Knox County mayoral candidates field questions on innovation, workforce, and entrepreneurship
To help voters gain more clarity on where each Mayoral candidate stands on matters of innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business support, the Innov865 Alliance hosted a Mayoral Forum at the 121 Tech Hub.
The Innov865 Alliance brought together all four Knox County mayoral candidates on Wednesday at 121 Tech Hub in the Old City for a forum focused squarely on innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business support.
About 120 people registered to attend the event, with several dozen showing up in person and another 80+ watching online. The room ranged from ecosystem supporters and entrepreneurs to investors and curious community members.
The event was moderated by Cortney Piper, founder of Piper Communications and the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC). Questions were submitted by well-known entrepreneurs from the Knoxville ecosystem, each of whom has participated in Innov865 Alliance events like the annual Startup Day. Those entrepreneurs included Dan Lee, founder of Perseus Materials; Lance Adler, founder of Witching Hour; Don DeRosa, founder of Eonix; Bailey Foster, founder of Real Good Kitchen; and Joel Smith, founder of Teachcraft.
The format gave each candidate 90 seconds to respond to each question. Topics covered included the state of entrepreneurship in Knox County today, how the next mayor would use the office to champion innovation and small business, how to translate the presence of world-class institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and TVA into broader economic benefits for residents, talent attraction and workforce development, and – more broadly, what decision has the county has avoided for too long?
Knox County’s mayoral primary is May 5.
Beau Hawk is the sole candidate in the Democratic primary. Larsen Jay, Betsy Henderson, and Kim Frazier are competing for the Republican nomination to succeed Mayor Glenn Jacobs. The general election is on August 6, 2026.
To watch the full forum and view the transcript, click here.
Learn more about Innov865 Alliance.
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