch the second cohort of the Avante on September 16 in conjunction with FoundersForge, the Johnson City-based organization focused on what it describes as “underdog entrepreneurs.”

The six-week bootcamp is set to launch on September 15, and is a hands-on, community-driven program designed specifically for founders in emerging, rural ecosystems. Avante also combines “mentorship, programming, and a strong community” to empower entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and strengthen the local economy.

From Knoxville:

TVA and its Bicentennial Volunteers Inc. (BVI) have announced $655,000 in robotics awards for 179 schools and nonprofit organizations that serve youth across the TVA’s seven-state region. The funds can be used to create a new robotics program or enhance a program that already exists.

This is the first year for the robotics awards program, which is similar to TVA and BVI’s long-standing STEM awards.  Any school or non-profit that receives electricity from a local power company served by TVA was eligible to apply. A complete list of winners can be found at this link.

“TVA and BVI are working hand in hand to expand the reach of robotics education, which will help create more opportunities for youth across our seven-state region,” said TVA President and CEO Don Moul. “Skills in robotics are already required for many careers today, and we want to equip our future workforce with the tools they need to step into and excel in those fields.”

BVI is proud to partner with TVA to support the robotics award program, which inspires the next generation of innovators and problem solvers in our region. By empowering students through hands-on learning and community engagement, we’re helping build a future where creativity and technology come together to drive progress across the valley,” said Kathy Black, President of BVI.

While this is the first year for robotics awards, TVA, BVI, and the TVA Retirees Association have supported robotics programs across the region for many years.

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