SUPPORT FOR GREATER CHATTANOOGA IS PROVIDED BY EPB FIBER OPTICS AND BLOOD ASSURANCE
IF YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK, YOU KNOW, THE ODDS OF SUCCESS ARE SLIM.
BUT GREAT IDEAS, INNOVATION, AND HARD WORK
CAN TURN DREAMS INTO REALITY
I'M JAMES CHAPMAN
THIS IS THE LEAP
YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF DEFINING WHAT IT IS OUR CITY, OUR STATE; OUR COUNTRY
LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE. DEFINING THE FUTURE IS A TALL ORDER, BUT THE
TEAM AT LAUNCH CHATTANOOGA IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO ENSURE
THAT EVERYONE HAS A SHOT AT THE AMERICAN DREAM… LAUNCH WE STARTED IN 2011 AND THE IDEA WAS…THERE’S
A LOT HAPPENING IN CHATTANOOGA FROM AN ENTREPRENEURIAL STANDPOINT. BUT A LOT OF IT IS FOCUSED ON
A SMALL SEGMENT OF PEOPLE WHO EITHER ALREADY KIND OF KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING OR THEY’RE
FOCUSED IN THE TECHNOLOGY ARENA, AND THE FEELING WAS THERE’S A LOT MORE OUT THERE, A LOT
MORE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT’S NEEDED AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD RECRUIT PEOPLE
FROM EVERYWHERE, ALL PARTS OF THE CITY, PARTICULARLY UNDER SERVED NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE ALTON PARK
WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND OTHERS WHERE YOU KNOW INDIVIDUALS MIGHT NOT HAVE THE SAME ACCESS
TO RESOURCES. WE’VE HELPED ALMOST A HUNDRED BUSINESSES
START NOW SINCE 2011. THESE ARE ALL REALLY SMALL BUSINESSES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING
ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE STARTED HERE AT THE BETHLEHEM CENTER WHERE WE ARE
NOW AND ESSENTIALLY JUST MARKETED TO THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE
IN THE MAINSTREAM PARTS OF THE CITY AREN’T NECESSARILY AVAILABLE HERE, WE HAVE PROBABLY
A LARGER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OUT THERE
SO THE ORIENTATION TO THE BUSINESS WORLD, THE ORIENTATION- THE CONNECTION TO THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS TO BE FACILITATED, AND SO WE TRY TO DO THAT AND HAVE THAT AS
A COMPONENT OF WHAT WE’RE DOING. (JAMES: AND BRING THAT TO THEM). YES. YEAH.
LAUNCH CHATTANOOGA PARTNERS WITH VARIOUS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONNECT THEIR ENTREPRENEURS
WITH RESOURCES TO GET THEIR BUSINESS GOING, OFTEN AT NO COST.
THE BIGGEST PART OF WHAT WE DO WELL IS BUILDING A COMMUNITY AROUND THE ENTREPRENEURS. BOTH
UM AMONGST EACH OTHER AND IN THE CITY SO A LOT OF US ARE BIG CONNECTORS SO WE ARE THE
ONES DOWNTOWN WITH THE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES SO WE BRING THEM ALONG WITH US.
NICE, SO LET'S TALK SUCCESS STORIES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT JUST KIND
OF STICK OUT TO YOU IN YOUR MIND THAT HAVE GRADUATED FROM LAUNCH AND WENT ON TO DO AWESOME
THINGS? GO AHEAD AND BRAG ON THEM A LITTLE BIT.
ROBIN DAVIS WAS ONE OF MY SWEETHEARTS; SHE ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF MY FIRST PARTICIPANTS
IN MY FIRST CLASS WHEN I STARTED FACILITATING. EVENTUALLY SHE WENT OFF ON HER OWN AND IT
WAS FUN TO JUST KIND OF WATCH HER GRADUATE FROM THE CLASS BUT ALSO GRADUATE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR.
ROBIN DAVIS OWNS STARTED A COMPANY CALLED “LOVING HANDS, HELPING HEARTS TRANSPORTATION,”
WHICH PROVIDES NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
TO THE COMMUNITY. SHE GRADUATED FROM THE LAUNCH BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR ACADEMY IN TWENTY THIRTEEN.
ROBIN: WE PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY FOR ALLTHEIR NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION
NEEDS. IF THEY WANT A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, DIALYSIS,
SAME DAY SURGERY.... WITHOUT LAUNCH…I PRETTY MUCH YOU KNOW WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY. THEY PRETTY MUCH TAUGHT ME ABOUT HOW TO START UP A BUSINESS,
BUSINESS PLANNING, FINANCES, WORKING CAPITAL… EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
SO AFTER YOU WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM AT LAUNCH DID THEY JUST PUSH YOU OUT THERE AND SAY WELL
YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN, GOOD LUCK YOU KNOW THAT TYPE OF THING? OR DID THEY STAY WITH YOU A
LITTLE BIT LONGER OR ARE THEY STILL WITH YOU, HELPING YOU?
I GUESS IT WOULD BE LIKE PARENTING. ONCE YOU KNOW, YOUR CHILD GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL
THEN YOU PRETTY MUCH KIND OF EASE BACK AND LET THEM YOU KNOW GET THOSE WINGS AND FLY
FOR THEMSELVES. BUT IF I NEEDED THEM, THEY WERE THERE FOR ME AND
THEY STILL ARE. WHILE LAUNCH PROVIDES CONTINUED SUPPORT AND
COACHING TO GRADUATES, THEIR PROGRAMS ARE AIMED AT FOSTERING OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW STARTUPS
THERE’S SUCH A MOVEMENT, ALMOST LIKE A ENTREPRENEURIAL RENAISSANCE THAT’S HAPPENING IN CHATTANOOGA
RIGHT NOW IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, IS THERE A DISCONNECT THERE FROM KIND OF WHAT’S GOING
ON IN THE CHATTANOOGA ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY YOU GUYS ARE SERVING?
THAT’S THE THING THAT’S HISTORICALLY BEEN SUCH AN ISSUE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IS THAT,
YOU KNOW, THAT DISENFRANCHISEMENT FROM WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE CITY.
I NOTICE THAT THERE’S A COMMUNITY THAT GETS LEFT BEHIND, BECAUSE THEY AREN’T AWARE OF
THE OPPORTUNITIES. I DON’T THINK IT’S THAT THEY’RE NOT WELCOME; I JUST THINK IT’S
AN AWARENESS ISSUE. PART OF THE REASON WHY WE HAVE SUCH BIG PLAYERS THAT WORK FOR LAUNCH
IS SO THAT WE CAN PULL THEM IN TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. RIGHT SO WE MAKE THE CONNECTIONS FOR THEM.
SO WOULD I BE RIGHT SAYING LAUNCH’S MISSION BY NOTICING THAT BARRIER IS TO KIND OF BRIDGE
THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO ENVIRONMENTS RIGHT? [AJ: EXACTLY]
I DO FEEL LIKE FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN’T AFFORD TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, COLLEGE, A 4 YEAR COLLEGE
OR WHATEVER THAT WE SHOULD PROMOTE MORE COMPANIES LIKE LAUNCH TO GET IT OUT THERE TO PEOPLE
THAT HAS A DREAM HAS A VISION. YOU KNOW I THINK THERE’S LOTS OF TALENT, MORE PEOPLE
THAT WANT TO START A BUSINESS HERE. BUT GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY IS THE THING, AN OPPORTUNITY
TO GIVE A PERSON A CHANCE. I HEARD SOMEONE SAY RECENTLY YOU KNOW, WE
DON’T HAVE A TALENT CRISIS RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY CRISIS
AND I THINK THAT’S WELL-SAID YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE FIND TALENT HERE AND IN THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
WE WORK IN, IT’S ABUNDANT, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF TALENTED PEOPLE, BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES
ARE THE THINGS THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO TRY
TO PLUG PEOPLE IN. I THINK JUST EXPOSURE FOR PEOPLE TO OTHER
PEOPLE WHO ARE STARTING BUSINESSES IS GOING TO HAVE THIS RIPPLE EFFECT IN OUR COMMUNITY
THAT IS PRETTY VALUABLE. NOW YOUR CREATING AWARENESS RIGHT SO EVEN
THE FOLKS THAT YOU AREN’T DIRECTLY EFFECTING, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE
SEEING THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE EFFECTING START BUSINESSES AND THEY’RE THINKING WOW IF THEY’RE
STARTING BUSINESSES I CAN DO SO TOO. ITS SUPER VITAL FOR A CITY TO HAVE AN ECOSYSTEM
AROUND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, YOU JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE’RE DOING IN CHATTANOOGA AS A CITY IN A BIG WAY. AND I THINK EVEN IN
THE STATE, LOTS OF OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING AT CHATTANOOGA AS A LEADER IN THAT.
THERE AREN’T VERY MANY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND DOING WHAT WE DO AND SO WE’VE GOTTEN MORE
AND MORE INTEREST FROM GROUPS IN OTHER CITIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING SOMETHING LIKE
LAUNCH ESTABLISHED. THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPACE
IN THE CITY, I MEAN IT’S WHAT’S PUTTING US ON THE MAP AGAIN IN A LOT OF WAYS AND SO
WE DEFINITELY DON’T WANT ANY INDIVIDUAL TO BE LEFT OUT OF THAT OR ANY COMMUNITY TO
BE LEFT OUT OF THAT, RIGHT? WE WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS TO THAT
(JAMES: AND BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION), BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION YES.
YOU GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK INTO WHAT THAT IS THAT OUR CITY WILL LOOK LIKE, THE SHAPE IT
WILL TAKE FOR THE NEXT SEASON, THE NEXT FORESEEABLE FUTURE THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS. AND…. YOU
GET THE CHANCE TO BE PART OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN. CAN WE GET ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR GRADUATES?
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]