Meet the100Knoxville Winter 2022 cohort
Contact:
Catherine Porth, Director of Insights & Development
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October 25, 2022, KNOXVILLE, TN
Knoxville Entrepreneur Center announces 100Knoxville Fall 2022 cohort,
supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) is excited to announce the sixth cohort of 100Knoxville founders. Five founders have been matched with an all-star team of mentors for a 5-week sprint that kicks off in October of 2022 to clarify strategy, make connections across the entrepreneurial community, improve operations, and, most importantly, increase sales. “The 100Knox initiative exposed me to the larger network of the KEC which then helped open doors to resources and opportunities. Participating in activities that caused me to deep dive in my customer development process was vital to ThinkUp's maturation. Trust the process, ask questions, then work.” said Douglas Mapp, 100Knoxville alum and founder of Think Up.
Meet the founders and their mentors:
Tonya M Hairston - Hairston's Naturals, LLC , paired with mentor Jade Adams
Tonya Hairston is a Master Herbalist and Holistic Health Practitioner with 20 years of experience in the dermatology industry. Hairston's Naturals is a 100% organic, natural, and handmade solution for issues such as alopecia, eczema, psoriasis, and more.
Nicholas Sokol - Algaeo, paired with mentor Rob Cochran
Algaeo is building the Algaeverse! Through the use of adaptable caps, our technology turns any single use plastic bottle into an algae bioreactor. Algaeo's goal is to promote the growth, use, and enhancement of Algae and its related markets. Our ultimate vision is to make algae a primary use ingredient for food, fertilizer, energy, and carbon sequestration to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Ty Roberts - Gennisi Birth Services, paired with mentor Dr. Angelique Adams
Gennisi Birth Services is a certified birth and postpartum doula who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to expectant, laboring, and postpartum parents.
Melanie Bell - Bell Leotards, paired with mentor Damon Rawls
Bell Leotards mission is to provide gymnasts with fun, comfortable and stylish competition leotards and practice wear. Bell Leotards is in Melanie’s words “one big party” for all the bold, bright, fierce, wild, super talented gymnasts that shine in the world.
Nicolas Fletcher - Man Of My Hustle Clothing Company, paired with mentor Jarius Bush
Man Of My Hustle was created to establish, stimulate, and motivate our next business man, woman, or child, and to bring awareness for creating opportunities to generate a better state of mind and culture in our communities. Our brand wants to break the chains of living paycheck to paycheck and to celebrate the hustle of making our daily lives better for the next generation.
Each company will also receive $5,000 towards growing their business thanks to our partner, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “ORNL’s success is connected to the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in East Tennessee,” said Susan Hubbard, deputy for science and technology at ORNL. “We’re supporting 100Knoxville because we understand how access to expertise and mentorship can help new businesses and entrepreneurs flourish.” Hubbard oversees the lab’s partnerships in technology transfer, economic development and strategic partnerships.
To apply for the next cohort, or to support 100Knoxville, please visit 100knoxville.com.
Assets:
100Knoxville high resolution logo
Knoxville Entrepreneur Center logo
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About 100Knoxville
100Knoxville is a program dedicated to helping Black-owned businesses in Knoxville grow by $10,000,000 in 5 years through investment of time and talent, and access to social, political, and financial capital. Each cohort is facilitated by strategist & business consultant Kandis Troutman. Learn more at 100knoxville.com.
About Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
Knoxville Entrepreneur Center is a business accelerator located in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, dedicated to changing lives through entrepreneurship.. Our mission is to create a thriving entrepreneurial community that is accessible, diverse, and sustainable to make Knoxville the most founder-friendly city in America. Learn more at www.knoxec.com.
About ORNL
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the world’s premier research institution, empowering leaders and teams to pursue breakthroughs in an environment marked by operational excellence and engagement with the communities where we live and work. UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science
