INNOVATE® Nashville

Innovations of the World

INNOVATE® Nashville

Nashville – Music City, the capital city of the state of Tennessee is rightfully known as the hometown of country music, the birthplace of bluegrass, and the city with the highest concentration of music industry establishments in the nation, celebrating four times more music industry employment than any other US city.

But it’s that and MUCH more! Recently voted as the 11th best place to start a business in the USA, Nashville is a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. It has a thriving retail, automotive, and healthcare industry, and a growing tech hub, with notable organizations like Amazon, Oracle, and Facebook investing in the city.

This city, rich in history, culture, and entertainment just topped the list of the Wall Street Journal’s 2022 hottest job markets. Developments in connectivity, infrastructure and transportation will ensure that Nashville remains one of the best cities in the US to live, work, and play.

INNOVATE® Nashville showcases and profiles the innovators and innovation enablers that are contributing to the dynamic innovation ecosystem drawing talent, industry and investment to the city.

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Innovators

Featured Innovators

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ADVANCING REGIONAL PROSPERITY THROUGH INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT PARTNERSHIP 2030 The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership 2030 is the Nashville region’s public-private economic development initiative dedicated to Middle Tennessee’s long-term economic prosperity. The Partnership was formed in 1990 to maintain and grow the Nashville region’s economy by creating jobs through relocating and expanding businesses, attracting and...

DALTON GETS PEOPLE

DALTON GETS PEOPLE- AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

Since 1989, truly understanding people has been a unique trait of Dalton – a leading advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency with offices across the Southeast, in Nashville, Atlanta and Jacksonville. On every project, Dalton digs deep to uncover the insights and human truths that get to the emotional...

QUORE

QUORE

Is a hospitality technology company dedicated to revolutionizing how hotels operate worldwide

During your last hotel stay, if your room was clean, the in-room appliances were fully functioning and your request for extra towels was addressed quickly then that hotel was probably using Quore. Our cloud-based operations app supports hotel staff in their day-to-day for better guest experiences, which means smarter teams...

Hackathons International

Where ideas are put into action!

Many of us have ideas, but how many of us have actually tried to make their ideas a reality? While often seen as tech events for coders, Hackathons offers tremendous value – more than meets the eye. Hackathons are a framework used by CEOs, educators, community leaders, and marketers across...

Snapshot

We bring clarity to complexity, and creativity to business goals.

In a small office tucked away in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood, Snapshot’s modest beginnings started as a video production company. At the time, Nashville had plenty of production houses producing great video, and a handful of large agencies infusing strategy into high-budget campaigns. But our founders saw a gap...

JULIE LILLISTON COMMUNICATIONS

WHEN INNOVATION MEETS EXPERTISE

Julie Lilliston Communications Shapes the Future of PR. When Julie Lilliston founded Julie Lilliston Communications in 2014, she envisioned more than just another public relations firm. Drawing from more than two decades of corporate communications expertise at global agencies Weber Shandwick and MSL Group, she set out to revolutionize how...

FreightWise

Bringing transportation technology and supply chain solutions to SMB and midmarket businesses.

FOUNDED IN 2015 IN BRENTWOOD, TN, FREIGHTWISE HAS BECOME A TRUSTED PARTNER FOR ITS CUSTOMERS, PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION EXPERTISE AND TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE EFFICIENCY AND INNOVATION FOR BUSINESSES. Agile transportation technology and solutions FreightWise offers flexible Transportation Management System (TMS) technology to SMB and mid-market businesses through FreightWise TMS and Kuebix...

HCA HEALTHCARE

How HCA healthcare uses data science to learn, test and deploy solutions to improve patient care

When HCA Healthcare was founded in 1968, we set out to be a different kind of healthcare system. We strived to harness the combined expertise and resources of multiple hospitals to help our frontline caregivers provide high-quality, patient-focused care in a way no single hospital could do alone. Today, that...

AllianceBernstein

Focused on Expanding our Talent Pipeline through Strategic Relationship

AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm, offering diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. In 2018, AB announced its relocation from Midtown Manhattan to Nashville, Tennessee, creating 1,000 high-paying jobs. During that process, AB recognized the strength of the...

LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY

INSPIRING INNOVATION AROUND AN ENDURING PURPOSE

What never changes: Christ-centeredness and transformative experiences.What drives change: Curiosity and courage. For more than 134 years, Lipscomb University has been a Christ-centered academic institution rooted in purpose-driven education. Located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, Lipscomb is one of the few institutions in the nation offering educational pathways from...

GENERAL MOTORS SPRING HILL

FROM FIXED TO FLEXIBLE

The Rise of Adaptive Manufacturing Systems The future of mobility isn’t on the horizon. It’s unfolding around us, reshaping how vehicles are designed, powered, and produced. Electric vehicles are gaining market share, autonomous technology is being deployed, supply chains are being rebuilt, and new technologies are reshaping manufacturing. In this...

Tyler York

Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same.

“Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same” – this was the vision of Founder and CEO Charlie Peterson when launching Tyler York Real Estate Brokers at the beginning of 2018. After a meteoric rise in Nashville real estate beginning in 2013, Charlie quickly...

Care Sherpa

Bridging the Gap Between Interest and Action

Transforming how healthcare organizations connect, convert, and grow. In the heart of Nashville’s thriving healthcare innovation scene, Care Sherpa is making a measurable difference—both in patient access and in how healthcare organizations grow. Founded by CEO Jessica Walker, Care Sherpa was built to solve one of the industry’s most persistent...

KENNIE PLAYHOUSE THEATRE

IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY ONE PLAY AT A TIME

Let a theatrical play be the way that immerses you in storytelling so powerful, it will live with you forever. Kennie Playhouse Theatre (KPT) is one of the city’s hidden jewels, a thriving artistic hub that brings dynamic, thought-provoking, and spirit-lifting stories to the stage for everyone to enjoy. From...

MobiusAI

Equipping Fleets for the Next Generation of Mobility

In the transportation industry every extra minute and every extra mile eats away at a fleet’s profit. MobiusAI is helping fleets operate at their best. The industry struggles with inefficient planning, outdated software, and razor-thin margins, but Mobius is using AI to empower fleets for excellence. From Research to Real-World...

SUPERWISE

AI That Works for the Real World

SUPERWISE® is leading the next evolution in AI – making intelligent technology work for real-world industries, not just research labs. With practical, scalable, and low-friction tools, SUPERWISE empowers organizations to use AI to increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and transform how work gets done – from the executive suite to the...

GO WEST CREATIVE

Go West isn’t a Direction… it’s a state of mind…and that state of mind is filled with Curiosity & Innovation!

Go West Creative. We think about things differently. Not just some things, all things. You see, our company has never seen the word NO as an absolute. There is always a why behind the NO and we want to know why? What went wrong before? What didn’t work? Why NO?...

INTERAWORKS

INTERAWORKS-IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR THE FUTURE@WORK?

IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR THE FUTURE@WORK?

InteraWorks is an answer to how companies and their employees can elevate the human experience at work, leading to higher performance and new models of leadership, learning, and culture.   The world has changed, and it is time that companies realize that people absolutely must come first. Their capacity and...

InPaceline

Riding Alongside Entrepreneurs

“You are the most qualified person to help the person you used to be.” This belief is the foundation of InPaceline, a venture studio model built by Clay Banks, a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor, and endurance athlete. After years of scaling mountains – both literal and entrepreneurial – Banks is...

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center -Improving human health through next-generation antibody science

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center (VVC) was founded in 2004, with James E. Crowe, Jr, M.D. as director. The mission of this internationally recognized biomedical research and development team is to transform infectious disease prevention approaches using instant immunity achieved by use of naturally occurring molecules form the human immune system...

Holland & Knight

Service Without Boundaries

Founded in 1889, Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 35 offices throughout the world. The Firm’s lawyers provide representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with efficient access to...

SOUNDSTRIPE

WHERE MUSIC MEETS MOMENTUM

Soundstripe makes it easier for creators to find music that moves—and for artists to make a living doing what they love. Born in Nashville and built by musicians who know the grind, Soundstripe is more than just a licensing platform—it’s a growing music library of tens of thousands of tracks...

EXTREMIS

ON THE SPECTRUM

“Imagine a world where everything that can be connected will be connected – where driverless cars talk to smart transportation networks and where sensors can monitor your health and transmit data to your doctor. That’s a snapshot of what the 5g world will look like.” – Ajit Pai, Former FCC...

Signature Transportation Services

Because the Experience Matters

Founded in January 2001, Signature Transportation Services – originally known as Nashville Livery, Inc. – has become synonymous with luxury, professionalism, and reliability. From its beginnings on Music Row, the company has grown into Nashville’s premier limousine and chauffeured transportation provider, now operating nationwide through an extensive affiliate network. “We’re...

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The Publisher

Glen Edwards

Glen Edwards was born and raised in Philadelphia. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University and served in the United States Marine Corps Services. For the next 10 years, Glen worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Philadelphia, counseling underprivileged children in North and West Philadelphia. In 1983, Glen left the court and went to work... click to read more

The Publisher

Glen Edwards

Glen Edwards was born and raised in Philadelphia. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University and served in the United States Marine Corps Services. For the next 10 years, Glen worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Philadelphia, counseling underprivileged children in North and West Philadelphia. In 1983, Glen left the court and went to work... click to read more

Other Ecosystems