News & Notes | Pinnacle Business Award nominations being accepted through October 27
Launch Tennessee announces its new Vice President of Marketing.
From Knoxville:
Nominations for the 2025 Pinnacle Business Awards, an initiative of the Knoxville Chamber and presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners, are open now through October 27. The awards celebrate regional business excellence, honoring outstanding professionals in nine categories for their contributions to the greater Knoxville economy. Winners are selected by the Knoxville Chamber Board of Directors. Applicants are nominated by the regional business community and are not required to be Chamber investors.
The categories include:
- Business Excellence in three categories (small, mid-sized, and large);
- Impact;
- Innovator;
- Minority-owned Business Excellence;
- Woman-owned Business Excellence;
- Young Entrepreneur; and
- James A. Haslam II Leadership Award.
The Chamber also recognizes a person for Lifetime Achievement.
To nominate someone, click here.
Another from Knoxville:
Ayyoub Momen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ultrasonic Technology Solutions, and the company have been spotlighted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions. The recognition came via an article published recently titled “From Nature to NASA: How Ultrasonic Technology Solutions Revolutionizes Drying.”
From Kodak:
Carson-Newman University’s Moser Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is hosting a special event in early November focused on those living in Sevier County. It is scheduled for 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. EST November 4 at The Chop House at Exit 407 of I-40. David Ogle of Five Oaks Development Group, one of the largest developers in Sevier County, will be interviewing Doug Swaggerty and Kevin Blalock on their entrepreneurial journeys. This in-person event will be a great opportunity to network and learn more about what the Moser Center has to offer. A complimentary lunch will be served.
To register, click here.
From Nashville:
Veteran marketing executive Rory Levine has joined the Launch Tennessee team as Vice President of Marketing, serving as strategist, creative developer, and leader of all the organization’s brand-related initiatives.
“Rory brings a deep understanding of marketing strategy and a wealth of leadership experience that will benefit our team,” said Lindsey Cox, Launch Tennessee CEO. “His expertise in producing high-impact live events will benefit our organization as we look to expand events like our entrepreneur conference, 3686.”
Most recently, Levine served as Vice President, Marketing and Digital Strategy and Engagement at the Academy of Country Music, the powerhouse trade organization, at a major moment of transformation and growth, including making history as the first major awards show to move to streaming exclusively.
Another from Nashville:
Speaking of Launch Tennessee, it is one of 49 recipients of grants of up to $200,000 each to support start-ups through specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance under the Small Business Administration’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. According to the SBA news release, FAST’s objective is to improve outcomes for underserved communities by increasing participation from woman-owned, rural-based, or socially or economically disadvantaged small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are known as America’s Seed Fund.
From Albuquerque, NM but with Oak Ridge Ties:
Kairos Power, a leading advanced reactor developer, broke ground today on a Salt Production Facility to be constructed at the company’s newly dedicated Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility will produce high-purity, molten salt coolant for Kairos Power advanced reactors, starting with the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor in Oak Ridge.
The Salt Production Facility is one of three projects receiving support from the City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico via economic incentives approved in September. The project will also use funding from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program to supplement Kairos Power’s substantial private investment.
From Maryville:
Shannon Bryant with the Sky City Entrepreneur Center advised us that the organization had actually licensed the “Starting Your Business 101″ course from the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC), not collaborating with KEC on the delivery. “We are licensing that curriculum from them and offering it on our own,” she explained. Apologies for the error.
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