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► OPEN: The Company Lab's Spring 2025 CO.LAB Sustainable Mobility Accelerator -- powered by partnership with gener8tor -- is accepting applications through Jan. 27.

► OPEN: Applications window for stage-gated Accelerators at Nashville Entrepreneur Center remain open: PreFlight | TakeOff | InFlight | Twende | Project Fintech | Project Healthcare Details here.

► OPEN: Nashville Business Incubation Center (Growth Enterprises Nashville Inc., 501c3) invites applications for its 2025 programs.

JANUARY dates of note:

7 Epicenter Memphis hosts the Kauffman FastTrac program, which helps aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs refine their business ideas during this 10-week training, emerging with a deeply vetted business plan. This program is likely to be replicated.

7 University of Memphis: Crews Center for Entrepreneurship Director Whitney Hardy joins guest Morgan Pettigrew JD, who is CEO, founder and managing partner of The Pettigrew Firm & Pettigrew Adventures. Topics: entrepreneurship opportunities in real estate, hospitality and law.

7 The window closes for applications to 100Knoxville's "Ideas to Reality" program, in collaboration with Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. Other Knoxville EC-linked programs.

8 Nashville Technology Council Opportunities Showcase for would-be NTC vendor sponsors. Registration. Other events.

9 How to Scale in 2025: Nashville Entrepreneur Center luncheon with presenter Neal Samudre of Samudre Solutions LLC, which offers growthco executives guidance and support.

Saud Siddiqui MD

10 Saud Siddiqui MD, Founder/CEO of 11-year-old San Francisco-based SKETCHY (via his Sketchy Group LLC) lectures at Vanderbilt's Light Hall. Sketchy's VC backers include California-backed Reach Capital and The Chernin Group. Event details.

13/14 "Getting Started as an Angel Investor" - Virtual Jan. 13 and/or In-person Jan 14, featuring Haley Zapolski, Peter Swan, Tommy Jacobs. Location 8th Ave S, Berry Hill.

14 Tennessee General Assembly convenes Jan. 14, 2025. Senate | House

16 Launch Tennessee (Tennessee Technology Development Corporation, TTDC) meeting of Board of Directors. See bottom of page for schedule.

19 Application deadline for Food Business Incubator by The Real Good Kitchen Foundation, Knoxville. Details. Related coverage.

22 "How to Raise a Fund" panel discussion, hosted by Greater Nashville Venture Capital Association (GNVCA) at Nashville Glasshaus on Craighead in Melrose. Related.

23 Student Entrepreneur Challenge at Vanderbilt University, with 'Shark-Tank Style' pitches, Fetheringill Hall. A Patton Foundation initiative. Finalists TBA Jan. 13. VU Calendar.

28 Deadline for registering for Lipscomb University Business Breakfast at the Shinn Center featuring In-N-Out Burger Owner and President Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson. In-person or virtual tickets.

29 Nashville Technology Council "Tech Talk" program is to focus on AI and Cybersecurity with presentation by one or more principals of Nashville-based DBS Cyber. We note DBS's CTO is Elizabeth Stephens.

Just Around the Corner:

Prof. Ji Hye Jung

► Feb. 18 "Symposium on Music and AI with Tod Machover," in Turner Hall, VU Blair School of Music. Explores "positive and negative impacts that advanced artificial intelligence is having -- and seems poised to exert even more dramatically -- on the creation, performance, and enjoyment of music." A duo for marimba and AI composed by Machover and performed by percussion professor Ji Hye Jung.

► "The Women + AI Summit" at Vanderbilt is Feb. 1 -- read our earlier coverage, with registration and related info here.

► The Wondry Innovation Center at Vanderbilt lists several entrepreneurship and innovation challenges that remain open for applications through January 2025 by grant-seekers and students looking to compete for a variety of grants and business-plan awards.

All previous VNC coverage is here, in reverse-chron order. VNC

Corrections and suggestions for additions welcomed.

. last edited 0540 27 December 2024