Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Four University of Tennessee (UT)-affiliated companies pitched during the Emerging Entrepreneur Pitch Competition, held as part of the inaugural 865 Fest day-long event in Knoxville on Tuesday. In addition, Lirio captured the annual Traction Award presented by AXLE Logistics.

The winner of the Emerging Entrepreneur competition was Katy Daniels, a biosystems engineering student at UT, Knoxville (UTK), and Founder of The Henry BnB, a bed and barn farm-stay experience rooted in Appalachian heritage. Passionate about sustainability, rural outreach, homesteading, and agrotourism, she combines her academic background with hands-on farm experience to create immersive, fun, fulfilling, educational lodging opportunities.

Her mission is to preserve her family’s century-long agricultural legacy while fostering meaningful connections between people, livestock, and the land. In pursuit of that goal, she won the $3,000 prize from UTK’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The other competitors were:

1. Dr. Harish Manyam is a faculty member in the College of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center who is based in Chattanooga. He pitched a remote cardiac rehabilitation platform to address the state’s ranking as #44 in cardiac illness. Describing what he characterized as “cardiac care reimagined,” he said that the app is developed, but he needs to raise $2.5 million.
2. Gustavo Alvarez-Suchini, Founder of DataRook, described what he said was a “crisis in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education” that he said could be solved with a three-step process that involves playing soccer, collecting persona data, and using that data to create a personal dashboard. The after-hours program is targeted at sixth graders.
3. Jeremiah Vecchioni, Founder of World’s Fair Furnishing Company, pitched an idea to recapture used furniture and let UT, Knoxville students rent it for their apartments or dorm rooms. He visualizes options ranging from renting t he items to offering a rent-to-own opportunity. While a survey showed that only six percent of students preferred a rental option, Vecchioni preferred to focus on the 70 percent who were willing to consider other possibilities.

The Traction Award recognizes a Startup Day alum who has established significant traction since participating in Startup Day. Lirio uses artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioral science to hyper-personalize healthcare consumer experiences to empower people to live their healthiest lives.

“We’re honored to present this year’s 865 Fest Traction Award to Lirio,” said Ali Fraley, Vice President of Learning & Development at Axle Logistics. “Lirio is a shining example of how Tennessee is leading the way in AI-powered healthcare innovation. The company has positively impacted over 1.1 million lives—encouraging individuals to take life-saving actions like scheduling mammograms and supporting better management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. As Lirio continues to scale both nationally and internationally, it’s incredible to witness the momentum and meaningful progress they’re making.”

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