Drew's News
Vol: 7
October 7, 2025
Greetings from Chattanooga - In the book Traction by Gino Wickman, he refers to two different types of entrepreneur: The Visionary (big picture thinker) and the Integrator (the execution partner). I've always thought of myself as the "roll up the sleeves" operating partner / integrator, but as I now find myself "operating" less, I've embraced the visionary role. I wonder if age / skill set / circumstance has permitted this shift in thought / responsibility? As we continue to grow the entrepreneur ecosystem, do you identify as a local visionary, or an integrator? Best,
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In case you missed it…
Congrats to @Ryan Seaberg and EIRSystems on a round of funding from Atlanta Tech Angels. They've built an eMAR (electronic medication administration record) platform that integrates with both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers. He was inspired to build his company after losing a friend to an Opioid overdose. Keep an eye on this one.
The Company Lab announced their fall Cohort. Selected from more than 100 applicants from 17 countries, these companies span robotics, AI and more. Learn more here.
Learn more about Co:Lab's new companies at their Sustainability Mobility Showcase on Thursday, October 23rd at 5pm. RSVP here.
Local sustainability startup Overlooked Materials was one of two companies selected to pilot a City of Chattanooga program to reduce foot waste and glass recycling waste in landfills. Congrats to @Morgan Holl and his team. More here.
Sensory Bridges Founder @Megan Cales has been selected to showcase the Brooks Band at the NeuroTech Frontier Summit by the The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University on October 10-12.
When the government shuts down, small business suffers. Here's how it impacts the SBA loan program, among others (Forbes). LINK
The Enterprise Center is moving from The Edney to the renovated Lupton Building in November (LINK).
Conversation // Connections
I attended the latest Chattanooga VentureSouth member meeting, held at IFixIt's downtown headquarters. The presenting startups, while not local, were impressive nonetheless. Notes below:
Zinnia is an AI-powered enterprise sales assistant that integrates into existing CRMs to deliver powerful and personal data points (think social media, etc..) to accelerate sales relationships. Zinnia is based in Charlotte and founder @Lauren Goodell is currently raising a round.
Rainwalk is a tech platform for pet insurance. Led by @Josh Snead and based in Columbia, SC, they've raised $7.3M to date according to Crunchbase, and currently raising another round.
On a side note, if you haven't been to iFixIt's Onion Bottom headquarters in downtown Chattanooga, it's worth the visit. They are the unquestioned leader in DIY repair for consumer tech (think fixing your own iPhone), having built tutorials, a passionate community of like-minded DIY'ers (and a state-of-the-art warehouse in downtown Chattanooga to ship the repair parts and tools. Congrats to @Kyle Wiens and @Luke Soules on a truly local (and privately owned) success story.
Investors Getting Coffee was a success, and I learned about Kirk Burton's new venture HÔLTEK, a bio-composite material manufacturer and research venture. Thank you to @Jay Schaffer for continuing to bring together like-minded entrepreneurs and investors for these events.
I had coffee with local real estate broker / investor @Andrew Austin. We discussed Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), the generational wealth shift with retiring baby boomers, and what resource gaps are missing in the Chattanooga market for prospective "Main Street" business owners.
Side note: Would a monthly meetup of like-minded aspiring entrepreneurs be something you might attend? Feel free to reply and let me know.
Talent // Connections Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) is hiring a Chief Business Officer. Learn more here. Public Education Foundation (PEF) is hiring for a Director of Development. Learn more here. Chattanooga 2.0 is hiring 14 AmeriCorps Literacy Tutors for the 2025–26 school year. Learn More UTC is hiring for a Manager of Marketing & Communications within the Gary Rollins College of Business - Learn More |
Capital // Connections
TVFCU Idea Leap Loans and Grants- LINK
Applications open Sept 26, 9am - TVFCU's Idea Leap initiative is distributing $225,000 in grants of up to $30,000 each to qualified small businesses. Eligibility requirements include: 2-25 employees (owner included), maximum annual revenue of $2.5 million, at least 12 months of operational history with proven revenue generation, and location within TVFCU's 17-county service area.
InvestTN Regional Seed Fund - LINK
This is a $28M Tennessee-focused initiative investing in startups served by 7 Regional Entrepreneur Centers across all 95 counties. Investments range from $25,000 to $250,000.
Small Business Innovation Research Program - LINK
Transform your innovations into market-ready solutions with the SBIR Program. This strategic federal funding initiative empowers small businesses to commercialize cutting-edge research and technology. Whether you're developing next-generation solutions or pioneering scientific breakthroughs, SBIR provides the capital and resources to accelerate your journey from concept to commercialization.
Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures - LINK
Morgan Stanley provide early-stage innovators with access to capital and resources to help them develop and scale. The mission is to foster a more equitable and sustainable investment landscape.
Connections + Events
Future of Freight Festival, October 21-22, 2025
Celebrate all things freight while exploring what the future holds with a glimpse into the latest FreightTech and inside knowledge into the freight markets. LEARN MORE
Co:Lab's Sustainability Mobility Showcase, Thursday, October 23rd at 5pm. RSVP here.
Have an event? Reply to this email.
What I’m Reading (listening to...) Traction by Gino Wickman A practical guide that introduces the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) — a framework for turning vision into consistent, measurable results for business leaders and entrepreneurs. |
Footnotes My mission is to cultivate the startup community through connection. I'm a big believer in building this newsletter in public, so if you have ideas on how to further this ecosystem initiative, reply back to this email and let's work on this together. This community is made up of small business owners, investment bankers, organizers, investors and economic development leaders who all share a belief that a rising tide lifts all boats. Share this email to someone who will provide value to this community. We are (slowly) building a database for Chattanooga that will be published soon for free. Have you submitted your startup? Help me build this community resource here. I'm also building a curated database of businesses for sale. More later. |