Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Oak Ridge:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has named five researchers as Corporate Fellows in recognition of their significant career accomplishments and continued leadership. It is the highest recognition for members of ORNL research staff. The five – Larry Baylor, Craig Blue, Bob Hettich, Mark Lumsden, and Jun Qu – have been recognized for their standing as exceptional and influential researchers in the international scientific community and as role models and mentors among peers and early career researchers.

“Our five new Corporate Fellows represent ORNL’s breadth of talent and expertise that can be applied to the energy and environmental challenges we face as a society,” ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer said. “Fusion energy, advanced manufacturing, microscopy, neutron science, and materials science – the fields represented by Larry, Craig, Bob, Mark, and Jun — all play leading roles in providing the technological solutions that make a better world.”

From Knoxville:

The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) is recruiting professionals who are looking to give back to entrepreneurs starting their journeys. If you are looking to make an impact and help entrepreneurs thrive, we want to help you do it! Complete KEC’s Mentor Interest Form, sharing with the organization a bit about yourself and why you’d like to join our Mentor Network. Whether you’re interested in mentoring in one-on-one office hours or leading workshops on specific topics, we will make sure you are connected with the Knoxville entrepreneurial ecosystem.

From Buffalo, NY but with Ties to Knoxville:

Two alums of the inaugural cohort of the “Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator” ranked in the top 10 of the recently 43North‘s 10^th annual pitch competition in Buffalo, NY.

One – Spiky.AI – was a big winner, securing a $1 million investment that will require the start-up to relocate from Boston, MA to Buffalo’s iconic Seneca One Tower to scale its business while contributing to Buffalo’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The company empowers revenue teams with real-time artificial intelligence (AI)-driven customer insights for enhanced selling effectiveness.

The other participant – Abhishek Sastri, Chief Executive Officer of Fluix – did not place in the top five and earn a $1 million investment. The company offers a tool for data centers to use AI to improve costs and temperature control.

This year’s applicant pool spanned 36 countries and five continents, eventually narrowing to eight finalists who traveled to Buffalo to pitch their business to a panel of esteemed judges and a captive audience at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.

Since its inception in 2014, 43North has brought nearly 70 companies to Western New York, raising over $965 million, and creating over 3,000 jobs globally and nearly 1,000 in Buffalo.

Another from Knoxville but with Valley-wide Implications:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Tennessee Valley Authority and 10 local power companies were selected for a $250 million grant from DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to fund 84 energy security projects to ensure local communities have access to affordable, reliable and clean electricity.

This community-centric investment will help increase grid capacity by up to 2,400 megawatts, mitigate extreme weather risks, and speed development of thousands of megawatts of solar and up to 800-megawatts of wind power. These initiatives will have a direct benefit to communities and people across the region.

From Cookeville:

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced that Tennessee Tech University will receive funding from Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Fund. The institution will use the additional dollars to support existing nuclear programs as well as develop and implement a new nuclear education curriculum.

In response to growing workforce needs of nuclear companies in Tennessee, Tech established a nuclear engineering program, designed to bolster student recruitment and complement existing nuclear engineering programs across the state. The curriculum will include principles of nuclear energy production, reactor systems design, spent fuel reprocessing, nuclear safety, and nuclear cybersecurity.

From Nashville:

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has proclaimed October as “Intellectual Property (IP) Month” in the Volunteer State, a recognition of the significant role IP plays in the state’s economy. It follows last month’s announcement that Launch Tennessee had formed the TN Intellectual Property Alliance, a community of legal professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators dedicated to fostering a statewide environment to protect and support the growth of IP. The group has also officially joined the United States Intellectual Property Alliance national network.

Another from Nashville:

The Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC) is hosting a “Program Relaunch and Alumni Celebration” from 3:30 to 6 p.m. CDT on October 24 at its location near Downtown Nashville. During the event, attendees will;

• Learn from the EC’s Program Managers as they share brief overviews of the 2025 programs we’re recruiting for, spanning various industries and stages of entrepreneurship;
• Hear brief pitches from successful alumni of our programs, sharing their journeys and achievements; and
• Have the opportunity to mMingle with like-minded founders, alumni, and industry experts during the post-presentation happy hour, featuring exciting raffle prizes and complimentary professional headshots.

To register, click here.

---