Charlie BrockThanks to the energy, ideas and commitment of many people across our state, Tennessee is establishing itself as a haven for entrepreneurs. Here’s my 10-point wish list to build on this momentum in 2014:
• 1. A direct flight to San Francisco. Tennessee’s capital must be connected to the center of the startup universe – Silicon Valley – which is why a direct flight to San Francisco is vital. The good news is that the Tennessee Department of Economic Community Development, Nashville Chamber, Mayor (Karl) Dean’s office, Metro Nashville Airport Authority and other organizations are working on this problem, including circulating an online petition that calls for a non-stop BNA/SFO flight, which you can find at bna2bay.com.
• 2. More mentors in Tennessee’s startup accelerators. Tennessee is thriving with a network of nine startup accelerators – the only network of its kind in the nation. But these accelerators need volunteer mentors to fulfill their mission. We need more: 1) successful entrepreneurs who can share lessons from their journey, 2) industry experts to vet business concepts and open doors and 3) consultants, such as attorneys, accountants and marketing professionals to share industry specific knowledge.
• 3. A blockbuster 2014 Southland conference. Our first Southland tech conference in 2013 was a huge success, and there is more in store for 2014. We’ve partnered with Silicon Valley news site PandoDaily, which will enable us to attract more nationally renowned tech leaders and investors as speakers.
• 4. Deeper connections between Tennessee’s leading corporations and startup companies. Several of our state’s major companies – such as HCA, FedEx, Eastman Chemical, Scripps Networks, BlueCross Blue Shield, First Tennessee Bank and Nissan North America – have discovered the benefits of engaging with the entrepreneurial community. We need more of this. It makes a huge difference to a startup’s success – and allows corporations to tap into the excitement and ideas coming out of the startup community.