Sam Davidson is CEO of Nashville Entrepreneur Center (The EC). Prior to that, he has been a four-time entrepreneur and believes that the height of one’s success is directly related to the depth of their community.
In 2006, he began his entrepreneurial journey by founding Cool People Care, a media and merchandise company that leveraged new technology to connect thousands of individuals to causes and nonprofits in local communities around the US. Cool People Care’s line of eco-friendly and cause-related merchandise raised over $125,000 for causes ranging from disaster relief to hunger awareness.
He then went on to co-found three additional companies, including Batch, a national gift and retail business that connects entrepreneurs with new customers. Batch sources its line of gifts from small businesses around the United States to provide customers the ability to give a sense of place in order to connect, stand out, and create meaningful interactions. In 2022, Davidson led the company through an acquisition by a private equity group.
Davidson has twice been named a “Most Admired CEO” by the Nashville Business Journal. Both Davidson and his companies have appeared in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, Southern Living, The Boston Globe, NPR, and USA Today. In 2020, Davidson founded SmallBusinessPledge.org to raise awareness about the positive impact small businesses have on communities all across America, especially as so many closed permanently due to COVID-19.
Davidson’s speaking style is high-energy, engaging, informing, and motivating. Whether speaking to five people or 5,000, Davidson reels audiences in with humor and captivating storytelling while leaving them with valuable, memorable lessons that are immediately applicable. Often, he gets his audiences moving as well, asking them to share and collaborate with a neighbor. Doing so allows each attendee an even deeper perspective during his time on stage.
The EC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is working to make Nashville the best place to start and grow a business by increasing the likelihood of success for entrepreneurs. Sam became its CEO in July 2022 and is leading a passionate team as they develop and oversee world-class programming and a rich membership community. To date, the EC has worked with 14,000 entrepreneurs who have raised $300M in capital and generated over $400M in revenue and over $100M in exits.
