Knoxville Entrepreneur Center

KEC Mentor for The Works 2025, Ann Buckingham is one of the incredible speakers lined up to speak at the 2026 Maker City Summit, happening January 30-February 1 in downtown Knoxville. "I’m honored to join The Maker City Summit and connect with Knoxville’s incredible community of makers, dreamers, and doers. Entrepreneurship is about resilience, curiosity, and collaboration — all of which thrive right here." - Ann Buckingham, AMBC International Save when you get your ticket today! Prices go up after Halloween. https://lnkd.in/eQ3mJ7tt The Maker City LaunchTN #KnoxvilleTN #KnoxRocks

Join us for "Yes-Worthy Loans: Learn To Write Strong Applications," a free Lunch & Learn hosted by FirstBank on Tuesday, October 28 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at 5537 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn: ✅ What lenders really look for in applications ✅ The must-have financial documents and details ✅ Red flags that lead to denials ✅ How to strengthen key sections of your application ✅ What steps to take next — whether you're ready now or just planning ahead Lunch is on us, and you'll leave with tools you can use immediately. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g4HVTK3B

Join us on tomorrow, Tuesday, October 14th at KEC for a morning of authentic connection, reflection, and exchange at The Exchange Table. Guided by Bonnie Casamassima, we’ll begin with a grounding moment of intention to center ourselves and set the tone for open, meaningful conversation. From there, Women in Entrepreneurship Knoxville Admins Halee Sprinkle, Delaney Boyd Lawson and Allyson Hughes Virden will help us dive into two powerful prompts: What’s working well in my business right now? Where do I need advice or fresh perspective? WiE starts at 9 am! Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/e-kjDu6G

Applications Open for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's 2026 Cohort of Innovation Crossroads! Innovation Crossroads is a two-year fellowship program that focuses on energy and advanced manufacturing technologies. Through an annual national call and competitive stage-gate process, top entrepreneurial-minded fellows are selected to join the program. The program leverages Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) unique scientific resources and capabilities and connects the nation’s top innovators with experts, mentors, and networks in technology-related fields to take world-changing ideas from R&D to the marketplace. Applications Close November 7th. Learn more:   https://lnkd.in/dudqnTp

Stumped in your business? Looking for some guidance from some trusted professionals? Applications are open to be a mentee in the KEC Mentor Network. Over 25 mentors covering topics like marketing, business systems, public speaking, accounting, legal, and more are ready to meet with entrepreneurs like you to assist in your journey forward! https://lnkd.in/eAfYRdq9

We had a terrific time celebrating the East Tennessee companies that made the Inc. 5000 list during Growth and Growth at Covenant Health Park! This year, 18 companies from the Knoxville region earned a spot on the list – representing industries as varied as technology, healthcare, construction, hospitality, and logistics. Together, they showcase the innovation, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that define East Tennessee. BIG thank you to our event sponsors, Insperity and The Club at Five Oaks, for helping to make this event possible. To make the evening even better, One Knox SC won!! https://lnkd.in/eZ3Nw7Yf Photos By: Holly Rainey

Whether you’re running a café, food truck, restaurant, or catering business, Real Good Kitchen Foundation's upcoming workshop will help you move from guessing to growing! 📝 Making the Most of Your POS: Using Reports to Grow Your Food Business 📆 Monday, October 27 · 5 - 8pm EDT 📍 Pellissippi State Community College: Magnolia Avenue Campus During this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to access, interpret, and apply insights from: Sales Overview Reports – spot trends and track overall performance Menu Performance Reports – identify your most profitable (and least profitable) items Customer Insights – understand buying patterns and loyalty drivers Industry Comparisons – benchmark your business against the competition Led by advisors from Pathway Learn, registration is $15. Learn more and sign-up at: https://lnkd.in/eMEmyke3

Early Bird tickets for The Maker City Summit are available now! The Maker City Summit 2026 is a full weekend of workshops, powerful presentations, and meaningful networking. There is a social event on Friday, January 30th at Able Trade. Main programming will take place on Saturday, January 31 - Sunday, February 1, at Maker Exchange Knox in Downtown Knoxville, TN. https://lnkd.in/eXVeBuA7 #TheMakerCity

The next Founder Friday led by Haseeb Qureshi at the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Tennessee is happening Friday, October 10th!

Boost your sales game by dialing up your strategies. Sherry Dial, MBA of Dial Services, LLC is leading a Sales Workshop on October 16th at the Shora Foundation! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eGskE4T3