Drew's News
Vol: 6
September 23, 2025
Greetings from Chattanooga - If you're new to Drew's News, here's the scoop: This newsletter is designed to cultivate connection within the entrepreneur community in Chattanooga. We're 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, yet there are many leaders on the sidelines who still don't know how to support ecosystem growth. So here's my action item / question: Think of one person who can add value to local entrepreneurs. Invite them to an event, or coffee, or something. Heck, forward them this email. Let's start (or re-start) the conversation. We're all in this together. What's the one thing you will do this week to help lift our collective tide a little higher? Best,
(photo below courtesy of Calliope, which happens to be one of my favorite locally owned restaurants in town). |
In case you missed it…
Congrats to Calliope Co-Owners Chef Khaled AlBanna and @Raven Humphrey for being named as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. by The New York Times. Originally set inside restaurant and bar incubator Proof on MLK, this Levantine-inspired restaurant is garnering awards left and right, (and we need the glazed Brussel Sprouts back on the menu, stat!)
Teren's Vicinity offering is live. If you're looking to make an impact, consider investing in a company that is setting a standard for re-investing back in Chattanooga through countless civic organizations, including a CFC title sponsorship. Learn more (and invest) here.
Last Thursday, Chattanooga Founders Forum featured 5-minute pitches from three rising startups:
@Ernie Lopez, founder of MergerAI, a software platform designed to support enterprise clients with M&A pain points including due diligence and integrations.
@Megan Cales, founder of Sensory Bridges, developing the Brooks Band, a wearable behavior device designed to help regulate voice volume for children with atypical prosody and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
@Chris Hurst, CEO of StratusGrid, who is building their Stratusphere productized service, a multi-agent platform focused on measurable cloud infrastructure solutions.
On that note, congrats to Chris and Ernie for being selected as presenting companies for Venture Atlanta 2025. Both were chosen as finalists from a field of more than 600 applicants. Venture Atlanta's Conference will be held on Oct 15-16.
EPB has installed an NIDIA DGX system at their EPB Quantum Center, allowing enhanced hybrid capabilities for their supercomputing partnership with IonQ. Chattanooga leaders are placing their collective bets on quantum computing as an economic driver for the area. More here.
Congrats to the finalists for The Chattanooga Tech Council (ChaTech) TechX Awards. More here.
During your capital raise, ignore the clickbait headlines and educate yourself on liquidation preferences. More here.
Connections + Conversation
I spent time with @Mike Bradshaw, Director at the Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, to discuss the current state of startups in the area, Boulder Principals and the ebbs and flows of entrepreneurial energies.
@Frank Williamson is a LaunchTN board member and founder of Oaklyn Consulting. Frank and his team advise small and mid-market business owners on making strategic capital decisions that help them build, grow, and sell their businesses. We discussed the current needs in this market, and specifically what capital opportunities are available for both investable companies and small businesses in the area.
@Allie Schrenker recently left her position at Brickyard-backed Shappi and she's exploring opportunities. Many of you may know her from her rock star role at The Company Lab's Director of Community Engagement. Holler at her if you know of anything.
Connections + Talent Public Education Foundation (PEF) is hiring for a Director of Development. Learn more here. IonQ and EPB are launching the U.S.'s first Quantum Computing and Networking Hub in Chattanooga, and IonQ is hiring for several positions. Learn more. Chattanooga 2.0 is hiring 14 AmeriCorps Literacy Tutors for the 2025–26 school year. Learn More La Paz Chattanooga is seeking a contract strategic planning consultant. Learn More Here. UTC is hiring for a Manager of Marketing & Communications within the Gary Rollins College of Business - Learn More |
Connections + Capital
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.
CO.LAB Sustainability Mobility Accelerator Application - LINK
A 6-week program for early stage startups reimagining how people, goods, energy, and data move. The CO.LAB helps founders fast track growth by connecting them with industry partners, pilot opportunities, and first customers.
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
ChatTech TechX Awards, September 25, 6pm to 9m (The Wolford at McKenzie Arena). Buy tickets here: LINK
VentureSouth Meeting - September 25, 8:30 - 10 am (Onion Bottom Station). Lauren Goodell, Founder of Zinnia, will present. RSVP HERE
Investors Getting Coffee - September 26, 8 - 9 am (The Daily Ration) - RSVP HERE
Big Self School, October 2, (Common House) - (SOLD OUT) A workshop for leaders who care about their people. Stop firefighting team issues and start building resilient, high-performing cultures. More Info
Have an event? Reply to this email.
What I’m Reading (listening to...) Podcast - Acquisitions Anonymous - (LINK) If you enjoy reading through investor summaries or browsing BizBuySell in your downtime, you'll love this podcast where four experts break down real businesses for sale. |
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. 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. |