Look out California and New York, Tennessee is on the rise and it’s attracting women entrepreneurs with really interesting businesses. Launch Tennessee’s (LaunchTN) is a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee. An impressive 30% of graduates from its recent masterclass, which draws from nine accelerator programs across the state, are female founders.
Lucy Beard moved from Silicon Valley to Chattanooga. Her company, Feetz, is a ‘Digital Cobbler’ that uses 3-D printing technology to make custom shoes and delivers them within 7 days. She just raised $1.25 million from Khosla Ventures, which led the investment round, and was joined by Chattanooga-based JumpFund and former Reebok Inc. Chief Executive Uli Becker.