Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Oak Ridge:

ORAU announced Keri Cagle, Ed.D., PMP, as the new ORAU Senior Vice President and Director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), effective immediately. In her new role, Cagle will leverage her vast experience and strategic insight to enhance ORISE’s work in critical scientific research and health initiatives for the U.S. Department of Energy and its laboratory system.

Before her promotion, Cagle served as the Senior Director of Scientific Peer Review for ORISE, where she directed the strategic operations of its multi-million-dollar scientific peer review program. Under her guidance, the program skillfully adapted to shifting landscapes, resulting in notable business expansion and enhanced performance.

“With an impressive 19-year tenure supporting the ORISE contract, Keri steps into her new role with an extensive background in program management, strategic planning and leadership within the scientific and educational sectors,” said Andy Page, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ORAU. “Keri’s profound leadership abilities, coupled with her extensive experience in government contracting and strategic operations, make her an ideal fit for this position. Her visionary approach and dedication to fostering collaborative relationships have consistently propelled our programs to new heights. We are excited to see her lead ORISE into a promising future.”

From Memphis:

Community Equity Partners has announced the opening of its third chapter. Located in Memphis, it has adopted the name of Blues City Angels and is led by Rozell Gray Jr., a Memphis native who has spent his career as an entrepreneur, working in many different industries. He is heavily involved in the small business community, which has aided the growth of Memphis businesses and surrounding areas.

The newest chapter joins Marble City Angels in Knoxville and Music City Angels in Nashville.

From Nashville:

Stuart C. McWhorter, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, has penned an opinion piece that ran recently in The Tennessean, Nashville’s daily newspaper.

In the article that can be found here, the Commissioner writes about a “recent business development trip to Taiwan (where) I found that my conversations with government officials and prospective companies centered around two of the most pressing issues impacting the global economy today: (1) the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI); and (2) the immense power needed to support its growth.

“Taiwan is a key trading partner and ally in the Pacific that plays an essential role in our nation’s global security. While the goal of this trip was in part to strengthen our ties, it also allowed me to witness firsthand the emphasis the country has placed on research and development (R&D) and the vital role it plays in driving innovation and economic expansion.”

McWhorter talks about “the opportunity to tour Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan’s premier technology hub that now houses over 600 companies and 170,000 employees across industries like semiconductors, biotechnology, telecommunications and robotics.” He describes it as “a model of what happens when academia, industry, and R&D work in lockstep to drive technological breakthroughs.”

As we reported on February 11, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee included a number of innovation-related items in his budget recommendation for 2025-26. They included:

1. $25 million to expand the RevV Program to connect private companies with Tennessee’s research institutions to drive research and development and job creation.
2. $10 million for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Funds to match federal funds assisting Tennessee start-ups in securing competitive research and development grants.
3. $50 million to create the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Grant Fund to support Tennessee Valley Authority’s Clinch River Nuclear SMR project to position Tennessee as a leader in next-generation nuclear energy.
4. $20 million for the Federal Grant Matching Fund, to support proposals from Tennessee universities and businesses applying for research funding from federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy.

From across Tennessee and beyond:

As previously reported in teknovation.biz, Patricia Nash, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Knoxville-based Patricia Nash Designs, was another honoree. Three others from Tennessee also made the list. They were:

1. Another Patricia, also from the Knoxville region. In this case, it was Patricia Bible, Owner, CEO, and President of KaTom Restaurant Supply Inc.
2. Lindsay Bertelli, President and Owner of REACH, a Nashville-based agency that describes itself as excelling in experiential marketing, event production, and talent procurement.
3. Rachel Winokur, Founder and CEO of Tailor Care, a Nashville-based company that empowers patients to make the best treatment decisions for their unique joint, back, and muscle pain.

In addition, Megan O’Connor, Co-Founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a Boston-based company, also made the list. She was a participant in the second cohort of the “Innovation Crossroads” program operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

 

---