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A NEW regional entrepreneur center seems likely to be born in southern-middle Tennessee this summer, largely thanks to spadework and prospective partnership with Tennessee Technology Development Corporation dba Launch Tennessee.
LaunchTN CEO Lindsey Cox confirmed two respondents to her nonprofit organization's request for proposals:
VNC research indicates the new entrepreneur center could be under contract by July, after applicant vetting.
The southern middle Tennessee region once had a Tullahoma-based operating nonprofit regional accelerator, which operated only 2015-2016. It offered AutoXlr8r (automotive) and JusticeXL (lawtech) programs.
In the wake of that legacy effort, the resulting southern-middle entrepreneurial gap got scant concerted action until 2022.
While no party in the Tullahoma-Giles County area of southern-middle Tennessee bid in response to the latest LaunchTN RFP, Tullahomans have in the past couple years been advancing plans to create the Arnold Heritage and Innovation Center (AHIC). AHIC report here.
The AHIC initiative is designed to leverage a network anchored by neighboring Arnold Engineering and Development Complex at Arnold Air Force Base, as well as leveraging the adjoining UT Space Institute. Further AEDC.
AHIC advocates say the nonprofit will focus on Defense interests spanning hypersonics, advanced materials, modeling and simulation, green energy technologies, laser tech and applications, and biotech and its applications.
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| Beverly Lee |
The AHIC project's prime mover is Tullahoma-based Beverly Lee, Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Retired), who is chairman of the board of the Tullahoma Area Economic Development Corporation, among multiple other current roles, as described here.
Two years ago, in March 2023 and April 2023, VNC reported on a LaunchTN RFP issued that spring to fill the southern-middle entrepreneurial gap. Stories here and here.
In the interim since then, LaunchTN -- always scouting for partners -- has worked to serve constituents in the region with its own staff and-or by referrals to other entrepreneur centers in its network.
Notably, VNC understands that only this state's regions that have LaunchTN partner entrepreneur centers can directly submit candidates for regional seed-investment allocations.
Five weeks ago, on April 14, LaunchTN announced it had released a request for proposals for the new center, which was described as representing "a welcoming front door for entrepreneurs" in the region.
VNC reporting during the past 20 years suggests that -- particularly if the goal is to advance rapidly scalable companies rather than SMBs or lifestyle businesses -- the greatest set of challenges for entrepreneur centers, particularly in less densely populated areas, is that of establishing deep-enough pools of investment-, business-, venture-, technology- and mentorship-savvy entrepreneurs and advisors with significant track records and collective access to sources of financing.
This story will be updated, as warranted. VNC
.last edited 1200 22 May 2025
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