STARTUP FINALISTS
Absolutely Ridiculous
XX
Absolutely Ridiculous, a creative endeavor envisioned by award-winning artist X, reimagines sporting goods as functional art. The inaugural concept, a baseball glove designed to look like a melting ice cream cone, has become a cornerstone in breaking the mold of traditional sporting goods and serves as a conduit for self-expression. The line of baseball gloves, sliding mitts, pickleball paddles, and more has created a demand that is nearly unmatched in the industry.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Expanded from a garage in 2021 to 20,000 square foot warehouse in Nashville
- Achieved a 6x revenue growth within one year, driven by the launch of sliding mitts
- Recorded 1 million online website visitors over the course of one month in 2024
- Became one of the youngest sporting goods companies ever to be featured in “MLB: The Show”, with several items included in the 2023 edition of the video game
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
“Absolutely Ridiculous was created as a way to make art functional rather than something that simply sat on a shelf—art that could be used by the best athletes in the world, to inspire young athletes to share their own self-expression and have fun playing the sport they love. The ‘snow cone catch’ inspired the Ice Cream Glove design when I was 11 years old, and I brought it to life 20 years later.” – XX
Affinity Entertainment
Matthew Romero
Affinity Entertainment is an entertainment holding company that houses three of Nashville’s most prominent industry brands: Affinity Presents, After Dark, and JamJuice. By bridging the gap between live music and hospitality with its unique brands and industry expertise, Affinity Entertainment propels brands to new heights.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Recorded $1.2 million in revenue in 2023, a significant increase from $500,000 in 2022 and $50,000 in 2021
- Secured official partnerships with Nashville Predators, Nashville SC, and Raising Cane’s on Broadway
- Launched the beta version of AI-powered talent booking software, JamJuice
- Produced multiple festivals featuring acts like Chainsmokers, Bailey Zimmerman, Lil John, Breland, Nate Smith, Loud Luxury, Soulja Boy, Yung Gravy, and others
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
“Music saved my life. I got sober three years ago after nearly overdosing, and music was there to help me through my journey. It gave me something to be passionate about outside of drugs and alcohol—I came to find that the live music experience is brilliantly powerful, and my mission is to expose as many people to it as possible, ultimately, so that I can impact those people in a positive way.” – Matthew Romero
Tennessee Voice Over Studios
Christi Bowen
Tennessee Voice Over Studios provides premier training for voice acting in Middle Tennessee and beyond using the 3 Star Method. The method guides students to 1) learn the craft of voice acting, 2) develop a business and marketing strategy, and 3) master the technology necessary to build careers in the voiceover industry. Additionally, TNVO Studios offers private coaching, demo reel production, and casting services for producers and agents seeking quality voice talent.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Increased the number of students by 56% within a year and number of training classes by 25% over the previous year
- Nominated for a voiceover industry award as Best Industry Service Provider of the Year
- Became an affiliate of soundBOX Studio Group, with audio recording facilities in Los Angeles, Boston, and Nashville
GROWTH FINALISTS
Orange Thread LIVE
Luke McElroy
Orange Thread LIVE is a corporate AV production company specializing in events, seminars, conferences, and conventions. With an innovative approach to creativity and world-class service, they have established themselves as a leader in corporate AV production in Nashville and beyond. The company is especially known for its incredible team culture and staff who are deeply committed to ensuring the success of events.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Achieved a 10x revenue growth over four years
- Expanded staff from 4 to 19 members since 2021
- Garnered over sixty 5-star Google reviews within two years, more than any of its Middle Tennessee competitors
- Maintained a diverse client base, with no single client accounting for more than 20% of revenue
Single
Tommy Stalknecht and Taylor O’Connor
Single is a direct-to-fan Shopify application that empowers artists to sell digital content such as music, video, and memberships while capturing vital fan data. The platform provides tools to monetize, engage, and reward fans, helping artists build meaningful relationships from day one. By integrating with existing infrastructure and third-party channels, Single supports artists at any career stage, enabling them to maximize value from every fan interaction and maintain control over their brand and revenue as platforms evolve.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Secured licensing agreements with major record labels
- Developed a custodial wallet Shopify solution for the Eric Church fan club, a campaign recognized by Rolling Stone
- Powered a Fashion Week livestream event in Travis Scott’s online store, where new music was debuted, and his apparel was showcased on the runway, sponsored by Shopify
- Supported the sale of over 17,000 albums year-to-date
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
“The idea for Single came while I worked at a digital agency in Nashville managing websites, fan clubs, and stores for music clients. Transitioning to Shopify, we lost many custom tools. Noticing a gap in the Shopify App Store for music industry needs, I realized other companies and artists likely faced similar issues. I set out to develop tools to fill these gaps and make them publicly available to all.” – Tommy Stalknecht
Soundstripe
Micah Sannan, Travis Terrell, and Trevor Hinesley
Soundstripe simplifies the complexities of music licensing, ensuring legal, accessible music for creatives worldwide. Traditional licensing is exclusive, inefficient, and expensive, hindering content creation in a rapidly evolving digital age. Since pioneering the subscription model in 2016, we’ve grown our diverse catalog to over 10,000 owned songs, 70,000 sound effects, and 100,000 video clips; today, Soundstripe offers innovative, worry-free licensing solutions for everyone from small businesses to enterprises, the entertainment industry, and top brands like Pepsico and Nike.
RECENT MILESTONES
- Surpassed over 1 million users globally and facilitated more than 18 million licensed downloads
- Collectively, Soundstripe artists have won 12 GRAMMYs, achieved 30 certified-Gold/Platinum records, and landed four Billboard #1s
- A Soundstripe-exclusive cover of Nick Jonas’s “Jealous” was recently featured in hit show Bridgerton Season 3
- Soundstripe’s newest lines of business, supporting enterprise-level and media & entertainment customers, have respectively grown over 200% and 100% YoY
A NOTE FROM THE CO-FOUNDER
“As professional musicians, we learned first-hand how challenging it is to land the licensing deals critical to making a living in the industry. The esoteric music licensing model doesn’t benefit hardworking artists nor the countless creatives who need easier, more efficient ways to legally acquire music for their projects. We founded Soundstripe to revolutionize the licensing process, making studio-quality music accessible to all creatives. By removing licensing barriers, we empower artists to focus on their passion and creativity.” – Micah Sannan
To see other 2024 finalists, visit our NEXT Awards page or browse news.
