LaunchTN and Spark announce partnership to bring mobility innovators to East TN
The newly announced program will be housed inside of the Spark Innovation Center, and led by Bill Malkes, the Director of Entrepreneurship and new Acting Executive Director of Spark.
With a pep in his step, Bill Malkes walked on stage at the tail end of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) Opportunities in Energy event on Wednesday to share some exciting news…
The Spark Innovation Center, alongside Launch Tennessee and the TAEBC, is launching a new initiative called the “Spark Mobility Lab” to advance Tennessee’s leadership in transportation innovation.
The initiative will be headed up by Malkes, a long-time Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) for Spark. He will be joining the program full-time as the Director of Entrepreneurship and Acting Executive Director of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator and the Spark Mobility Lab. Malkes is uniquely positioned to lead the effort. He is the co-founder of Knoxville-grown GRIDSMART Technologies Inc., which was acquired by Cubic Corporation on the first day of 2019 for $87 million.
He is also the acting Chief Executive Officer of NellOne Therapeutics.
What’s the goal for Spark Mobility Lab?
This new initiative equips early-stage mobility founders with the technical and economic tools they need to scale by combining Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) training with direct industry engagement and investor readiness support. The program offers a week-long focused workshop series, which will also connect startups to experts, mentors, and market opportunities.
Malkes told the TAEBC audience that mobility innovation is a core area of focus for the state, due to its rich history supporting automotive industries. It’s also close
NOTE: This story is still developing. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
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