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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Chattanooga Studio





Chattanooga Business Radio

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Robbie Hillis of ARK Labs and Platt Boyd of Branch Technology

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Robbie Hillis // ARK Labs Facebook Linkedin Twitter 

Platt Boyd // Branch Technology Facebook Linkedin Twitter 
What goes on in an accelerator program is often a little blurry when it comes down to the details. Do you ever wonder if an accelerator program actually helps grow and improve a business?   

We are pleased to have Robbie Hillis of ARK Labs and Platt Boyd of 3D Ops providing their unique experiences through Chattanooga’s GIGTank accelerator program. 

If there is anything you are questioning, just take the advice of Robbie and Platt:“Taking the step to apply is the most important step you can take, because if you are questioning whether or not you are ready, you probably are!” – Robbie Hillis  “For any accelerator program, anyone that has got the seed of an idea is the perfect candidate. You’re coming out of the process ready to build a business and begin the investment process.” -Platt Boyd 

Listen now to our interview during Startup Week Chattanooga 2016!

Penny Hughey of STEAM Society

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Penny Hughey // STEAM Society Facebook Linkedin Twitter 

Penny Hughey is the Director of Partnership Development at STEAM Society, a new startup company in Chattanooga. STEAM Society is a unique camp initiative that will be run and directed by the STEAM Team; a group of dedicated professionals committed to making STEAM education a realized dream across the socio-economic playing field.

In this podcast, we answer the questions like: “Who said kids aren’t entrepreneurs and natural scientists?” STEAM Society has provided the means for middle school and high school level students to explore their natural abilities further through fun, challenging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. STEAM Society works to intentionally open doors for careers and jobs that your child may have never though possible. Making sure that all kids are getting the same opportunities is at the heart of STEAM Society. Listen now to learn more about the different opportunities offered by STEAM Society!

Interested? Contact Penny Hughey at penny@steamsociety.com

Our host, Brittany Newman and guest, Penny Hughey.

Carlos Pielago of Chattanooga Eats

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Carlos Pielago // Chattanooga Eats Facebook Linkedin Twitter 

In this podcast, Carlos speaks about the atmospheres, personality, and diversity in Chattanooga restaurants. From one of the leading cities in innovation, we sat down to talk about entrepreneurship in the food scene as well. Chattanooga Eats is working on expanding their reach and helping “elevate the scene” in this interconnected city. In this show, Carlos highlighted the city’s culture perfectly, “the more we help each other, the more we are going to improve” and Chattanooga Eats is certainly doing that! Venture out October 5th to the ChattanoogaEats event “The pop-up restaurant challenge” for Startup Week.

Judy Reinke on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

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Judy Reinke //  Deputy Director General at Global Markets/U.S. Department of Commerce

Judy Rising Reinke has served as Deputy Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) since June 3, 2013.  In this role, Judy is the chief operating officer of the U.S. Government’s premier export promotion agency managing its 100 domestic and 75+ overseas trade offices.

Judy has actively been involved in numerous offices throughout her career, beginning her career in the Bureau of Export Administration and Import Administration, and going on to act as Secretary General for the U.S. Commercial Service.

To find more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, follow the link here: http://trade.gov/fta/tpp/  and here: https://www.export.gov/tpp

Felicia Jackson of CPR LIFEWRAP LLC.

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Felicia Jackson // CPR LIFEWRAP LLC. Linkedin Facebook

Felicia Rena Jackson, a resident of Hixson Tennessee is a local inventor and Physical Therapist Assistant at Memorial Hospital. She holds an AAS from Chattanooga State Technical Community College and has over 20 years medical experience in acute inpatient rehab, outpatient care, and home health care settings. After a beloved family members death as well as a near death experience with her toddler son, Felicia had a vision of a product that could help save lives. Felicia sought help from LAUNCH’s Business Entrepreneurship Academy. After graduating from LAUNCH Felicia was able to debut the CPR LIFEWRAP. Her invention was published in Nooga.com, the Edge Magazine and Our Voice, a CHI Memorial Hospital publication. She has been on Channel 3, Channel 12, and Channel 9 . Her vision is to make performing CPR less intimidating.
“A life is the most precious thing on Earth so its up to us to be prepared during life and death situations.”

You can contact Felicia by emailing her at cprlifewrap@gmail.com

Rachel Gammon of Northside Neighborhood House and Erik McNair of Papercut Interactive

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Rachel Gammon // Northside Neighborhood House Twitter Linkedin Facebook

Rachel Gammon fell in love with the Northside Neighborhood House years ago as a college sophomore at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It was then that she worked with children served through the after-school and summer programs. The focus on family and the NNH’s mission of providing a hand up to children and their families was inspiring to her. For the past ten years, Rachel has served as Executive Director/CEO at the NNH. Thanks to a great team, the NNH has increased capacity, as well as increased and added programs through a recession.

Working together to serve families at the NNH is a family endeavor. Rachel’s husband, Seth, can often be found helping out and their daughters, Kaitlin, Emma Grace and Laura Beth, have been known to ask people for money to “help keep people’s lights on”. Rachel and her family attend Red Bank Cumberland Presbyterian Church; another part of her family that gives great support to the NNH!

Erik McNair // Papercut Interactive TwitterTwitter Linkedin Facebook

Erik McNair has been working in web design and online marketing for more than 7 years and has witnessed the breakneck speed of the industry’s innovation firsthand. After serving as VP of Search Marketing at an Atlanta marketing firm, he moved to Chattanooga to join Papercut Interactive. With Papercut Interactive, Erik works with clients to navigate determine their business needs as it pertains to the world of web design and digital marketing. He specializes in paid search advertising for client campaigns and social media.

Women in Business – Session 6

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Katie King // Katie King Law Linkedin Facebook 

“How do you negotiate your value?”

Katie King is our introduction into the Corporate Women in Business series – “uncut”. On the show, Katie is talking about combining her experience of living in Chattanooga and expertise to move from a major utility company to her solo law practice.

“After working ten years as in-house counsel for a large energy and technology company, I decided to start listening to what used to be a whisper and grew into a shout from my heart.  I decided to leave what was in many ways a dream job because I felt in my soul I was not doing what I was called to do.

I wish to be the kind of woman my daughter will be proud to know when she is grown.  I wish to use my time, talents, energy and voice to help my clients achieve their dreams, to be a positive influence in my community, and to create opportunities for others.”

Joy Krause of Boomers Together and John Hargraves of PM Environmental

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Joy Krause // Boomers Together Facebook

Joy Krause seeks to inspire. A writer, filmmaker, speaker, performer and producer, Joy has gained national acclaim. She recently graduated from the GigTank accelerator program at the Company Lab and is now woking on scaling her business, Boomers Together.

Boomers Together helps baby boomers gather together in their local communities. We offer events, workshops and parties that inspire, educate and celebrate this stage of life.

John Hargraves // PM Environmental Inc. Twitter Linkedin Facebook

John Hargraves is a licensed Professional Geologist (PG) in AL, AR, TN, MS, GA, NC, SC, LA, and FL.

He has approximately 27 years of experience in environmental consulting working for banks, developers, attorneys, realtors, municipalities, regulatory agencies and industry. He has been involved in the completion of leaking underground storage tank investigations and cleanups, site remediation, Brownfield redevelopment and consulting, EPA Grant Application consulting and management and Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments.

Specialties: Environmental consultant for Brownfield re-development projects, environmental due diligence for M & A activity and the purchase, refinance and foreclosure of commercial properties. Licensed UST professional with expertise in contaminant delineation and remediation at numerous leaking UST sites in various geologic settings throughut the southeastern US.

Chris Cummings of Pass It Down and Tia Capps and Ashlee Owens of The Company Lab

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Chris Cummings // Pass It Down Twitter Linkedin Facebook

Chris is the founder of Pass It Down™, a social storytelling platform launching in 2016, that makes it easy to capture and preserve family stories in video, audio, text and photos.
Prior to founding Pass It Down™, Chris helped co-found Woople™, a learning management system that has delivered over 20 million minutes of educational content to fortune 500 companies around the world. He is also an attorney who practices federal criminal law on both the trial and appellate levels and is a CJA Panelist for the Federal Public Defenders office.
Christopher has spent the last 15 years actively involved in competing and teaching public speaking, debate, and appellate advocacy. In law school, he was the top speaker and winner of the Chancellors Cup Moot Court competition and the winner of the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition at the Paul M. Hebert LSU Law Center. During his undergraduate studies, he was a six-time collegiate state champion in public speaking and debate and a national champion speaker. Christopher now helps coach collegiate debate, public speaking and appellate advocacy.

Tia Capps and Ashlee Owens // The Company Lab Linkedin TwitterLinkedin Facebook Linkedin

The Company Lab (CO.LAB) is a nonprofit startup accelerator that supports entrepreneurial growth in southeast Tennessee. We work with companies ranging from street-corner mom and pop shops to tech startups scaling into major markets. We also wake up every morning thinking about how to create a more robust and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in our region.

Ashlee Owens is the Programs Manager of the Company Lab, over GIGTANK 365 and the CO.LAB Accelerator. Tia Capps is the Communications Director of the Company Lab, managing press relations, establishing community outreach programs,  implement communications and brand strategy, and promoting the various programs and events offered at the CO.LAB, like CO.STARTERS, GIGTANK and the Gig City to local and national audiences. implement communications and brand strategy.

Amanda Jelks of Jelks Law

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Amanda Jelks//  Jelks Law Twitter Facebook Linkedin 

Amanda Jelks is a Chattanooga native who attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for undergrad and the University of Memphis for law school, both on academic scholarships. She has experience working with the corporate legal department of Pinnacle Airlines (now known as Endeavor Air) during her last year of law school and then spent five years at one of the largest regional firms in the area (Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC) where she handled complex business matters.

Amanda launched Jelks Law in the summer of 2015.  Her law practice focuses primarily on providing a peace of mind to entrepreneurs through her business legal services and estate/succession planning.  As an entrepreneur herself, Amanda “understands not only the legal concerns entrepreneurs have but also has a real world view of what it takes to operate a successful business.”