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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Chattanooga Studio





Chattanooga Business Radio

Entrepreneurship

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!

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.

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.

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.

Women in Business – Session 5

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Mary Sedrick // BrightBridge Inc. Linkedin Facebook 

Mary Sedrick is the Director of the Women’s Business Center at BrightBridge Inc. Her experience lies in years of problem solving which stems from her engineering education. She also possesses a results-oriented customer caring background. Mary offers management consulting services and training sessions and events free of charge for women to not only learn about business but to make those vital connections through networking.

If you would like to contact Mary, call 423-648-9253 or email msedrick@BrightBridgeInc.org

Jacqueline Merritt // U.S. Small Business Administration Linkedin Facebook Twitter 

Jacqueline Merritt is an Economic Development Specialist in the U.S. Small Business Administration. Jacqueline runs workshops, such as the WE (Women Entrepreneurs) symposium, offers formal certification application information and help, provides loans, and even personal counseling with clients at times. She promotes that “the best marketing is quality service and quality products.”

If you would like to contact Jacqueline, call 615-736-7465 or email Jacqueline.merritt@sba.gov

NAWBO Nashville Coverage – April 2016 Meeting

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National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

Becky Bayne // Becky’s Graphic Design Twitter Linkedin Facebook 

Pascia Smith // BeautyCounter Twitter Linkedin Facebook 

Jamie McGee // Tennessean Twitter Linkedin Facebook 

Caitlin Weeks // Grass Fed Girl Twitter Linkedin Facebook 

Paige Manuel // To The Core Coaching Twitter Linkedin  

 

Jennifer Harper of Bridge Financial Planning

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Jennifer Harper//  Bridge Financial Planning Twitter Facebook Linkedin Twitter Facebook 

Jennifer is the Founder and Director of Bridge Financial Planning, LLC, providing fee-only financial planning & investing for todays professionals. She began her career in financial services in 2000, in 2001 she graduated from the MBA program at UTC, and in 2006 earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ® designation. Throughout her career she has delivered advisory services to clients and their families & businesses.

Ms. Harper is also the Founding Director of Common Cents Financial Literacy, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 2005. The mission of Common Cents is to promote and encourage financial education, focusing on ages 16-22. Through this organization, she has had the opportunity to work with several community organizations and schools to teach personal financial principles that are applicable to everyone.

In 2010, Ms. Harper was the recipient of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Lightkeeper award for her work with Common Cents and is also an adjunct instructor for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Business, teaching Small Business Finance.

Women in Business – Session 2

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Ashley McAdoo // Shine Beauty and Wellness  Linkedin Facebook

Ashley McAdoo of Shine Beauty and Wellness joins our Women in Business program to discuss her journey to health, balancing work and home life as a mother, and her business.

Ashley is a Holistic Health coach, raw foods chef, yoga teacher, avid runner, mother of two and wife to her best friend. Ashley believes that food is the best medicine and that we are in control of our health and happiness. She wants you to fall in love with your body, mind and soul all over again. Ashley will work with you to meet your individual needs as a client. She believes in bio-individuality and that each client needs a custom plan that works for their body and lifestyle.