Welcome NOVA EC | LaunchTN opens its ninth Entrepreneur Center in Southern Middle Tennessee
NOVA EC stands for New Opportunities, Venture and Advancement Entrepreneur Center, and it will be located in Pulaski, TN.
The state now has a new entrepreneur center, thanks to an effort by LaunchTN and folks in Southern Middle Tennessee.
NOVA EC, a new Network Partner in Pulaski, joined the state’s network of regional entrepreneur centers to support innovative companies, attract investment capital, connect founders to key resources, and further research and development.
NOVA EC stands for the “New Opportunities, Venture, & Advancement (NOVA) Entrepreneur Center.”
The center’s physical location will be hosted inside the MakeShift coworking and event space at 110 N. 2nd Street, Pulaski. It will serve Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Perry, and Wayne counties with local programming.
Initial plans for the center include workshops on getting connected to investors and understanding capital opportunities, as well as mentorship programs, certifications, bootcamps, speaker sessions, and more.
The new EC is operated by the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Foundation and is led by Director Shelley Sarmiento. She is a seasoned entrepreneur and business founder with extensive experience supporting the start-up ecosystem.
Payson Johnston, a two-time entrepreneur with a background in strategic tech initiatives, as well as mentoring start-ups at Techstars, serves as NOVA’s Entrepreneur in Residence. He is also currently an Instructor of Business at the UT Southern campus.
The structure is set up in such a way to foster collaborative efforts between the university, local chambers of commerce, and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) institutions.
In spring 2025, Launch Tennessee issued a request for proposals (RFP) to extend the regional entrepreneurship network to include Southern Middle Tennessee. Requirements for the center included activating a brick-and-mortar location, making services available to regional start-ups, and having actionable plans to engage with founders in the region.
Applicants underwent a rigorous review process in the subsequent months, with UTRF’s NOVA proposal ultimately selected.
“UTRF is proud to partner with Launch Tennessee on the NOVA Entrepreneur Center,” said Maha Krishnamurthy, Ph.D, MBA, and President of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation. “This partnership allows the acceleration of innovation, equipping and supporting founders, and drives lasting economic growth throughout Southern Middle Tennessee.”
NOVA joins eight other regional entrepreneur centers that span the state from Memphis to the Tri-Cities.
● Epicenter, Greater Memphis Region
● Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, East Region
● Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Northern Middle Region
● Sync Space, Northeast Region
● The Biz Foundry, Upper Cumberland Region
● theCO, Southwest Region
● The Company Lab, Southeast Region
● The Mill, Northwest Region
On Thursday, Oct. 2, leadership from NOVA EC, alongside partners with LaunchTN, will host an announcement celebration at the MakeShift building. They also plan to kick off operations with a pitch competition on Nov. 14. You can find more information about both events on NOVA’s new website.
“Adding a Southern Middle entrepreneur center will provide new innovation and growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in that area while also connecting them to the entire state through our system of partners,” Launch Tennessee Chief Executive Officer Lindsey Cox said.
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