The Entrepreneur Center
Turning Dreams into Reality From Music Row to Commerce Street, an entrepreneurial spirit permeates the air of Nashville. The legacy of business in Nashville is the story of pioneering entrepreneurs such as Edwin E. Craig, George H. Hay, Richard Henry Boyd, Frances Preston, Jack C. Massey, Drs. Thomas F. Frist, Bronson Ingram, and the countless others who have built our economy. Their accomplishments led the way for Nashville to be recognized as one of the most creative environments in the country. Music, art, healthcare, technology, energy, consumer products, and digital media have infused the entrepreneurial community. On any given day, almost 500 startup companies are attempting to form — and almost all of them need essential resources to successfully launch their businesses. Since opening its doors in 2010, the Center has provided mentors, coaching, meeting facilities, access to events, workshops, expertise, and best practices, all of which are vital to launching a business. We teach new entrepreneurs the importance of working in collaboration as evidenced by our partnership with the City of Nashville, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, area businesses, and universities. In short, our mission is to invest in Nashville, its people, and its prosperity. Turning good ideas into investable stories — launching businesses and creating jobs — making Nashville the best place in America to start a business — that is what we do. With your help we can do more.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
...
...... . . . . ..
...... ..
SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2010, THE EC HAS INCUBATED 49 FIRMS AND HELPED THEM RAISE OVER $10.3 MILLION IN STARTUP CAPITAL
Success for individuals‌ Success for Nashville For more than two years the Entrepreneur Center has equipped individuals to create and successfully execute startup businesses. With the resources of the Center, hundreds of entrepreneurs have had the good fortune to learn from others who have gone before them. The immediate impact of the Center has resulted in: > Incubating 49 firms, helping them raise over $l0.3 million in startup capital and venture funding > Training over 150 business leaders to become startup mentors, who are currently helping other startup companies > Screening more than 1,000 business ideas from entrepreneurs throughout Middle Tennessee > Teaching courses on how to launch a business and business modeling to more than 500 participants > Welcoming over 5,000 visitors from across the state, country, and around the world > Founding StartUp Tennessee, a statewide initiative that supports entrepreneurs from Memphis to Johnson City > Recognition by the White House and former President Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative > Developing corporate relationships with global companies like Google, Microsoft, Dell, and Cisco to help them connect with startup companies.
.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
......
...
.. . . .
...... ..
THE CENTER HAS TRAINED MORE THAN 150 BUSINESS LEADERS TO BECOME STARTUP MENTORS
MARK MONTGOMERY Founder and Investor Flo {Thinkery}
Preparing for the Future There are hundreds of entrepreneurs engaged with the Center and working to turn their dreams into reality. They are Nashville’s next generation of innovators, leaders, and philanthropists. The Entrepreneur Center is honored to provide the foundation to nurture their dreams; dreams that represent the building blocks of our city’s economic future. Our mission is to help entrepreneurs start and grow companies and create jobs for Middle Tennessee. We are ready to sustain our proven vision and move into a permanent home so we can reach out and provide resources to many more. Our mission is to prepare men and women for the entrepreneurial world. Whether it’s healthcare, technology, digital media and entertainment or social enterprise… Our job is to help. Our work has just begun.
.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
......
...
.. . . .
...... ..
BECAUSE OF ITS SUCCESS, THE EC HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE WHITE HOUSE AND, FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON FOR BEING A NATIONAL PROTOTYPE FOR SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR STARTUPS
Pillars of Growth for the Region The Entrepreneur Center believes we should drive economic growth by building out an entrepreneurial ecosystem second to none. We want to encourage startups, support early stage business formation, and bring innovation to the market. The Center has identified four pillars of growth we believe comprise the highest targeted opportunities for our region: Healthcare: Our focus is to foster new ideas and entrepreneurship in Nashville’s largest and fastest growing economic sector. This includes supporting new technology enabled services, new payer and provider delivery models, and care coordinated solutions. Technology: Technological investment has fueled economic growth in Nashville over the past decade. Our Center has a growing reputation for supporting new entrepreneurs who understand the potential of new technologies and are looking to build new business models. Digital Media and Entertainment: Nashville is experiencing an unprecedented convergence of the written word, music, video, and communication tools. Digital media and entertainment assets are being transformed into new platforms and companies. Social Enterprise: Social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities to improve social challenges through mission based for profit businesses. The EC helps individuals looking to invent and/or disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value. These pillars are not the only opportunities. The possibility to refine thoughts, needs, and dreams is what the Center is all about.
.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
......
...
.. . . .
...... ..
THE EC HAS SCREENED MORE THAN 1,000 BUSINESS IDEAS FROM ENTREPRENEURS
NICHOLAS HOLLAND Entrepreneur CEO, Poplur.me
FUTURE HOME OF THE ENTREPRENEUR CENTER
For Those Who Dare to Dream In early 2013, the Entrepreneur Center will open a new, best-inclass accelerator facility designed to become Middle Tennessee’s “front door” for entrepreneurs seeking to turn their dream into reality. With four times the space of the current facility, this new home, just north of downtown in a newly refurbished trolley barn, will help Nashville’s next generation of entrepreneurs successfully navigate the pathway between an idea and an investable story. Through resources, networking, mentoring, and introductions to sources of capital, we help startups: DEVELOP and learn from other successful entrepreneurs COLLABORATE with other entrepreneurs around our city, state and country CONNECT entrepreneurs, investors, customers, and partners BUILD an investable story that leads to a real business LAUNCH new businesses successfully CREATE sustainable jobs for our economy.
.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
......
...
.. . . .
...... ..
THE CENTER HAS WELCOMED OVER 5,000 VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD
Turning Ideas into Reality Today we ask you to help turn this idea into a reality. The Entrepreneur Center’s Turning Ideas into Reality Campaign was launched to raise $8 million to provide all capital renovations for Nashville’s new economic flagship, as well as to help sustain the Center’s future programming and operations. Since announcing this campaign, over half our goal has been secured. This important resource will only become a reality if people like you believe in the mission of the Center and help make it happen. Our goal is to fund our new landmark Center at the Rolling Mill Hill historic trolley barns, and help sustain the Entrepreneur Center’s future. With your help, we can make Nashville the number one place in America to live, work, and start a new business.
.
........
...
.. . . . . . . . . .
......
...
.. . . .
...... ..
THE ENTREPRENEUR CENTER WILL GO FROM 7,000 SQUARE FEET TO 22,000 SQUARE FEET, AND BE ABLE TO LAUNCH MORE THAN 50 COMPANIES PER YEAR
Entrepreneur Center Board Members Clayton McWhorter
Alan Bentley
Mark Montgomery
Chairman, Board
Mike Cain
Christopher Rand
Chris Calton
Linda Rebrovick
Michael Burcham
Jeff Cornwall
Ralph Schulz
President and CEO
Townes Duncan
Mike Shmerling
Tod Fetherling
Brad Smith
Bobby Frist
Turney Stevens
Joe Galante
Jack Waddey
John Ingram
Leigh Walton
Matt Kisber
Matt Wiltshire
Liza Massey
Steve Wood
Rob McCabe
CarolineYoung
Entrepreneur Center Turning Ideas Into Reality Campaign Leadership Team John Ingram
Chris Calton
Chairman, Campaign
Mark Montgomery Leigh Walton
Michael Burcham President and CEO Clayton McWhorter Chairman, Board
105 Broadway, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37201 615.873.1257
www.entrepreneurcenter.com/campaign