Five years after first visiting Chattanooga to promote startup businesses with his Rise of the Rest conference, AOL founder Steve Case is returning to the city to help the Company Lab kick off its new initiative to promote sustainable mobility in May.
Case is among a number of speakers, including U.S. Xpress CEO Eric Fuller, former Volkswagen executive Johan de Nysschen and Mina Sartipi of the UTC Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, who will be featured in the three-day conference focused on the equitable movement of people, goods, energy and data.
The event is designed to explore the latest trends, innovations and challenges in how the world moves and consumes energy, and will help launch CO.LAB's newest accelerator, which will begin this year with at least 10 participating businesses and entrepreneurs.
Similar to other accelerator and GIGTank programs that CO.LAB has sponsored in the past on everything from health technology to 3D printing, the accelerator program provides entrepreneurs with connections and access to talent, training and mentorship during the program and will include a pitch event at the end of the 12-week program. As a catalyst for Chattanooga's growing startup culture, CO.LAB is also working on developing and providing seed and startup capital for new and emerging businesses.
"With our new sustainable mobility program, CO.LAB and Chattanooga will once again be front and center supporting startups who are building the innovative companies of tomorrow," CO.LAB founder and Chairman Charlie Brock said in an announcement of the new initiative. "Our accelerator participants will have access to multiple technology platforms along with capital, mentorship, talent and pilot customers."
The summit will take place from May 9-11 and offer attendees the chance to learn about the latest advancements in electric and autonomous vehicles, smart city innovations, freight and logistics technology, and Quantum technology.
With two tracks, the summit provides comprehensive coverage of the industry, from current and future technological innovations to the economic and social impacts of these developments.
Case "is a visionary entrepreneur and investor who has been at the forefront of shaping the startup ecosystem across the country, and we are honored to have him share his insights with our attendees," Tasia Malakasis, CEO of CO.LAB, said in a news release.
"If you're passionate about the future of sustainable mobility, the CO.MOBILITY Summit is an event you cannot afford to miss," Malakasis said.
More information about the conference and registration information is available at https://colab.co/mobility-summit/.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak / Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chairman of the Case Foundation, attends in 2011 the launch of "Startup America," a national campaign promoting entrepreneurship with new initiatives to encourage private sector investment in job-creating startups and small firms, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across from the White House in Washington.