Startup Week CHA 2021
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!
Raise Money for Your Nonprofit by Gamifying
Learn how a video game tournament could help you raise thousands of dollars for your nonprofit organization.
#BuildInSE's Pop-Up Lemonade Stand | DAY ONE
Build In SE invites all startup founders, investors, and tech talent to swing by their inaugural Pop-Up Lemonade Stand, a new outdoor watering hole in support of startup builders in the Southeast.
When life gives them lemons, entrepreneurs make lemonade. When Build In SE serves complimentary lemonade, entrepreneurs gather to share stories and network.
Lemonade servings will be complimentary, while Build In SE merch will be available for sale. A portion of funds raised during this pop-up will support local charities promoting entrepreneurship in Chattanooga.
Sponsored by First Republic Bank
Loving Yourselfie
Come meet Chattanooga's newest attraction - The Selfie Museum - at an exclusive pop-up just for Startup Week CHA
Your business + pop-ups + The Mall
The 90s are back and the mall is calling!
Calling all start-ups, artisans, small business owners, niche specialties, and boutique owners.
Learn how your business can host a popup shop at Hamilton Place Mall or Northgate Mall.
Attract Business from Residents and Visitors
At this session, we’ll share data about Chattanooga’s tourism economy to help you understand the size of the market and make decisions for your businesses. We’ll also discuss marketing to diverse tourists and best practices for engaging visitors. You’ll leave this event with ideas on how to promote your business to our visitors and residents, and with a list of free ways to engage with Chattanooga Tourism Co.
Get Your Angel (Investor) Wings
In this session we will cover: investor accredidation, what kinds of companies to look for, and risk vs. returns (i.e. what to expect).
Who should attend? - Those interested in becoming angel investors - People interested in technology and investing - Founders who want perspective on "the other side of the table"
The Future of Capital — Raising it, Accessing It
Wefunder and Capacity Capital are partnering to host a conversation about new avenues to access and raise capital for businesses of all types.
The most important driver of economic growth in Chattanooga is home-grown entrepreneurship. Regulation crowdfunding and other alternative capital tools can help make sure that our community can invest in the founders they care about supporting most.
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
Identifying Your Core Values
In this session, you’ll hear from a new entrepreneur who has overcome challenges by staying focused on core values. Hear how staying true to your mission can positively impact your business.
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]
Building Social Impact Into Your Business
Social impact investing and conscious capital have become widespread themes in business over the last several years. This session will include a panel of entrepreneurs who have embraced social impact as part of their business model. You'll hear how they embedded in their corporate culture and get their advice to founders who want use their business to drive more than profits.
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
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
UTC Entrepreneurship Breakfast feat. Branch Technology
THIS EVENT REQUIRES A SEPARATE REGISTRATION.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will host the 2021 Entrepreneurship Breakfast, which will feature Branch Technology founder Platt Boyd.
Members of the Chattanooga community are invited to join us for the UTC Entrepreneurship Breakfast featuring Branch Technology Founder and CEO Platt Boyd on Wednesday, October 20 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the UTC University Center Tennessee Room. Enjoy a FREE breakfast, chat with students and faculty, and learn more about Boyd's entrepreneurial journey.
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.
Full Steam Ahead: Meet Steam Logistics!
Hosted by Jason Provonsha and Malcolm Harris, this event is to learn more about Steam as we are reshaping transportation logistics, providing end-to-end visibility and custom solutions for every customer. Steam is one of the fastest growing 3PLs in the U.S., delivering integrated logistics solutions across International, Drayage, and Domestic transportation modes. We are diverse group of high-minded individuals, dedicated to continuing to drive our company’s explosive growth and investing in our company’s unique culture.
We are fun, but serious about outcomes. We are quirky, but we get things done. Above all, we are committed to living out our company’s mission and maxims and we want exceptional people to join us on this journey!
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
Economic Development in the Hospitality Industry
In this session, you’ll learn ways the community, local businesses, municipalities, and government can work to help engage with and support the hospitality industry. With the pandemic leaving bars and restaurants in a critical state, leaning on one another and communicating needs and general understanding is crucial to rebuild our industry locally and beyond. Join a discussion between business owners and those in economic development. Learn how we we can enact meaningful and powerful change to help everyone succeed.
It's Like Networking, But With Cheese
Gather to share ideas and brainstorm while you and your fellow Chattanoogans sample Artisan Cheese & Nut Mix pairings from Magnolia Fine Foods Co.
Networking with Intention
Are you maximizing each opportunity you have to create great business relationships? If you often find yourself leaving networking events without making meaningful connections, or if you don't know where to start networking, then this is the workshop for you. Hosted by TSBDC + BNI of Southeast TN.
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
Incorporating Innovation to an Established Industry
How can we bring the latest thought leaders to disrupt an industry that is rooted in legacy processes?
Show Up & Be You
Expect any kind of business or personal growth to be met with resistance. Even though we want support from our loved ones, many times we get the opposite.
The “Show Up & Be You” (SUBY) talk will show that it’s possible to stop walking on eggshells and live your true life. You’ll learn ways to relieve stress, renew your purpose and feel revived.
You’ll experience a profound and simple technique that’s transformed hundreds of clients. Practiced on a regular basis you’ll experience ways to:
1. Disengage from pressure & stress
2. Set yourself up for success
3. Focus your energy on what matters most
4. Get back on track when you've been derailed
You can get unstuck and stop walking on eggshells. Knowing how to move forward with confidence is possible. You can influence with power & love, without regrets.
Begin the process of living your true life beyond messy relationships. There’s no guarantee that resistance won’t happen. But you have what it takes to move through it and into your purpose.
Leveraging Your Local Ecosystem for Growth
Text Request has grown nationally, in part, because of the resources and relationships we have access to right here in Chattanooga. Join Kenneth Burke, VP of Marketing at Text Request and Briana Garza-Wilson, co-founder of Chatt Taste, to learn how to leverage the local business ecosystem to build your reputation and revenue. David Martin, cofounder of Heed PR, will moderate. You'll walk away with a game plan to grow your brand, recruit top talent, increase sales, and move your business forward — all while giving back to our community.
Lunch and Learn UTC
THIS EVENT REQUIRES A SEPARATE REGISTRATION.
Come hear LoLo Bars founder, Lauren Mindermann, talk about starting her food business after graduating from UTC with a degree in Nutrition.
TVA ED Community Innovation Academy
What would it look like if local governments and communities thought like start-ups to solve problems in their community? If 77% of economic growth can be attributed to small creative advances, what role could our communities play in leveraging those creative advances to create more economic opportunities for their communities?
Whether you’re a pioneering business executive, a startup hustler, a government leader, or a curious student or resident who cares about their community, this event is for you.
Join us for a pitch event to hear 6 community teams from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region present their top ideas and solutions aimed at solving a complex community challenge over the course of a 5-minute pitch. During our 2 hour program, our community teams will look to engage expert judges known as (Sharks) and audience members to identify and connect resources (ie. feedback, introductions, relationships, program funding).
The Challenge? Communities are inherently slow in responding to solve social and economic problems together. Many of them struggle to break down silos and deploy horizontal collaborations with diverse teams that produce the creative ideas critical to achieving the results that they are seeking.
By participating in the TVA ED Community Innovation Academy the past seven months, these teams of local economic developers and community champions explored tools, tactics and skills to more effectively and collaboratively solve community problems with the goal of sparking more economic growth and shared prosperity.
Participants were tasked with organizing a community innovation team, identifying a critical community problem, and incubating a solution that could solve it and positively support growth in their local economies. Teams have completed ecosystem maps, performed community innovation capacity assessments, engaged in hours of collaboration meetings, and are now interested in each sharing their bright ideas on the national stage of Chattanooga start-up week.
Chambliss Startup Social + The Startup Awards
Join us for the annual Startup Social (powered by Chambliss Startup Group) + the Startup Awards!
CHAMBLISS STARTUP SOCIAL powered by Chambliss Startup Group | 6 PM - 7:30 PM
Meet us at Naked River Brewing & BBQ starting at 6PM to eat, drink and network with entrepreneurs, startups, founders, and Chattanooga's movers and shakers.
At the conclusion of the Startup Social, a special surprise guest will take us from Naked River across the street to Finley Stadium for the Startup Awards.
STARTUP AWARDS | 7:30 PM - 9 PM
Join us for the annual Startup Awards, where we will recognize and celebrate the next generation of emerging companies as well as everyone who helped them become successful along the way.
The awards will be held on the field of Finley Stadium and include opportunities to meet players from the Chattanooga Football Club.
We will also have a late-night food truck on site for eats and drinks.
Awards will be given to:
- Startup of the Year, voted on by the public
- High Growth Company of the Year, presented by CO.LAB
- Goldfinch of the Year, presented by the INCubator
- Micro-business of the Year, presented by LAUNCH Chattanooga
- Charlie Brock Ecosystem Builder of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year, presented by The Enterprise Center
- Rising Star of the Year, presented by the TSBDC
- Latino Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by LaPaz
Startup Awards Afterparty
Immediately following the Startup Awards, join us at one of the town's newest nightlight nooks, The Blue Light. There will be music, speciality cocktails and drink specials for All Startup Week attendees. (Do you really need to get to work early tomorrow? )
Friday, October 22, 2021
Tour of Branch Technology
Tour the Branch Technology facility and see 3D printing live and in action.
CO.LAB Open House + End of Week Block Party with Chattanooga Design Studio & The Enterprise Center
Come meet the CO.LAB Team & Chattanooga Design Studio for an open house at CO.LAB and an afternoon block party powered by Chattanooga Design Studio and The Enterprise Center on Georgia Avenue.
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!
Shoey’s Bodega
Come buy rare snacks or simply a nice cold BoolAide.
Happy Hour with Solas Bio @ The Company Lab
Come meet the Solas Bio team and start your weekend off right - with happy hour!
Solas BioVentures is a Venture Capital firm that invests exclusively in the Life Science industry, focusing primarily on early and development stage Biotech, Medtech, and impactful companies. Come prepared with your Qs to get As on everything life science and biotech.
Enneagram Happy Hour @ CO.LAB
The Enneagram is a system that helps you uncover your core personality, deeper motivations, and unconscious patterns. But more than that, it is a map that helps you grow beyond your personality and shows the way to your true self. It is a tool for transformational personal growth, and it all starts with knowing your Type. This is the beginning point to unlocking all the magic that the Enneagram holds. This workshop will introduce you to the Nine personality types in a fun, interactive way + booze.
Chatt Taste Food Tour
THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 15 PEOPLE ON SITE, SO ARRIVE EARLY.
Visit 4 restaurants along Historic MLK Blvd. These Chattanooga staples exemplify culture and tenacity of establishments generations strong. This history-oriented walking tour mixes new and timeless eateries.
Download these images to your phone and post using the Instagram app.