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

THE TABLE

THE TABLE-TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

A new membership organization started in Nashville is growing rapidly. The Table is resonating with the business community because the goal is bold – to make Nashville the model city for equity and inclusiveness by taking action to create opportunities to grow prosperity for people of color. Started in October...

MEMBERS HEALTH CO

DOCTOR LED PROACTIVE HEALTH & WELLNESS DESIGNED TO SAVE MONEY, TIME, & IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES

The Future of Healthcare is Here At Members Health Co, we believe the future of healthcare looks a lot like its past — when your neighborhood doctor truly knew you, advocated for you, and focused on prevention, not billing codes. By removing the middlemen and restoring direct doctor-patient relationships, we...

Nxt Level

Is A Recruiting Agency For Some Of The Biggest Names In Gaming And Technology

Nxt Level understands that companies struggle with finding and hiring the right team members to create growth. Our recruiting company views things differently. Our goal is to replace the mountain of resumes with a short list of the right people aligned with your job requirements, culture, and values. The entrepreneurial...

S3 RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN BUSINESS AND CULTURE

S3 Recycling Solutions provides businesses with a hassle-free way to responsibly and safely manage their excess electronics. Headquartered in Springfield, Tenn., with a new location in California, S3 is an award-winning, R2v3-certified technology recycling firm that provides tailored e-waste solutions to customers across North America. S3’s core business is to...

MINDFUL

MINDFUL-Add kindness to your tech stack

Add kindness to your tech stack.

Revitalizing a 25-year-old software company is no small task, but can be a pathway towards innovation and compelling value creation for employees, customers, and investors. That’s the story of Mindful, a contact center software company that relocated to Nashville in 2018, which was acquired by Medallia in 2022 after an...

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...

Brock Family Center

Accelerating the translation of Vanderbilt discoveries through commercialization and industry partnerships

The Brock Family Center for Applied Innovation was established at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2023 through a $10 million gift from the Brock family, including John F. Brock III, his wife, Mary, and their three adult children – Rebecca Brock Dixon, John F. Brock IV and Major Brock. The...

CAPITOL VIEW DENTAL

DENTISTRY WITH A CLASSICAL TOUCH, WHERE NASHVILLE COMES TO SMILE!

When I started college in 2005 at Indiana University, if you would have told me I’d be opening the first black owned dental practice in the North Gulch in Nashville by 2025, I would have been totally shocked. I would be trying to figure out how a musician studying classical...

JE Dunn

Delivering Construction Solutions

JE Dunn Construction, founded in 1924, is the sixth-largest domestic general building contractor in the United States with offices in 26 locations. They endeavor to be an indispensable business partner, thoroughly understanding their client’s vision so they can deliver construction solutions that meet their needs. For over 30 years, JE...

NEW ORCHARD

NEW ORCHARD-Leaders are getting catfished by the promise of data. New Orchard helps lessen those odds

Leaders are getting catfished by the promise of data. New Orchard helps lessen those odds

If 2020 proved anything, it’s that change is inevitable, whether that is decided on internally or not. “The ability to be resilient lies within confidently understanding where your organization is today, where it desires to be, the team that makes it up, and the processes that support it, fast,” says...

KCI

BRIDGING THE BUILT AND NATURAL WORLDS: KCI’S NASHVILLE LEGACY

From transportation networks to environmental stewardship, KCI’s multidisciplinary team is redefining what it means to engineer progress. The architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is constantly evolving at a rapid pace, driven by advancements in technology, sustainability, and design thinking. As cities grow and infrastructure needs intensify, firms are embracing...

RJ Young

How RJ Young and Velocity1 Are Redefining Technology Solutions Across the Southeast

For more than 70 years, RJ Young has stood at the forefront of helping businesses adapt to change. What began in 1955 as a local provider of office equipment in Nashville has grown into one of the Southeast’s most respected and comprehensive business technology partners. Over the decades, RJ Young...

FIRSTBANK

FIRSTBANK-PAVING THE WAY FOR A NEW WAVE

PAVING THE WAY FOR A NEW WAVE

It’s not often you hear about companies that thrive for over a century, but FirstBank, from its humble start in rural West Tennessee in 1906 continues to evolve and conquer 117 years later. From its original mission of serving a small-town farming community, FirstBank, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee with a...

Nashville State Community College

From Classroom to Career: Nashville State Powers Progress Through Education and Partnerships

A Good Fit. A Great Future. That’s how Nashville State Community College defines itself—serving diverse students from Nashville’s urban core to rural counties, each bringing unique backgrounds and experiences. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to how Nashville State serves its students and communities. In fact, with Vision 2030 – its...

S3 RECYCLING

S3 RECYCLING-HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

S3 Recycling Solutions is the right choice for businesses looking for an easy and hassle-free way to responsibly and safely manage excess electronics. Headquartered in Springfield, Tenn., S3 is an award-winning, R2-certified technology recycling firm that provides tailored e-waste solutions to businesses across the nation and in Canada. Since 2007,...

VIDEOBOMB

VIDEOBOMB-MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

According to Chad Marcum, VideoBomb’s Founder and CEO, “Our mission is to make augmented reality available to businesses of all sizes. AR is the next big thing in customer engagement, and it should not be limited to only the big brands with big budgets. We’ve made it easy and affordable...

Adventure Science Center

Fostering Enthusiasm for Discovery and Exploration

Adventure Science Center connects learners of all ages to the science that surrounds them every day, fostering enthusiasm for discovery and exploration. This year Adventure Science Center marks 80 years of serving the Nashville community, all 95 counties of Tennessee, together with visitors from around the nation and the globe....

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...

EVIDENCECARE

EVIDENCECARE

INEFFICIENT WORKFLOWS PLAGUE CLINICIANS. EVIDENCECARE HAS A CURE

The genesis of EvidenceCare came one night while Dr. Brian Fengler was working in the emergency room of Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, and a young woman presented with extreme shortness of breath and fast heart rate. She had a massive blood clot between her heart and lungs. She...

BAKER DONELSON

FROM STARTUP TO STANDOUT

Baker Donelson’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice Fuels the Future of Emerging Companies. With a deep bench of attorneys who understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by early-stage companies and rapid-growth ventures, Baker Donelson’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital (ECVC) team is a trusted partner for entrepreneurs and...

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY-Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school

Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school, work and family life

Located in the heart of Nashville, Trevecca offers students an exciting, fulfilling college experience as they pursue a personal calling in a thriving city. A Christian liberal arts university, Trevecca’s diverse, supportive community is a safe haven for spiritual and personal growth, vocational discernment and opportunities for service.   Growth...

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...

Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Where Bold Ideas Become Businesses

If you’re serious about building a startup in Nashville, meet your secret weapon: the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC). Founded in 2010, EC is a nonprofit built by business leaders to be—literally—Nashville’s “home to entrepreneurship.” What sets it apart? It’s not just talk: EC has helped over 14,000 entrepreneurs, including more...

NASHVILLE SOFTWARE SCHOOL

NASHVILLE SOFTWARE SCHOOL-CREATING AN ONRAMP TO REWARDING CAREERS IN TECHNOLOGY

CREATING AN ONRAMP TO REWARDING CAREERS IN TECHNOLOGY

It was late 2011 when Nashville Software School (NSS) Founder and CEO, John Wark set out to find a solution to a challenge he frequently heard about in Nashville’s business community – the persistent shortage of trained tech talent such as software developers. The tech skills gap was (and is)...

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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