The Messenger
December 20th, 2022
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Happy Holidays from the KEC Team!
The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center team wants to send you and your family warm wishes, peace, and joy over the holidays and New Year. We wouldn't be successful without the kindness and support from this community and ecosystem, and we are so thankful. We've shared some wonderful memories with all of you in 2022, and we're so excited for what 2023 will bring!
We'll see you in the New Year!
-Jim, Catherine, Chris, Delaney, Courtney, Holly, Jalynn, and Amelia
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KEC's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Impact Survey
We need YOUR voice to make Knoxville the most founder-friendly city in America! KEC has put together a survey to learn more about our strengths, opportunities for improvement, and most of all, the needs of our entrepreneurial community. The survey only takes about seven minutes, and will help guide our strategic vision and tactical planning over the next few years. The survey is also easier to complete on a desktop.
Thank you so much, and we look forward to hearing your insights! If you have any questions about the survey, please email us at hello@knoxec.net
TAKE THE SURVEY >>
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Small Town Entrepreneurship x Co.Starters Cohort #1
Kicking off January 16th!
CO.STARTERS is a business development program that helps aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs put ideas into action to create sustainable and thriving small businesses.Aspiring AND seasoned founders looking to launch a new product or services can benefit from the CO.STARTERS program – the program helps founders build a business model for an entire business or new product.
We’ll be hosting two CO.STARTERS cohorts for rural and small town entrepreneurs, specifically in the following counties: Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union. If you know anyone in these counties that might benefit from attending Co.Starters, please share this information with them!
Applications will close January 9th, 2023.
APPLY TODAY >>
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Small Town Entrepreneurship x ETSY Craft Entrepreneurship
Kicking off February 2nd!
KEC created a curriculum approved by leading e-commerce platform, Etsy, to equip creative people in underserved communities with the knowledge and skills to start Etsy businesses and earn primary or supplemental income through their craft. Craft sellers represent an untapped source of economic strength in many of the rural communities of Tennessee, and we are excited to host two classes exclusively for rural and small town entrepreneurs.
We’ll be hosting two ETSY CEP cohorts for rural and small town entrepreneurs, specifically in the following counties: Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union. If you know anyone in these counties that might benefit from attending ETSY CEP, please share this information with them!
LEARN MORE + APPLY TODAY >>
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Last Chance - Shop The Maker City Holiday Gift Guide!
Shop local this holiday season with The Maker City's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide! This gift guide is a curated selection of locally made gifts + goodies from the Knoxville Maker Directory for everyone on your list.
Don't miss out on these great opportunities to support fellow makers!
CHECK IT OUT >>
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Support The Maker City + Second Harvest Food Bank's Virtual Food Drive!
This year, The Maker City has partnered up with Second Harvest Food Bank to host a virtual food drive! Participants can "go shopping" and create meals online to donate.
Second Harvest Food Bank leads the community in the fight to end hunger. As East Tennessee’s largest hunger-relief charity, Second Harvest operates programs and distributes food in 18 counties. The food bank secures and distributes more than 21 million pounds of food and grocery products annually through a network of 630+ partnering nonprofit organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and schools.
CHECK IT OUT >>
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Enroll in the Business Start-up 4-week Masterclass with Damon Rawls at Innovation Digital Agency!
Are you looking to start a business? You’ve envisioned a future where your business is booming. The trouble is, you don’t know how to get there, you wish there were a roadmap.
Being an entrepreneur can be intimidating. Banks, potential investors, human resources, and the IRS each have their own requirements for you; figuring out how to navigate them can be stressful.
Running your own business shouldn’t be overwhelming. You deserve the support to thrive with less stress, make more money and have more time to spend how you choose. Innovation Digital Agency is here to help!
The Masterclass kicks off January 7th, so enroll today!
MORE INFORMATION >>
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2023 Developing Value-Added Agriculture Businesses | Webinars + Workshops
Educational program to teach farmers with value-added enterprises about resources and funding opportunities as they plan and develop a competitive application for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG).
There is no registration fee for any of the webinars or workshops, but pre-registration is required. Lunch is provided at the workshops. Registration for the workshops is required 5 business days in advance. Register online for the webinars and workshops at tiny.utk.edu/TCLUt
January 24, 2023 Webinar
(8–11:30 a.m. CST / 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST)
Webinar will include: Overview of VAPG, Tips for developing a strong proposal, Lessons learned from a VAPG recipient, More tips for developing a strong application, Preparing for VAPG proposal, VAPG review and scoring overview, Preparing the VAPG application one section at a time, and Question/answer session.
In-Person Workshops
The same information will be presented at each workshop location. The workshops will provide tips for developing a VAPG application, line-by-line instructions, insight as to how applications are scored and lessons learned from a previous VAPG recipient. Developing a strong application for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program
January 11 Workshop l Ripley, TN
(9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. CST)
January 12 Workshop l Coalmont, TN
(9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. CST)
January 13 Workshop l Newport, TN
(9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. CST)
Contact Troy Dugger at 931-486-2777 or pdugger2@utk.edu with questions about the webinars and workshops.
MORE INFO + REGISTER >>
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Big Ideas Welcome: "Matching Action to Ambition"
As we wrap up the podcast for 2022, Chris and Jaylnn Baker sit down to talk about the last 28 episodes, some lessons learned, things to come in 2023, and to share a few thoughts from their own entrepreneurship journies.
We hope you have a great holiday season and start to 2023 and will be back with a brand new episode on Tuesday, January 10th!
LISTEN NOW >>
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Big Ideas Welcome: "Building Community with Reico Hopewell"
“What am I doing with what I’m getting? Am I using it to store up for myself or am I being a conduit to give to other people?” This week's 100Knoxville episode features a conversation with Reico Hopewell.
LISTEN NOW >>
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