Knoxville’s 3rd annual Startup Day is Thursday, November 19, at the Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. More than 400 attendees participate in the event that highlights East Tennessee as the hub for startups and entrepreneurs, organizers said.
Startup Day has ties to Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tech 2020 are presenting sponsors.
Doors open at 1:45 p.m. Thursday. [Read more…]
Center for Entrepreneurial Growth to administer funds to support entrepreneurs
Tech 2020, a nonprofit corporation that serves to foster entrepreneurship, has received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, or EDA.
The grant is part of nearly $1.8 million EDA is distributing through its Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, or POWER, Planning program.
The POWER Planning grants were awarded to development and entrepreneur groups throughout the country for “developing targeted economic strategies, feasibility studies, impact assessments, asset mapping, and other relevant strategic planning efforts,” a press release said. [Read more…]
The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center will host a free workshop for potential and existing small business owners and entrepreneurs who want a better understanding of the business planning process.
The TSBDC advises and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners in our area at no cost to them.
This free seminar will be held on Tuesday, April 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce office at 245 North Main Street, Suite 200, in Clinton. It will feature Jutta Bangs, director of the TSBDC center at Roane State Community College. [Read more…]
KNOXVILLE—Knoxville’s second annual Startup Day kicked off Thursday afternoon at The Standard in downtown Knoxville. The event celebrated the success of Knoxville’s growing startup community and raised awareness about resources that support East Tennessee entrepreneurs.
Among the presenters were Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tech 2020.
“When most Americans think ‘startup community,’ they think Silicon Valley in California, New York City, or Seattle,” said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “It’s significant that East Tennessee is nurturing its startup culture, making resources available to startups, and generally creating a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs. Creating a startup-friendly city will keep and attract talent, capital, and more resources.” [Read more…]
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center will have two free government contracting seminars on September 16.
The first is scheduled from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Tuesday, September 16, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. During that seminar, the TSBDC at Roane State Community College, in partnership with the University of Tennessee, CIS-PTAC, will offer a free workshop for small businesses on the basics of government contracting.
The second seminar is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, September 16, also at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. During that seminar, the TSBDC, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, will offer a free workshop for small businesses on government contracting
programs such as HUBZone, 8a, and WOSB. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, left, is pictured above earlier this month with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen. Beehan will not seek re-election to Oak Ridge City Council in November.
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, who has served on the City Council since 2001, will not seek re-election in November.
Beehan said he has been considering whether to run “for some time,” and he announced his decision to not seek re-election on Wednesday. Before making the decision, Beehan said, he wanted to be sure that quality candidates with a vision for the city’s future were ready to run.
“It’s clear that there are candidates who have the vision and ability to serve the community on City Council,” Beehan said in a press release. “I have enjoyed serving Oak Ridge as mayor and as a City Council member, but I think it is time for new leadership to take a fresh look at moving Oak Ridge forward.”
Beehan said he has spent 20 years as an elected official in local government in Oak Ridge and in Covington, Kentucky—before his family moved to Oak Ridge.
“I consider this a retirement from public service as an elected official, but I plan to continue to be engaged in community activities,” Beehan said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge National Laboratory will host its annual “Bridging the Gap” conference March 5-6. (Image courtesy of ORNL)
Several of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s most promising applied research and development capabilities will be in the spotlight March 5-6 as dozens of entrepreneurs, investors, and scientists gather at the lab’s third annual “Bridging the Gap” conference.
“This is a great opportunity for the region’s business community to receive capability briefings from some of the lab’s most dynamic researchers and to explore commercialization and collaboration opportunities,” said Tom Rogers, ORNL’s director of Industrial Partnerships and Economic Development.
