Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

It was just six months ago that teknovation.biz sat down with the two founders of Connecting Knox. Justin Martinez and Patrick “Miley” Jr. had both recently relocated to the Scruffy City, bringing with them big ideas for connection.

The duo envisioned an app that would put “Knoxville in your pocket,” helping community members connect with local clubs, events, nonprofit organizations, and businesses.

During our October interview, the co-founders laid out their plans in a white binder. As of April 3, that vision has officially come to life.

Martinez and Miley hosted a soft launch event for the app last Thursday, bringing together club leaders, nonprofit organizations, and other early supporters. The gathering took place at The Square Room on Market Square in downtown Knoxville.

At the event, the co-founders walked attendees through the app’s key features, encouraged downloads, and gave shoutouts to the companies and organizations that have embraced the platform.

One of those supporters is Visit Knoxville and its president, Kim Bumpas. Although she was unable to attend in person, she recorded a video message sharing her enthusiasm for the Connecting Knox platform.

As of Thursday, Martinez and Miley have populated the app with a curated selection of verified events, clubs, and nonprofits. Outreach to businesses for the “certified business” portion of the app is still forthcoming.

“Right now, our goal is to have the most up-to-date calendar in Knoxville to help people get connected and meet one another,” Martinez said. “So, we’re asking all event coordinators to share their events with our calendar.”

The app’s newest team member, Community Relations Specialist Aimee Fowler, is currently focused on making sure that calendar stays updated with everything Knoxville has to offer.

Martinez added that they hope to further expand the team in the coming months.

You can download the Connecting Knox app here.

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