Abby Trotter wins SBA’s prestigious “Tibbetts Award” for working on matching fund
A person who has worked tirelessly to champion the State of Tennessee’s matching program for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award recipients has now been recognized for those efforts by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Abby Trotter, Partner at Hall Strategies in Nashville and Executive Director of both Life Science Tennessee and the BioTN organization, is a recipient of the 2020 “Tibbetts Award.” The Oak Ridge native was one of 14 individuals, seven organizations and 38 companies selected from across the country for the prestigious honor.
“LaunchTN was pleased to nominate Abby Trotter for this award,” said Van Tucker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the statewide organization. “Abby is a key figure in the creation and implementation of the Life Science Mentor Network, which supports the business growth of life science startups, innovators, and research across Tennessee. She was the central catalyst behind the State of Tennessee’s SBIR/STTR Matching Fund, advocating for its inception in FY18 and for the continuation and expansion of the program. She’s also a key partner in LaunchTN’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Week on the Hill, where she aids life science students, entrepreneurs, and established businesses in advocating for priorities to advance the industry to our state legislators.”
Through her work with Life Science Tennessee and BioTN, Trotter has advocated vigorously for the expansion of the matching fund, and in 2019 she helped secure $3 million in dedicated state support for fiscal year 2020. To date, 52 companies have leveraged nearly $24 million federal dollars through the Matching Fund. The Fund offers additional funding for women and minority founders.
“For the last three years, Abby has been a tireless advocate for Tennessee’s entrepreneurs as they seek to build and bring new innovations to market,” said Paul Fitzpatrick, Board Chairman of Life Science Tennessee and CEO of Chattanooga-based Advanced Catheter Therapies. “Life Science Tennessee is honored the SBA recognized Abby’s work on the SBIR/STTR Matching Fund, an important program that remains one of the most promising ways to commercialize state-grown technologies.”
Here’s a link to the SBA news release.
