SMTEC holds mentor training event
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following release was submitted by the Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers.)
SPRING HILL, TN – The Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers (SMTEC) held a mentor-training day today as part of their ongoing efforts to support the development of entrepreneurs and launch of startups throughout Southern Middle Tennessee.
Over 20 startup and industry experts participated in the training session, which consisted of interactive presentations from TennesSeed Camp instructors and a detailed overview of accelerator activities and the mentoring process within the Centers. The mentors were trained to support the diverse array of companies enrolled in the TennesSeed Camp program and to help review applicants for future camps. Entrepreneurs interested in applying the TennesSeed Camp’s Fall 2012 class should visit www.smtec.com to submit an application.
“Our goal is to create jobs and economic growth at the community level by connecting our promising startups to the resources they need,” said Dan Marcum, Executive Director of SMTEC. “Our mentors have a broad wealth of experience, so this is a great chance for entrepreneurs to gain valuable insights into starting and growing their own business.”
“As someone who has been in and around economic development for a long time, I know firsthand the value in connecting like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors,” said Paul Jennings, Executive Director for the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to give back to my community by serving as a resource, soundboard and second opinion to our talented entrepreneurs. I encourage other local business leaders to get involved and share their talents, knowledge and support.”
Regional accelerators are a key component of LaunchTN, a five-year strategic plan to make Tennessee a national leader in innovation and entrepreneurship to encourage job creation and economic growth. LaunchTN is designed to coordinate statewide entrepreneurial efforts; expand access to capital and private investment; enhance the state’s commercialization efforts; and host world-class events that bring together entrepreneurs, mentors, researchers and investors from across the country.
SMTEC is one of Tennessee’s nine regional accelerators established by Governor Bill Haslam (http://news.tn.gov/node/8022) to assist entrepreneurs through mentoring; education and training; strategic and technical support; and assistance identifying sources of capital.
SMTEC serves the following counties: Perry, Wayne, Hickman, Lewis, Lawrence, Maury, Giles, Marshall, Lincoln, Bedford, Moore, Coffee, and Franklin. Partners include Columbia State Community College, Martin Methodist, Maury County Alliance, Motlow State Community College, University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Fayetteville-Lincoln County IDB, Pulaski-Giles County EDC, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Wayne County ECD, NEST-TN, LLC, Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Solidus Company, Tullahoma Business Incubator, Workforce Solutions and South Central Tennessee Development District.
For more information, please visit http://www.smtec.com, https://www.facebook.com/SouthernMiddleTennesseeEntrepreneurCenters and https://twitter.com/tennesseedcamp.
