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Weekend edition September 13, 2024 | Katelyn Biefeldt

Register Today: Innov865 week is quickly approaching

Teknovation.biz is proud to support Startup Day 2024, Innov865 Week’s premier event showcasing local startups pitching their innovative ideas.

Startup Day 2024 is around the corner and there is a wealth of events taking place across the city of Knoxville.

What is Innov865 Week?

Innov865 Week is a weeklong celebration of Knoxville’s entrepreneurial spirit that brings together start-ups, entrepreneurs, makers, investors, business leaders, students, and community leaders from across East Tennessee for a week of educational panels, pitch competitions, investor roundtables, and social events. It is presented by the Innov865 Alliance, a coalition that develops, supports, and promotes the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Divided into five tracks, Innov865 Week highlights various elements of the Alliance’s mission to develop, support, and promote the Knoxville region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its collaborative effort to celebrate and showcase Knoxville as a great place for all entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses and increase access to capital. The five tracks include innovator, emerging entrepreneur, maker, investor, and experience 865.

September 27

The Maker City Summit- 5:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Maker Track

The Maker City Summit is back September 27-29 at the Maker Exchange in downtown Knoxville. The theme is “Make it: Grow!”

 September 30

Premier Partner Program: Cohort Showcase-  5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Innovator Track

Join the Knoxville Chamber for a Spark Cleantech Accelerator Cohort Showcase on September 30 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

October 1

Startup Day 2024 – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Innovator Track

At Startup Day, entrepreneurs showcase their local startup to a panel composed of venture capitalists, angel investors and industry leaders. Pitches are followed by a Q&A from the panel about their business and why they chose to grow their company in Knoxville. Cash prizes are awarded through crowd participation, totaling $15,000. Startup Day will also include a short student pitch competition sponsored by the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The student winner will receive $2,500.

Vol Court Fall 2024 – 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm   Emerging Entrepreneur Track

Vol Court is a four-week entrepreneurial speaker series that culminates in a business idea pitch competition. Session Four on Tuesday, October 1, is Pitch Night!

 October 2

Morning Momentum – 9:00 am – 10:00 am – Innovator Track

Morning Momentum is a monthly series designed to connect seasoned business leaders with entrepreneurs experiencing growth challenges.

ACEI Lunch & Learn: Sustainability as a Strategic Initiative – 11:20 am – 12:50 pm   Emerging Entrepreneur Track

Join us for our lunch and learn with Mike Otworth, executive chairman and member of the executive committee for Innventure, on October 2.

Raising Capital in Knoxville: A Look Behind the Curtain – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Investor Track

Join PYA for a panel discussion moderated by Brandon Bruce featuring entrepreneurs who have successfully raised or are raising capital from a Knoxville base.

121 Tech Hub Grand Opening – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm   Innovator Track

Come to the grand opening of 121 Tech Hub, a community and co-working space for tech founders and teams in the heart of the Old City.

 October 3

2024 Endeavor Summit – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – Innovator Track

Knoxville’s annual Endeavor Young Professional Summit motivates the area’s emerging leaders to engage in their community and take ownership of their professional growth.

Raising & Rising 2024 – 10:00 am – 12:00 pm –  Investor Track

Join Knoxville Entrepreneur Center and presenting sponsor, CGI, for Raising & Rising 2024! We’re bringing together investors, industry experts, and local Knoxville companies that are either on the rise or looking to raise some capital, all under the same roof!

Meet The Founders Series – Dani Miller – 10:00 am – 11:00 am   Emerging Entrepreneur Track

Meet the Founder of Lauderdale Design Group, Dani Miller, on October 2! Join us for an open, come-and-go time for UT students, faculty, and staff to meet and network with Dani, and hear her entrepreneurial story of becoming the owner of Lauderdale Design Group.

 October 4

ETEC Weekly Meeting – 7:30 am – 8:30 am – Innovator Track

Join ETEC’s Weekly Meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 4 to hear pitches from the Startup Day winners!

Devmoot 2024 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm –  Innovator Track

Attend Devmoot 2024, a single day, one-track conference dedicated to showcasing the latest trends, innovations, and breakthroughs in the ever-evolving field of software development.

Knox Walls at Emory Place – 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Experience 865 Track

Knox Walls at Emory Place will officially open to the public on October 4, 2024.



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