The Knoxville Chamber’s first “Morning Momentum” is in the books
The Knoxville Chamber is looking for more start-up companies to sign up for the Morning Momentum series.
For the first-ever Morning Momentum, organized by the Knoxville Chamber, a couple dozen business leaders across the Knoxville area joined to support local entrepreneurs. Some represented marketing and content creation agencies, whereas others represented banks, accounting firms, and law offices.
Brandon Bruce, the Co-Founder and one of the General Partners of Market Square Ventures moderated the discussion.
“The purpose of events like this is to not only encourage advice but to also encourage the Knoxville area to support and buy goods and services from our Knoxville area entrepreneurs,” he said.
First up to the stage was Nicholas Sokol, who has been pursuing a start-up called Algaeo for the last few years. He is a past participant of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator at the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farms and a current participant of Innovation Crossroads at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Sokol develops hardware for farmers, gardeners, or producers to grow microorganisms on-site. Sokol’s research shows that algae can have the same benefits as synthetic fertilizers, which can cost producers thousands of dollars each year and are bad for the environment.
Right now, Sokol explained that his biggest hurdle is marketing the product and connecting with the right organizations.
“I have been connecting with local gardening influencers or farmer influencers to promote Algaeo online,” Sokol said. “The process leans heavily on word of mouth and it’s taking a lot of my time and resources.”
He wants to grow his two-person, garage operation into a fully-fledged laboratory with a pipeline for hardware production.
After Sokol explained his pain points, the business leaders jumped in with some suggestions.
“YouTube is going to be your best plan of action for marketing. It is the backdoor for search engine optimization (SEO),” said Justin Li, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Qore Performance.
Others suggested partnerships with local city, state, and private parks to increase awareness and revenue. Why? Because those places may be more likely to switch away from fertilizer if they can save time, and money, and increase the yield of their flowers and landscaping.
The next entrepreneur on stage was Keniya LeChelle, the Founder and Owner of Vicious Beauty. She is a licensed cosmetologist who specializes in women’s hair. She shared how her services vary from extensions to dye, and just about everything in between.
“My biggest struggle right now is finding consistent clients and showcasing all the services I can provide,” LeChelle said.
The suggestions from business leaders included increasing the awareness on Google and increasing the number of referrals.
A great bit of advice came from Ashleigh Christian, who recommended LeChelle put clients on the calendar for their next appointment before they leave her shop. It would help with the flow and consistency of clientele.
The Knoxville Chamber is looking for more start-up companies to sign up for the Morning Momentum series. If you are interested, click here.
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