Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Johnson City:

The East Tennessee State University Research Corporation has named Jon Wood as its new Chief Intellectual Property (IP) Officer.

Wood holds multiple degrees, including a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a master’s degree in organic chemistry from the University of Alabama. An intellectual property attorney, Wood has been a board member of the National Investors Hall of Fame since 2008.

“We are thrilled to have Jon join us in this role,” said David Golden, Chief Executive Officer of the ETSU Research Corporation. “Jon is an internationally recognized innovator with deep IP and strategy development experience across many sectors. He is a gifted educator and negotiator. His thought leadership and wisdom will be extremely beneficial as we continue to grow the impact of the Research Corporation on our campus, the region, and beyond.”

From Oak Ridge and Tullahoma:

Credit unions in these two Tennessee cities are among more than 100 nationwide that have come together to create Curql Fund II to collectively invest in fintech start-ups. The two are the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge and Ascend Federal Credit Union that is headquartered in Tullahoma.

According to a recent article in VCWire, they are members of Des Moines, IA-based Curql Collective that has raised more than $200 million in investment commitments from the 100+ credit unions. Fund II, which brings the total combined to more than $450 million, aims to empower credit unions to remain at the forefront of the financial services industry by unlocking access to transformative fintech solutions.

From Chattanooga:

1. SmartDrone Corporation of Tyler, TX, has announced the acquisition of the drone operations of Skytec LLC, a Chattanooga-based leader in remote sensing and GIS technology. This acquisition allows SmartDrone to expand its UAV service offerings while continuing to support Skytec’s clients with high-precision aerial data collection across industries, including landsurveying, construction, and environmental management. Skytec, founded in 2015, has built a reputation for excellence in geospatial technology, combining satellite imagery, drone platforms, and GIS expertise to deliver scalable, high-resolution data solutions. “Skytec is growing , and this allows us to focus on our core strengths in geospatial data analysis and satellite-based monitoring while ensuring our clients continue to receive the high-quality UAV services they rely on,” said Bill Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Skytec. “SmartDrone’s expertise and market reach make them an ideal partner to support our mission.”
2. Outgoing University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Chancellor Steven R. Angle and Gary W. Rollins College of Business Dean Robert Dooley, who will assume the role of Interim Chancellor beginning January 1, 2025, have announced an important leadership reversal. Kim White, the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director of the UC Foundation, has agreed to continue as Vice Chancellor to ensure the continuity of UTC fundraising efforts at this critical time. She previously decided to transition into a new role in 2025, but will remain in her role until a new UTC Chancellor is named.

From Oak Ridge:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was a recipient of one of 14 awards announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy that will accelerate critical materials innovation while promoting safe, sustainable, economic, and efficient solutions to meet current and future supply chain needs. The projects, which span 11 states, are strengthening and streamlining manufacturing for high-impact components and technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, magnets for high-efficiency motors, high-performance lithium-ion batteries, and high-yield low-defect power electronics. The ORNL project, funded at $1 million, was designed to improve unit operations of processing and manufacturing of critical materials.

From Clarksville:

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at Austin Peay State University has announced Dave Dessauer as its new Director, effective December 1. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as the Career Readiness Coach for the College of Business at Austin Peay and Director of Leadership and Development at the University of Texas at Austin.

In his previous role at Austin Peay, Dessauer was instrumental in helping hundreds of students prepare for successful business careers through one-on-one mentoring sessions, professional development workshops, and curated programming. His breadth of experience, paired with his certificate in executive and professional coaching, will serve him well in supporting the region’s small business community.

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