
Monday, October 18, 2021
Badge Pickup + Co-working @ Basecamp powered by EPB
Come grab your badge to access all Startup Week CHA has to offer! Badge pickup is available starting at 8 AM and co-working held throughout the day.
Complimentary Peet's Coffee will be available each morning while supplies last night!
Make + learn: Buttons + 4th Floor magic
Stop by the Chattanooga Public Library table to make an official Startup Week button and learn all about the 4th Floor Makerspace. Located in the Downtown Library at 1001 Broad St, the Makerspace is a community hub for entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, and more. With just a library card, you get access to 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl plotters, a CNC router, large format printer, screen printing, a sewing lab, and co-working spaces!
Rapid Growth: All About People & Culture
Successful small businesses or startups aren't built by having a single "genius" or great leader at the top from day one. They are built by creating a sustainable structure and purposeful culture, of which the ability to get, keep, and grow great people should be priority number one. By obsessing over finding the best people (who fit our culture and growth goals), we have had rapid success since 2019. Tune in to hear more from Chris Hurst, CEO of StratusGrid
Starting Your Business During a Pandemic
As COVID-19 continues to challenge our community and small business owners, the LAUNCH Chattanooga team is working to support entrepreneurs. This workshop will discuss the challenges and advantages of starting a business during this time, as well as the necessary steps to do so.
Coffee + a Documentary
This session is a coffee tasting and documentary preview. Global growers and communities rarely get to see how much people enjoy their craft. And, with limited success at the bottom of the chain, their livelihoods are often compromised by the global commodity price for coffee. Because we recognize their value and want to share it with others, Goodman Expert Coffee Roasters intentionally sources and roasts to highlight the work of innovative farmers, such as Ventola and Unblended in Colombia, to promote sustainability and build others up. The result is exceptional and innovative coffee you can feel good about.
Will This FLOAT?
This might be the start of a dream come true. Nine people with fresh, creative, fun visions will swallow their fears and doubts and take the stage to present business ideas in this pitch competition. Come see if their ideas FLOAT and connect with budding entrepreneurs.
The full list of companies selected to pitch can be viewed here.
Judges for the event include:
- Adrienne Cooper, founder and CEO of Moonlight Roller
- Erin Felton Lopez, Etsy Inc. Strategy & Analytics, MBA, Ex-Goldman Sachs
- Meilani Santillán, Program Director at Code for America
- Jay Shaffer, Angel Investor and Board Member of Atlanta Tech Angels
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Badge Pickup + Co-working @ Basecamp powered by EPB
Come grab your badge to access all Startup Week CHA has to offer! Badge pickup is available starting at 8 AM and co-working held throughout the day.
Complimentary Peet's Coffee will be available each morning while supplies last night!
Make Room, She’s Speaking (about all things money and resources)
Join us for a panel discussion with local business women about financials, minimum viable product development, customer retention, team development, and more.
Hear from:
- Lauren Mindermann, founder of Lolo Bar, and journey of entering the CBD industry
- Porsche Torregano, TN&GA realtor, assisting owners maneuver in the brick and mortar decision-making
- Alicia Moore (Business Relations) from First Volunteer Bank
Sustainability and Recycling Pitch & Pilot Competition
The City of Chattanooga and The Company Lab are partnering for a Sustainability and Recycling Pitch & Pilot Competition.
The city and nonprofit are looking for creative ways to drive the waste management structures and infrastructure systems.
This includes changes to technology, infrastructure, and educating residents.
Members of the public are invited to submit ideas covering one or more of the five areas listed below.
- Circular Economy
- Cost Efficiency in Recycling Processes
- Consumer/resident Education
- Labor Reduction
- Composting
Four submissions will be selected to pilot in partnership with CO.LAB and the City of Chattanooga, and those selected will be awarded a small stipend.
Chosen solutions will present during Startup Week CHA 2021 on Tues. Oct. 19 at noon and be evaluated on:
- Understanding of problem/solutions
- Quality of recommendation
- Implementation
- Feasibility (including an estimated budget)
The selected solution(s) will be selected for pilot programs to assess their feasibility in Chattanooga.
As part of the pilot process, these four ideas will be presented as a pitch event on Wed. Oct. 19, 2021 as part of Startup Week CHA.
Applications are due Oct. 3, and selected applicants will be notified Oct. 10.
Anyone with an idea can email a proposal to [email protected]
TVFCU Idea Leap Pitch Competition
Join TVFCU for the Idea Leap Pitch Picnic on the front lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. Come early at 3:30 p.m. to set up your lawn chair or spread your picnic blanket and grab an early supper from Chatter Box Café for this outdoor, socially-distant event. The Pitch Competition will begin at 4 p.m. as Champion Christian Learning Academy, Chatt Taste Food Tours, LLC, Lil Mama's Chicago Style Hoagy, Salon Posh and Wild Violet Permaculture, LLC compete for the five Idea Leap Grants ($21K, $15K, $10K, $7K and $5K). In the event of rain, the event will be strictly virtual. Furthermore, if there is a COVID-19 case surge, the event may pivot to strictly virtual. Follow TVFCU on social media for event details
Recycling Your Electronics: Why It's Important and How We Can Help!
We will be leading a discussion about electronics recycling and why it is so important to keep electronics and their components out of the landfill. We will also be accepting small electronics for recycling!
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
How Smart Cities Are Built
The Center for Urban Informatics and Progress explore the history and current state of Chattanooga's technology and smart city initiatives and how the two work together. By using the MLK Smart Corridor as our primary example, we will explain its purpose and goals, application, and future efforts. We will take a special look at our lidar-based pedestrian analytics project and how it is shaping local policy.
Tech & Startups & Jobs: Job Fair 2021
New this year! Join us for the inaugural Startup Week CHA Job Fair. Come meet area employers from tech-enabled startups to major and mid-sized businesses who are hiring right now.
Explore work opportunities from:
Austin Sizemore • FT - Sales/Real Estate Professionals
Bellhop • FT - Sales/Human Resources/Software/Operations/Management
Carbon Five • FT - Software
Chattanooga Selfie Museum • FT/PT - Management/Marketing
Chattanooga Tourism Co. • FT - Marketing
The City of Chattanooga • FT - Human Resources/Software/
Operations/Management
The Enterprise Center • FT - Marketing/Communications
EPB • FT - Customer Service/Technical Support/Network Engineering/Electrical Engineering/Resource Planning/Dispatch/Marketing/IT
Girls Inc. of Chattanooga • FT - Operation/Programs Coordinator
Iron Workers Local 704 • FT/PT - Skilled Labor/Operations
Komatsu • FT - Finance/Accounting/operations/skilled labor
Legacy Box • FT - Marketing/Human Resources/Customer Service/Software/Operations/Management
Marius Group • FT/PT/Intern - Sales/Marketing/Human Resources
M&M Industries • FT/PT - Maintenance Operators/Packers/Printers/Injection Molding
Novo Health Services •
Reliance Partners • FT - Sales/Marketing/Customer Service/Finance/Accounting/Software/Operations/Management
Robert Half • FT/PT - Marketing/Human Resources/Customer Service/Finance/Accounting
Shelly Cove • FT/PT - Operations
Skuid • FT
Steam Logistics • FT - Sales/Operations/Administration
Text Request • FT - Software
The Professional Cleaning Solution • FT/PT - Operations
Trident Transport • FT - Sales
Makers Marketplace
30+ Chattanooga-area vendors will be in one place so you can browse all the best from entrepreneurs across the city. The event will be in Miller Plaza’s Waterhouse Pavilion on Oct. 20 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m
Chattanooga's FIRST-EVER "Network Under 40" + Book Launch from TED Speaker
THIS EVENT REQUIRES A SEPARATE REGISTRATION. Click THIS LINK to register for the event and use the promo code CHA for a free ticket.
Who: You and 50-100 of Chattanooga's top Millennial-aged entrepreneurs, corporate talents, and side-hustlers
What: A night of networking to build friendships and business collaborations.
Where: Branch Technology, 1530 Riverside Drive, Suite B, Chattanooga, TN 37406
When: Wednesday, Oct 20th from 6-9pm
Why: The quality of your life and the success you achieve in your career is a direct result of the people you meet along your journey.
There are few spaces where you can genuinely bring your best self, engage with your peers without fear or awkwardness, and have fun while networking.
Network Under 40 has connected over 30,000 business owner and corporate "intrapreneurs" like yourself to their next job, client, friend, mentor, and opportunity, all in low-pressure and high-fun environments. We've hosted these events for 10 years in cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Baltimore, DC, Austin, Denver, and more.
Now, we're bringing NU40 to CHA.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Reimaging Waste
Come receive education about recycling, composting, and our current plastic pollution problem.
Friday, October 22, 2021
Lunch at LOVE
Glass Street has a new street park called Love Park in front of our new grocery store! Come out and celebrate this new public space with us. We have arranged for a fun afternoon with DJ MC PRO, Chef Q’s Off the Grill food truck, a live mural painting, and more! Let’s celebrate all things #StartupWeek in East Chatt!
Operation Unveiled: Prom Dress Drop-Off
Unveiled Bridal Studio is excited to partner with The Closet of Blessings to collect new and very gentle worn, clean and stylish prom dresses to donate to local high school girls in the greatest need for the 2022 prom season. We are inviting the Chattanooga community to pay it forward by dropping off dress donations to the studio located at 707 Cherry St. All donors will be entered to win a FREE pair of earrings and custom Unveiled Roses All Day candle! Come out, give back and make a difference!
ChattaNewbies Speed Dating
Make meaningful connections with other "newbies" to the community during this fun, fast-paced event! It will be structured in a way to allow guests to sharpen their networking skills and build connections in an organized and comfortable atmosphere. Bring plenty of business cards!
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