Spark Innovation Center at the UT Research Park

The Week 4 Rewind ? is here! We're back from our bye-week and have completed a week of programming. Keep it up Sparks! - Day 1 - Jessica Jones from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee with a mindful presentation on competitive strategy. Day 2 - Dr. Angelique exercised, analyzed, and workshopped elevator pitches. Emphasizing the skills to be a masterful orator and representative of your company. Carol Seamons returns to her finance workshop on SG&A and other operating expenses. Day 3 - Drew Boyd virtually attended to introduce how to Think Inside the Box: Building a Culture of Innovation. With thought experiments and concepts to help open up our worlds of thinking. Trinity Frantz, intern of the Spark Innovation Center, presented their findings on the Knoxville area's research facilities and who to contact to utilize. Day 3 Ended with a tour of John Bruck's and Brandon Bruce's new investment at the Innovation Crossroads Founders' Forum at 121 Tech Hub. - The programming of Week 5 returns this Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend Sparks!

What a win for Safire! An incredible total in investment now at $11M to date. Congratulations and cheers to many more victories ????

The Spark Innovation Center is Hiring a Program Manager! Share the word or apply by sending Cover Letter and Resume to [email protected] - The Spark Innovation Center was created to leverage the unique science and technology resources of the region to help high-tech, high-impact startups grow, succeed, and stay in East Tennessee. The Spark Innovation Center is a Cherokee Farm Development Corporation (CFDC) program, headquartered at the UT Research Park in Knoxville, Tennessee.? - https://lnkd.in/etdXngNa

A BIG Congratulations to Andrew Hanna, Chief Product Officer of Safire Technology Group, Inc. for Winning first place in the Fall EPIC Startup Pitch Competition at RE+24. - Safire's work towards cutting-edge technology and confident stage presence has paid of with a generous cash prize from the DOE Office of Environmental Management recognition. The six competing finalists were competitively down-selected from over 30 startups nominated by previous winners in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) program, designed to support energy-focused incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurs.?? - Read more about the success from the original DOE Blog >> > https://lnkd.in/edMvtKZ4 Or from our website >>> https://lnkd.in/eU5feC2t

Awesome collaboration!

We’re proud to support #StartupDay2024, Innov865 Week’s premier event showcasing local startups pitching their innovative ideas. This event is perfect for startups, entrepreneurs, makers, investors, business leaders, students, and community leaders to network with the entrepreneurial community and celebrate City of Knoxville’s thriving ecosystem. ??October 1, 2024 @ 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET ??The Mill and Mine Free Tickets are Still available! https://lnkd.in/e4cVZVrF?

UNREAL! Congratulations Holocene! You all are always shooting nothing short of the stars. We're honored to see you all play a role in creating a better world.

Awesome collaboration. You're going to do great, Lance!

The 3rd week of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator has wrapped up, with a focus on sales, go-to-market strategies, and customer discovery. Next week is a well-deserved break—enjoy the downtime, Sparks! Here’s a recap of this week’s highlights: - Day 1 -?Ashley Roccapriore and John Bruck delivered insightful sessions on go-to-market strategies and refining value propositions. Day 2 -?Carol Seamons led a financial workshop, followed by presentations from Benjamin Nibali on product development and Miles Biggs and Curt Jawdy, PE from Tennessee Valley Authority on innovation priorities and tech collaborations. Day 3 -?John Bruck returned for a deeper dive into go-to-market strategies. We were also treated to a surprise talk from Brandon Bruce of the Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator, followed by Chris McAdoo's energizing session on sales, and a virtual presentation on customer discovery with Micah Kotch from Blackhorn Ventures. - Reminder: No recap next week due to the break. Enjoy the rest, and remember—just 10 weeks until the grand finale! As always, thank you UT Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing and the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm for being generous hosts of our programming ??

The?Spark Cleantech Accelerator?cohort's 13 company CEO's will present their business pitches at the UT Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM Building) and their community! This is a great opportunity to see local tech entrepreneurship in action. Register from the google form link in the Event!