“Startup Showdown” with $120,000 prize announced for this year’s “3686” festival
The team at Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) made its first big announcement yesterday regarding programming during the upcoming “3686” conference, and it’s a pretty big one.
In partnership with Panoramic Ventures, the two-day festival will feature Tennessee’s first “Startup Showdown,” a pitch competition investing $120,000 in the winner. The Atlanta-based venture capital firm says it “takes a wider-view approach to investing by targeting the Southeast and Midwest and placing a focus on diverse founders and university start-ups. Panoramic opens new doors for overlooked founders, giving more entrepreneurs access to capital to build leading tech companies.”
In addition, LaunchTN also announced 10 speakers for “3686” that will take place at Nashville’s historic Marathon Music Works September 27-29. They are:
- Eric Bahn, Co-Founder and General Partner, Hustle Fund;
- Morgan DeBaun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Blavity, Inc.;
- Cam Doody, Co-Founder and General Partner of Brickyard;
- Tara Fung, Co-Founder and CEO, Co:Create;
- Samara Hernandez, Founding Partner, Chingona Ventures;
- Jules Miller, Partner, Mindset Venturesand also Founder, VC3 DAO;
- Marlon Nichols, Co-Founder and Managing General Partner of MaC Venture Capital;
- Vanessa Presson, Human Resources Manager, Ford Motor Company’s BlueOval City;
- Maria Salamanca, Partner, Unshackled Ventures; and
- Santosh Sankar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Dynamo Ventures.
“‘3686’ brings together a special group of people. Our speakers and attendees represent some of the best entrepreneurs, investors, and executives not just in Tennessee but from across the U.S.,” said LaunchTN Chief Executive Officer Lindsey Cox. “It’s a unique opportunity to build relationships while having a blast in Nashville.”
The festival, named after the geographic coordinates of Nashville, started in 2013 and has welcomed attendees from across the country. It has grown to attract national speakers, investors and entrepreneurs.
More details on “3686” will be forthcoming. Registration is open at this link.
