Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Mission

The mission of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center is to serve as a gateway that fuses training, relationships, and resources to cultivate economic development and drive Nashville’s future as the epicenter of entrepreneurial endeavors.

What We Do

The Entrepreneur Center is excited to announce its official programming launch in Fall 2010.
In order to achieve its mission, the Entrepreneur Center will have several integral components that will train and engage innovators:

Incubation Space
• The Incubator Studio will feature temporary work space for start-up companies.  Entrepreneurs will have the ability to get on their feet in a professional office setting.

Training
• The 10-week Momentum training series will take entrepreneurs through each step of making their business idea a reality.  Momentum features training on a step-by-step business plan as well as a pitch to a panel of experienced business professionals.
• Competition-based Momentum industry conferences will be held throughout the year, focusing on industry verticals such as healthcare, the music industry, and technology.  This intensive conference will allow teams to compete for industry attention and possible funding.

Networking
• An integral part of the Entrepreneur Center, social and informational events will be hosted in order to foster relationships among all stakeholders within Nashville’s business scene.

Resources
• The Resource Lab will subdivide informational materials according to their relevance in building a business plan, as well as provide a centralized list of resources that are available within Nashville.

Mentoring
• Entrepreneurs from various backgrounds and industries will be available for mentoring opportunities.

 

History

July 2010: Michael Burcham assembles his summer EC team to drive concept and programming development: they include Erin Anderson, Alex Frangadakis, Sam Lingo, Kimberly Cochran, Amy Noakes, Heather Borowski, Tim Henry, Drew Karr, Catherine Mitchell, and Patrick Widen.

May 2010: The Board of Directors selects Michael Burcham as President and CEO of the Entrepreneur Center

January 2010: The Board of Directors holds their inaugural meeting to shape the vision and direction of the EC.

October 2009: The Entrepreneur Center begins to seek its first founding members.

September 2009: The Nashville Entrepreneur Center and www.entrepreneurcenter.com launches its digital platform.

July 2009: Nashville Entrepreneur Center interns Eric Bilbrey, Lyle Holmes, Meaghan Rymer, and Erin Steigerwald join the team to help build the business plan and website.

June 2009: Accelerator—The Vanderbilt Summer Business Institute, led by Michael Burcham, joins the project and participants help develop a campaign to promote Nashville’s entrepreneurial community and market www.entrepreneurcenter.com.

June 2009: Joe Kustelski selected as the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s project manager.

February 2009: First Entrepreneur Center advisory board meeting led by Mark Montgomery.

January 2009: Ralph Schulz (President & CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce) and Janet Miller (Chief Economic Development and Marketing Officer, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce) ask Tod Fetherling (President & CEO, Nashville Technology Council) to help establish the Entrepreneur Center in partnership with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

November 2008: Nashville Technology Council Board of Directors recommends entrepreneurship as part of NTC brand promise

October 2008: Entrepreneurship Task Force work completed, recommendations made. Top recommendations included the creation of a Virtual Entrepreneur Resource Center, an online community that connects entrepreneurs with critical resources to accelerate business creation and growth.

Fall 2007: The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce begins Partnership 2010 Entrepreneurship Task Force: 75 Members (Co-Chairmen Robert A. Frist, Jr. and Michael Shmerling).