The document outlines the development of Chattanooga's entrepreneurial ecosystem from 1969 when it was considered the "dirtiest city in America" through recent years. It details the growth of resources and support for entrepreneurs, including mentors, funding sources, workspaces, accelerators, and educational programs. Key milestones included investing in fiber infrastructure in the late 2000s, and funding for startups growing from less than $3 million annually to over $15 million in funding by 2017. The document advocates embracing a city's history and unique assets, collaborating widely, partnering with local investors, and promoting the ecosystem's story.

2. @sheldongrizzle
sheldon@credo.is

3. 20102009
2011 2013
2018
2009
2012

4. “Best Town Ever”
– Outside Magazine, 2011 AND 2015

5. Chattanooga Entrepreneurial Community
2017
Mentorship/Guidance
Launch Tennessee
Pathway Women's Business Center
Launch Chattanooga
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Urban League
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity Jump Fund
Lamp Post Group
Dynamo
Solas Bio
Chattanooga Renaissance Fund
TVFCU Crowd Funding
Debt
Pathway Lending
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
Grants
Lyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund
Footprint Foundation
Nightingale Network
Community Foundation
Public Education Foundation
Causeway
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
UNfoundation
ArtsBuild
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
Dynamo/Lamp Post Group
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
Edney Innovation Center
Society of Work
Chattanooga WorkSpace
The Tomorrow Building
INCubator/BDC
Workhorse
4th Floor (Public Library)
Craft
4th Floor (Public Library)
Chatt*Lab Maker Space
Education Covenant College Seed Project
UTC CEO Club
CO.STARTERS
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Chattery
Chattanooga State Entrepreneurship Degree
UTC Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
Center Centre
Female Entrepreneurship
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous (GPS)
Jump Fund
CodeXX
Nightingale Network
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Women's Fund of Chattanooga
Civic/Social Enterprise
Glass House Collective
Green|Spaces
Causeway
Launch Chattanooga
Events
Drupal Meetup
Dynamo Demo Day
Data Science Meetup
GIGTANK Demo Day
CO.LAB Accelerator Pitch Day
Maker Faire
CodeXX
One Million Cups
Chugalug
Open Chattanooga
ChattTech Connect
Papers We Love
Chattanooga Startup Awards
Scenic City Summit (Tech Council)
Chambliss Startup Social
Seed Project (Covenant College)
Chatt*Lab Maker Meetup
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
CHADev + Python
Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (UTC)
CHADev + DevOps
Spirit of Innovation
CHADev
Startup Week CHA
CarbonFive Hack Night
Talk Shop Tuesdays
Blockchain Meetup
Teacherpreneur
48Hour Launch
TenGig Festival
24Hour Generator
TopCon
UX Design Meetup
Will This Float?
2010
Mentorship/Guidance
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity
Capital Connection
Debt
InnovateHere
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
GrantsLyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
MakeWork (CreateHere)
Community Foundation
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
ArtsBuild
Education
SpringBoard (CO.LAB/CreateHere)
UTC CEO Club
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
INCubator/BDC
Female Entrepreneurship
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Civic/Social Enterprise
CreateHere
Green|Spaces
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise
Events
Connect4Lunch
Chugalug
ChattTech Connect
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
Spirit of Innovation
48Hour Launch
Will This Float?
2010
CHA Ecosystem

6. Chattanooga Entrepreneurial Community
2017
Mentorship/Guidance
Launch Tennessee
Pathway Women's Business Center
Launch Chattanooga
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Urban League
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity Jump Fund
Lamp Post Group
Dynamo
Solas Bio
Chattanooga Renaissance Fund
TVFCU Crowd Funding
Debt
Pathway Lending
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
Grants
Lyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund
Footprint Foundation
Nightingale Network
Community Foundation
Public Education Foundation
Causeway
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
UNfoundation
ArtsBuild
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
Dynamo/Lamp Post Group
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
Edney Innovation Center
Society of Work
Chattanooga WorkSpace
The Tomorrow Building
INCubator/BDC
Workhorse
4th Floor (Public Library)
Craft
4th Floor (Public Library)
Chatt*Lab Maker Space
Education Covenant College Seed Project
UTC CEO Club
CO.STARTERS
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Chattery
Chattanooga State Entrepreneurship Degree
UTC Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
Center Centre
Female Entrepreneurship
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous (GPS)
Jump Fund
CodeXX
Nightingale Network
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Women's Fund of Chattanooga
Civic/Social Enterprise
Glass House Collective
Green|Spaces
Causeway
Launch Chattanooga
Events
Drupal Meetup
Dynamo Demo Day
Data Science Meetup
GIGTANK Demo Day
CO.LAB Accelerator Pitch Day
Maker Faire
CodeXX
One Million Cups
Chugalug
Open Chattanooga
ChattTech Connect
Papers We Love
Chattanooga Startup Awards
Scenic City Summit (Tech Council)
Chambliss Startup Social
Seed Project (Covenant College)
Chatt*Lab Maker Meetup
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
CHADev + Python
Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (UTC)
CHADev + DevOps
Spirit of Innovation
CHADev
Startup Week CHA
CarbonFive Hack Night
Talk Shop Tuesdays
Blockchain Meetup
Teacherpreneur
48Hour Launch
TenGig Festival
24Hour Generator
TopCon
UX Design Meetup
Will This Float?
2010
Mentorship/Guidance
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity
Capital Connection
Debt
InnovateHere
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
GrantsLyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
MakeWork (CreateHere)
Community Foundation
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
ArtsBuild
Education
SpringBoard (CO.LAB/CreateHere)
UTC CEO Club
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
INCubator/BDC
Female Entrepreneurship
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Civic/Social Enterprise
CreateHere
Green|Spaces
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise
Events
Connect4Lunch
Chugalug
ChattTech Connect
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
Spirit of Innovation
48Hour Launch
Will This Float?
2010 2017
CHA Ecosystem

7. 1969
“Dirtiest city in America”

8. 1970s
Clean the city

9. 1980s
Vision the city

10. 1990s and early 2000s
Build the city

11. Late 2000s
Connect the city

12. 2011

14. 2012

15. 400,000,000 in 9/12

16. Chattanooga Entrepreneurial Community
2017
Mentorship/Guidance
Launch Tennessee
Pathway Women's Business Center
Launch Chattanooga
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Urban League
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity Jump Fund
Lamp Post Group
Dynamo
Solas Bio
Chattanooga Renaissance Fund
TVFCU Crowd Funding
Debt
Pathway Lending
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
Grants
Lyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund
Footprint Foundation
Nightingale Network
Community Foundation
Public Education Foundation
Causeway
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
UNfoundation
ArtsBuild
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
Dynamo/Lamp Post Group
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
Edney Innovation Center
Society of Work
Chattanooga WorkSpace
The Tomorrow Building
INCubator/BDC
Workhorse
4th Floor (Public Library)
Craft
4th Floor (Public Library)
Chatt*Lab Maker Space
Education Covenant College Seed Project
UTC CEO Club
CO.STARTERS
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Chattery
Chattanooga State Entrepreneurship Degree
UTC Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
Center Centre
Female Entrepreneurship
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous (GPS)
Jump Fund
CodeXX
Nightingale Network
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Women's Fund of Chattanooga
Civic/Social Enterprise
Glass House Collective
Green|Spaces
Causeway
Launch Chattanooga
Events
Drupal Meetup
Dynamo Demo Day
Data Science Meetup
GIGTANK Demo Day
CO.LAB Accelerator Pitch Day
Maker Faire
CodeXX
One Million Cups
Chugalug
Open Chattanooga
ChattTech Connect
Papers We Love
Chattanooga Startup Awards
Scenic City Summit (Tech Council)
Chambliss Startup Social
Seed Project (Covenant College)
Chatt*Lab Maker Meetup
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
CHADev + Python
Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (UTC)
CHADev + DevOps
Spirit of Innovation
CHADev
Startup Week CHA
CarbonFive Hack Night
Talk Shop Tuesdays
Blockchain Meetup
Teacherpreneur
48Hour Launch
TenGig Festival
24Hour Generator
TopCon
UX Design Meetup
Will This Float?
2010
Mentorship/Guidance
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity
Capital Connection
Debt
InnovateHere
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
GrantsLyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
MakeWork (CreateHere)
Community Foundation
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
ArtsBuild
Education
SpringBoard (CO.LAB/CreateHere)
UTC CEO Club
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
INCubator/BDC
Female Entrepreneurship
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Civic/Social Enterprise
CreateHere
Green|Spaces
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise
Events
Connect4Lunch
Chugalug
ChattTech Connect
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
Spirit of Innovation
48Hour Launch
Will This Float?
2010
CHA Ecosystem
< $3M per year in funding

17. Chattanooga Entrepreneurial Community
2017
Mentorship/Guidance
Launch Tennessee
Pathway Women's Business Center
Launch Chattanooga
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Urban League
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity Jump Fund
Lamp Post Group
Dynamo
Solas Bio
Chattanooga Renaissance Fund
TVFCU Crowd Funding
Debt
Pathway Lending
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
Grants
Lyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund
Footprint Foundation
Nightingale Network
Community Foundation
Public Education Foundation
Causeway
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
UNfoundation
ArtsBuild
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
Dynamo/Lamp Post Group
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
Edney Innovation Center
Society of Work
Chattanooga WorkSpace
The Tomorrow Building
INCubator/BDC
Workhorse
4th Floor (Public Library)
Craft
4th Floor (Public Library)
Chatt*Lab Maker Space
Education Covenant College Seed Project
UTC CEO Club
CO.STARTERS
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Chattery
Chattanooga State Entrepreneurship Degree
UTC Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
Center Centre
Female Entrepreneurship
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous (GPS)
Jump Fund
CodeXX
Nightingale Network
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Women's Fund of Chattanooga
Civic/Social Enterprise
Glass House Collective
Green|Spaces
Causeway
Launch Chattanooga
Events
Drupal Meetup
Dynamo Demo Day
Data Science Meetup
GIGTANK Demo Day
CO.LAB Accelerator Pitch Day
Maker Faire
CodeXX
One Million Cups
Chugalug
Open Chattanooga
ChattTech Connect
Papers We Love
Chattanooga Startup Awards
Scenic City Summit (Tech Council)
Chambliss Startup Social
Seed Project (Covenant College)
Chatt*Lab Maker Meetup
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
CHADev + Python
Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (UTC)
CHADev + DevOps
Spirit of Innovation
CHADev
Startup Week CHA
CarbonFive Hack Night
Talk Shop Tuesdays
Blockchain Meetup
Teacherpreneur
48Hour Launch
TenGig Festival
24Hour Generator
TopCon
UX Design Meetup
Will This Float?
2010
Mentorship/Guidance
SCORE
Enterprise Center
Southeast TN Development District
CO.LAB
TSBDC
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Chamber of Commerce
Funding
Equity
Capital Connection
Debt
InnovateHere
Southeast Tennessee Development District
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TVA Loan Fund
IdeaLeap (TVFCU)
Brightbridge
Banking Institutions
GrantsLyndhurst Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
Hamico Foundation
MakeWork (CreateHere)
Community Foundation
River City Company
Benwood Foundation
ArtsBuild
Education
SpringBoard (CO.LAB/CreateHere)
UTC CEO Club
UTC Entrepreneurship Degree
Workspace
Accelerators/Incubators
INCubator/BDC
CO.LAB
Coworking
INCubator/BDC
Female Entrepreneurship
Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
Civic/Social Enterprise
CreateHere
Green|Spaces
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise
Events
Connect4Lunch
Chugalug
ChattTech Connect
Small Business Awards (Chamber)
Spirit of Innovation
48Hour Launch
Will This Float?
2010 2017
CHA Ecosystem
$15M+ per year in funding< $3M per year in funding

18. Lessons learned…

19. Embrace your region’s heritage
1
Good. Bad. Humiliating. It’s all part of your story

20. Leverage your unique assets
2
Every city has something

21. 3
Collaborate
No, for real.

22. Partner with risk capital
4
…that loves your city as much as you do

23. Tell your story locally/nationally
5
or have a PR agency do it for you

24. @sheldongrizzle
sheldon@credo.is
Let’s talk!