Innovation was on display this week as LaunchTN invited leaders from across the state to gather in Nashville.

While LaunchTN’s annual 3686 Festival is the state’s premier entrepreneurship conference, Innovation Week focuses on areas where innovation, commercialization and advocacy intersect.

Announcement 
Wednesday evening at the Legislative Reception, LaunchTN leadership announced this year’s dates for the 3686 Festival, which will be Sept. 19-21.

5-year-report
LaunchTN released its SBIR/STTR Matching Fund Impact Report, which details the past five years of deploying matching funds for early stage funding for research and development.

Highlighting Network Partners
Innovation Week brought Network Partners from across the state to Nashville to meet entrepreneurs and legislators and highlight the work they are doing in their region.

On Monday, leaders from stateside entrepreneur centers lunched together before attending training about LaunchTN’s Regional Seed Fund. In the evening, LaunchTN hosted an invite-only happy hour for Network Partners.

On Tuesday, LaunchTN organized meetings between entrepreneur center leaders and state legislators. CEOs of the entrepreneur centers had the opportunity to share the work they are doing with lawmakers.

The rest of the week…
On Tuesday evening, more than 100 entrepreneurs and legislators gathered for a legislative reception, which was hosted by Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Wednesday was a day of learning with sessions that covered topics including getting funding from the National Science Foundation and about defensive innovation.

Thursday, entrepreneurs got an inside look at labs where commercialization starts.

Friday is a state-wide animation with entrepreneur centers in seven regions hosting networking and coworking events.