The Biz Foundry is thrilled to announce the Top 6 Finalists for this year’s Start Here Pitch Competition, happening Wednesday, November 19 at 37 Cedar in Cookeville, TN! These incredible startups stood out for their bold ideas, scalable business models, and connection to the Upper Cumberland region. Each one is ready to make big waves...
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Welcome to the Hackathon! Coffee, bagels, and orientation. Event overview, ground rules, prize criteria, and Definition of Done (demo, Readme, owners, next steps). 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Team formation and roles Assign roles: Problem Owner, Team Lead, Builders, Data/Process, Storyteller. 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Discovery sprint Map current process, users, data; define success metrics....
Access to capital is one of the most crucial and often misunderstood aspects of running or growing a small business. Many Tennessee entrepreneurs walk in with strong ideas and real determination, but they often feel lost when it comes to funding: Which lenders should they approach? What does the SBA actually guarantee? How much cash...
Black Dog Venture Partners VC Fast Pitch and The Emerging Managers Podcast invite you to Investors and Innovators in Nashville! Connecting and networking with private equity firms, family offices, VCs, angel investors and top innovators. Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025 6pm-9pm. Location: Nashville Entrepreneur Center, 41 Peabody St, Nashville, TN 37210 RSVP at https://lu.ma/y7sttzmj Enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres in...
The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce invites you to step into the future at our Annual Awards Gala, taking place in January 2026. This year’s theme embraces futuristic innovation and artificial intelligence, reflecting the Chamber’s vision for a forward-thinking Oak Ridge — a community and business network poised to thrive in the years ahead. Experience...
Join the Knoxville Chamber for an economic forecast from Dr. Donald Bruce, Boyd Distinguished Professor at the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Known for his objective, non-partisan policy research and evaluation under contracts with an array of government agencies at the federal and state levels, Dr. Bruce...
Discover how your business can collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to accelerate innovation and economic growth in our region. Join us for an informative session exploring partnership opportunities, research collaborations, and technology transfer programs that help businesses of all sizes leverage ORNL’s world-class resources. Attendees will learn how to connect with experts, access...
This session will focus on insurance considerations that life science startups should understand early—from risk management to coverage strategies as companies scale. We’re excited to kick off the 2026 Edu Series with this important and often under-discussed topic. The event will be immediately followed by networking as part of the Beer & Biotech - please also...
Mark your calendars for the inaugural AI Tennessee Summit, hosted by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in collaboration with the Tennessee AI Advisory Council, SCORE, Vanderbilt University, the University of Memphis, the Oak Ridge National Lab, and the Tennessee Board of Regents. The summit will bring together leaders from government, industry, and academia to explore...
Curious about how angel investing works? Want to invest in local companies? Join VentureSouth Chattanooga for Angel Investing 101! VentureSouth has been angel investing in Chattanooga for four years -- and across the southeast for two decades. You do not need to be a finance expert, multi-millionaire, or sports franchise owner to be an angel...
