City of Johnson City, Sync Space and FoundersForge announced new partnership
The City of Johnson City has formed a partnership with the Sync Space Entrepreneur Center, based in Kingsport, and FoundersForge, located in Johnson City, to bring more entrepreneurial programming to the Washington County community.
Under the arrangement announced yesterday, core funding from the city and matching funds from Sync Space will support the next cohort of the FoundersForge’s “Startup Bootcamp” along with additional resources to support the local entrepreneurial community. Concurrent with yesterday’s announcement, applications are being opened for the bootcamp (click here for the link). The deadline to apply is March 1, and the program is set to launch on March 15, according to David Nelson, Director of FoundersForge.
“Startup Bootcamp” is a nine-week program designed for anyone with an idea, invention, or an early stage start-up that needs additional support. Each cohort is tailored to the needs of the attending entrepreneurs and provides education, mentorship, access to potential customers, and preparation for future growth of the business.
“By participating in the program, graduates also agree to our mission to give back to the entrepreneurial ecosystem by speaking, volunteering, and sharing their experiences with future cohorts,” Nelson said.
The effort has been custom-designed by members of FoundersForge who have attended nationally-acclaimed programs such as Google NEXT for Entrepreneurs, Chattanooga’s GIGTANK, and Atlanta Tech Village’s Accelerator Program. By combining the best and most rewarding material from each of these programs, they believe that they have created a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region.
“Bootcamp programs are very successful when the entrepreneurs are challenged, supported, and are pushed to consider new concepts within their business,” Nelson says, adding, “It’s not the program that does the bulk of the challenging; it’s the other entrepreneurs challenging and supporting each other that creates a unique opportunity to create tremendous value to each start-up.”
The “Startup Bootcamp” kicks-off a multi-year investment in programs to cultivate new entrepreneurial efforts. Through the partnership with the City of Johnson City and Sync Space, Nelson says the network of support will continue to grow, allowing the exchange of resources and information to support founders and growing start-ups be successful in the region.
“We are incredibly excited about the announcement of this new partnership and the expansion of programs for entrepreneurs and innovation in our region,” says Heath Guinn, President of Sync Space. “With the leadership of Johnson City, we are excited to support the FoundersForge ‘Startup Bootcamp’ for our early stage founders as we continue to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Appalachian Highlands.”
Sync Space is a 501(c)3 organization and the Launch Tennessee partner for Northeast Tennessee.
