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March 21, 2021 | Tom Ballard

Spark Plaza, FoundersForge announce new partnership

Spark Plaza, the Northeast Tennessee region’s first and longest running co-working facility, has announced a new partnership with FoundersForge.

Under the arrangement announced last week, Spark Plaza will officially house FoundersForge and also establish a new Innovation and Entrepreneur Center in the heart of downtown Johnson City. The effort combines Spark Plaza’s dynamic community of remote tech workers, small businesses, and digital agencies with the region’s local entrepreneurs and start-ups.

“Our dream since we opened the doors in 2009 has been to build a community that welcomes and encourages new companies and ideas,” says Spark Plaza Co-founder Jose Castillo. “With the explosion of growth in our region of remote workers and people launching their own startups we needed a welcome center and launch pad focused on these folks. We are thrilled to partner with FoundersForge to see this dream become a reality.”

According to last week’s announcement, the new Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center reaches beyond the typical office rental to provide a vehicle where anyone with an idea to connect to the rapidly growing start-up ecosystem in our region.

“It can be difficult for existing entrepreneurs or anyone with an idea for the next great product to plug into the start-up ecosystem,” says David Nelson, Executive Director of FoundersForge. “Now, thanks to Spark Plaza, they can stop by or schedule an appointment to get their ideas started on the right foundation or an existing Startup connected to the support they need to succeed.”

The partnership also provides free, open workspaces to any entrepreneur to work at while visiting or working with FoundersForge on their concept. Spark Plaza will also provide meeting spaces, sponsor events, and actively support new opportunities in the region.

Learn more by reading last week’s announcement (Spark Plaza Partners with FoundersForge).



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