An important priority for Launch Tennessee, and myself as the new President & CEO, is that we understand and respond to the needs of our stakeholders in every part of the state. Those stakeholders include entrepreneurs, innovators, board members, lawmakers, government, civic, and business leaders, and our network partners like entrepreneur centers, chambers, and incubators. The team has mapped out an ambitious schedule for me to criss-cross the state over the next several weeks and meet with as many stakeholders as possible individually, and in groups. Various members of the LaunchTN team will be present on a rotating basis so that we accomplish multiple goals in each location and optimize the conversations. This endeavor is at its core a listening tour.
We’re planning to discuss information gathered and any findings with the board at our January meeting. The information gathered on the Listening Tour will be best utilized as a mechanism to stay closely engaged with our stakeholders, with a deliberate focus on “statewide” impact.
I look forward to meeting many of you over the next several weeks — and thank you for your support of entrepreneurship in Tennessee.
Listening Tour 2018 Stops
*private event in coordination with community partners
Nov. 27 | Cookeville | RSVP
Nov. 28 | Knoxville | RSVP
Nov. 29 | Kingsport + Johnson City | Small group stakeholder sessions*
Nov. 30 | Oak Ridge | Oak Ridge National Lab*
Dec. 7 | Fayetteville + Tullahoma | TN ECD Three Star Meeting
TBA — Postponed due to weather| Clarksville | Bunker Brews Presents: Women In Business
Dec. 11 | Franklin | Williamson County Economic Development Council*
Dec. 13–15 | Memphis | Small group stakeholder sessions*
Dec. 17 | Jackson | theCO*
Dec. 19 | Chattanooga | RSVP
Jan. 10–11 | Nashville | Small group stakeholder sessions*
More information will become available about public events as they are added. The Listening Tour has an ambitious schedule and we are coordinating with existing partners to help organize public events and roundtables to hear from community stakeholders which can include founders, innovators, civic and business leaders, lawmakers and other interested individuals. Given our tight timeline, not all cities will include a public event, but your input is important to us!
Please click here to share more information about yourself and we will connect you with the right public event (if one is being held in your market), stakeholder meeting, or member of our team for a one-on-one conversation.
