The LaunchTN team spends lots of time traveling around the state — hosting workshops, connecting with our partners, and sharing the Tennessee entrepreneurial story. Here’s a taste of what our intrepid commercialization manager Allie Potter has been up to. Dotted with security checkpoints, a desolate stretch of road leading deep into the hills of East…

36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival, hosted by Launch Tennessee, will run Aug. 28-29 in Nashville Nashville, Tenn. – Attracting more than 1,200 entrepreneurs, investors, students and innovation-ecosystem builders from across the US, 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival offers a rare opportunity to see why innovative companies like Pilot.com are choosing to relocate from coastal hubs and scale in the South. Voices that…

36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival connects a community of innovators 36|86 Director Lindsey Cox takes us behind the scenes of LaunchTN’s upcoming festival to highlight what makes 36|86 vital for entrepreneurs of all stages and backgrounds. One of the most anticipated events for entrepreneurs across the Southeast is right around the corner. From Aug. 28–29, founders, innovators, and…

Expanded partnership with Lightning 100 features Job Fair and Adventure Science Center for Kids Nashville, TN—Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), a public-private partnership that fosters technology development and entrepreneurship across the state, is excited to announce the inaugural 36|86 Pavilion at Live On The Green, Nashville’s free outdoor music festival. The pavilion is part of LaunchTN’s expanded partnership with Lightning…

LaunchTN’s SBIR Road Tour features virtual, 1:1, and lunch-and-learn sessions with innovation experts. Ready to take your research from the lab to the marketplace? We’re kicking off a virtual SBIR Road Tour featuring 1:1 meetings with representatives from five federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the just-added Naval…

How a Chattanooga entrepreneur grew a startup from mobile soda fountain to mass production Pure Sodaworks co-founder Matt Rogers advises entrepreneurs to scale slowly for long-term growth. When Chattanooga entrepreneurs Matt and Tiffany Rogers founded Pure Sodaworks in 2011, they had no idea how far — or fast — their craft soda startup would take them in…

Annual entrepreneurship festival puts the spotlight – and $60K in prizes – on empowering the next generation of innovators Nashville, Tenn. – Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), a public-private partnership that fosters entrepreneurship across the state, today announced a programming track dedicated to students and young startup founders at 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival. 36|86 is the South’s premier gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, and…

Why Dorm Room Fund invests in student entrepreneurs Entrepreneur and former Dorm Room Fund CEO Rei Wang talks VCs, collaborative creativity, and the need for diversity and community among startups. As the former CEO of First Round Capital’s Dorm Room Fund and founder of startup The Grand, Rei Wang knows the entrepreneurial ecosystem inside and out. Featured in Forbes’ 30…

How a Nashville entrepreneur turned personal heartbreak into a successful startup Taking on tasks for grieving families, Sunny Care Services founder Mollie Lacher focuses on community and the power of authenticity. Mollie Lacher is no stranger to grief. Her brother-in-law passed away unexpectedly during minimally invasive heart surgery, leaving behind a bereaved family and a…