From the perspective of the Chamber's mission of facilitating economic prosperity, supporting entrepreneurial companies is a perfect fit. A solid base of growing companies is an essential ingredient for any thriving economy, particularly in Nashville, where some of our largest industries - such as health care and entertainment - have such a strong entrepreneurial component.
When the Chamber founded our Future 50 Awards in 1992, our mission was to commemorate the 50 fastest-growing privately held companies in Middle Tennessee. We continued this tradition for 19 years before revamping the annual awards program in collaboration with the
Entrepreneur Center this year. We held our first-ever
NEXT Awards this week, and it was a hit on several different levels.
It's always energizing to be in a room full of some of the most successful businesspeople driving our regional economy. That energy and vitality, combined with the great buzz the NEXT Awards generated in the community, made the event a true celebration of some of our homegrown success stories.
Personally, as someone who has been closely involved in the NEXT Awards since the program's inception, it has been rewarding to help revitalize the Chamber's tradition of honoring entrepreneurial success in an updated format that more closely demonstrates these companies' true impact on Middle Tennessee. With our partners at the EC and outstanding support from our sponsors, we look forward to hosting the 2012 NEXT Awards to recognize the companies and industries that epitomize the strength of our regional economy.
Congratulations again to all our
finalists and winners. See below for a video clip from the event, featuring interviews with the finalists in the Market Mover - Technology category discussing their successes.* To see more videos from the NEXT Awards, visit the Chamber's
YouTube channel. *Please note: In the version of this video clip that aired during the NEXT Awards event, finalist company PureSafety was inadvertently left out. The Chamber sincerely apologizes for the omission.