The Maker City

✨ What can you expect at The Maker City Summit 2026? Big ideas, bold speakers, and a celebration of 10 years of Knoxville’s creative community. 🎉 From inspiring keynotes, in-depth breakout sessions, and fun extras, it's a weekend built for makers of all kinds. 🎟 Early Bird tickets are on sale now! Hit the link below to get all the details! https://lnkd.in/g88KZ-qg

We are thrilled to announce Casey Fox is one of the new members of the Mayor's Maker Council! Casey Fox came to the Arts & Culture Alliance from the Big Ears Festival, where she planned, organized, and directed the organization’s fundraising activities and VIP festival experiences. Prior to Big Ears, she served as Director of Advancement for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Libraries and Library Fund Development Manager at the Knox County Public Library. In 2016 she was managing director for the Knoxville Stomp Festival of Lost Music. Fox is the 2024 YWCA Tribute to Women Arts and Culture honoree and was member of the Knoxville 40 Under 40 class of 2017. She has previously served as chair of the Knoxville History Project board of directors and as a Knoxville Historic Zoning commissioner, and she is a grant review panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. Fox’s photography has appeared in both solo and group exhibitions in Knoxville, TN; Molina, GA; and Forli, Italy. She has a BA in history from Tennessee Tech and an MLIS from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Mark your calendar for The Maker City's Summit Soirée & 10 Year Celebration at Able Trade! 📅 Friday, January 30, 2026 We’re inviting all makers to gather at a local maker space to swap stories, reflect how far we’ve come, and look ahead to what’s next for our community. This event is open to all community members, no registration required! https://lnkd.in/eXVeBuA7

Join us for the 2026 Summit in Downtown Knoxville! For a whole decade, makers, dreamers, and doers have been coming together at The Maker City Summit to build businesses, spark ideas, and cheer each other on. This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of Making Space: space for creativity, for community, and for the next big thing. Through speakers, workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, you'll learn how to scale your business, attract customers, and build a sustainable brand. ⬇️ Meet the speakers, read the session details and get your tickets! https://lnkd.in/eXVeBuA7

Melissa Centers's breakout session during The Maker City Summit, "AI: Where Intellectual property and creative worlds collide" is happening on Saturday, January 31st. As AI tools become more common in the creative process, new questions emerge: Who owns the work? What rights do makers retain? This session unpacks the intersection of technology, law, and artistry, offering clarity in a fast-changing landscape. Melissa Centers is a board member, business consultant, and attorney who provides integrated strategic advice and support to boards of directors, founders, and companies of all sizes. Before entering private practice, Melissa was the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at State Auto Insurance. Melissa was also the legal advisor and served on the board of directors for a $25 million insurtech-focused venture capital fund. Learn from Melissa and all of the facilitators lined-up for the 2026 Maker City Summit! Early bird tickets are available now. https://lnkd.in/euZyRArk

At The Maker City Summit, Halee Sprinkle of Czech Yourself Marketing will help us explore when AI tools can boost your content game, save you time, and spark creativity—and when to skip the bot and show up human. Czech Yourself Marketing is a creative consultancy that helps makers, small businesses, and nonprofits make sense of marketing—without the overwhelm. From social media strategy to content planning and customized trainings, we blend big-brand thinking with small biz heart. Save when you buy your Early Bird ticket to #TheMakerCitySummit this week! Check out the full schedule on our website: https://lnkd.in/eJ_q-sGi

Trends move fast. But makers don’t just follow them, they help shape them. Jade Pacifico's breakout session during The Maker City Summit digs into the forces driving today’s creative industries and offers practical insights on spotting what’s rising, what’s fading, and where to focus your energy. Jade Pacifico is the owner of Oglewood Avenue, North Knoxville’s beloved plant shop she founded in 2020 after discovering the healing power of plants during the pandemic. A Nashville native and UTK graduate with a degree in microbiology and chemistry, Jade quickly turned her personal passion into a thriving business that became the city’s first shop of its kind. Alongside her husband, Dylan, Jade is now expanding her entrepreneurial vision with two new ventures at Emory Place: Mother Shop, a curated lifestyle and gift store, and Mother Bar, a wine bar designed as a community gathering space surrounded by plants. Check out Mother Bar to see all of the fun events planned for opening week! #TheMakerCity #TheMakerCitySummit #Knoxville

As a seasoned senior level global executive Ann Buckingham excels at setting strategic direction, leading high-performing teams, and fostering a culture of inclusion and high-energy engagement. She is joining us for The Maker City Summit on Sunday, February 1st to lead the "Leverage Licensing to Turn Creativity into Opportunity" breakout session! Ann Buckingham is a highly accomplished consumer products executive with 25+ years of experience driving transformative growth for leading global brands. A Marquette University graduate, Ann possesses a unique blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and collaborative leadership, consistently delivering exceptional results in brand & category management, licensing & partnerships, manufacturing/supply chain and omni-channel retail. We are looking forward to hearing from Ann! Check out the full list of speakers and purchase your EARLY BIRD tickets today. https://lnkd.in/eXVeBuA7

Your business structure shapes everything from daily operations to long-term success. During Eboni and Frank James' breakout session during The Maker City Summit, learn how to weigh the pros and cons of different models, avoid common mistakes, and set up your creative business with clarity and confidence.    Eboni and Frank James are the dynamic duo behind Command & Counsel, a boutique consulting firm empowering small businesses to scale smartly, lead boldly, and operate with confidence. Eboni James is a seasoned attorney and business strategist with a sharp mind for contracts, compliance, and organizational growth. She currently serves as Litigation and Safety Counsel at Lyft Inc., where she leads complex legal strategy across high-risk matters.  Frank James III, SHRM-CP brings over a decade of experience in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Organizational Development — both as a U.S. Army Captain and in the private sector.  Discover the full list of speakers and secure your early bird ticket today! https://lnkd.in/eXVeBuA7

Marcus Blair is leading the breakout discussion - AI and the Maker’s Dilemma: Rumors, Work, & Realities during The Maker City Summit 2026. AI is reshaping the world around us, and makers are right to ask hard questions. On Sunday, February 1st during The Summit, we’ll sort through the rumors, talk honestly about the challenges, and share how AI will lighten the load of business tasks so there’s more room for creativity. Marcus Blair brings over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, process improvement, AI implementation, automation, and business intelligence, building custom solutions that connect disparate data and drive efficiency. He is a recognized community contributor and mentor at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, and regularly shares insights on LinkedIn. His business Omega Business Solutions works with tools like Salesforce, Shopify, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and the Microsoft Power Platform Community, and emphasizes private AI deployments to protect data and avoid vendor lock-in.