The last six months I’ve had the exhilarating opportunity to work with the Nashville Technology Council and a whole army of community leaders in launching a new organization for Nashville – the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. During the process, I’ve had the chance to learn what other cities are doing to support start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs.
We toured the Atlanta Technology Development Center with Mayor Dean last month, and saw first-hand what happens when you take intersecting disciplines in a university setting … say nursing and robotics … and smash them together in an entrepreneurial environment. And, while in Houston last week for a board meeting of the International Economic Development Council, I learned how the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is leading the nation in technology business incubation, with more than 750 technology start-ups coming through their doors. They cite the astounding statistic that more than 600,000 companies get started in America each year … that’s one start-up per minute!
The great news for Nashville is that we are well on our way to establishing an organization that, in partnership with the other fantastic entrepreneur-focused organizations in the region, can truly accelerate the number of successful companies that are launched in Nashville. The board of directors of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center had a passionate, spirited and energized strategic planning session last month where the direction and priorities for the upcoming center were set. Next up – hiring an executive director. In the meantime, check out iammusiccity.com, where we continue to upload new video stories of successful entrepreneurs in Nashville.