Presented by Amazon, Middle Tennessee’s entrepreneurs honored for driving innovation and city growth
Nashville, Tenn. (Tuesday, October 22, 2024) – Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC) unveiled the 2024 NEXT Awards winners, spotlighting entrepreneurs reshaping industries and fueling Middle Tennessee’s growth. Presented by Amazon, 14 startup and high growth business leaders took the stage, drawing over 600 attendees to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Monday, October 21.
Individuals and businesses awarded at two stages of growth:
Two Entrepreneurs of 2024 in their respective stages:
Startup Entrepreneur of 2024: Woody Baum, Local Infusion
Growth Entrepreneur of 2024: Kaitlin Feriante, Redwood Literacy
Twelve total winners (one in each stage) from the following industry categories include:
Healthcare
Startup: Local Infusion
Growth: Thalamus
Financial Services
Startup: inRev
Growth: Celero Commerce
Music, Sports, Gaming and Entertainment
Startup: Absolutely Ridiculous
Growth: Single
Products and Services
Startup: HeroWear
Growth: Redwood Literacy
Real Estate and Construction
Startup: Urban Campus and Core, LLC
Growth: Grade A Construction, LLC
Hospitality and Retail
Startup: Killjoy
Growth: The Nashville Black Market
“This year’s 2024 NEXT Awards brought together Middle Tennessee’s vibrant business community to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation, making it our biggest night of the year,” said Sam Davidson, CEO of Nashville Entrepreneur Center. “The accomplishments we’re honoring tonight are a testament to the power of collaboration. It’s through the collective efforts of our sponsors, donors, partners, NEXT Awards Committee, volunteers and EC staff that we continue to realize our vision for Nashville’s entrepreneurial future. Together, we’re driving progress, and tonight’s celebration is a reflection of what we can achieve when we unite with a shared purpose. Truly, we are better, together.”
Announced in August, the EC also welcomed five inductees into the 2024 Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame for their life-long contributions to Nashville’s entrepreneurial community. The evening was supported by its major sponsors: Presenting Sponsor (HERO): Amazon; Champion: Hudson Lee Carter. This year’s co-chairs were Janet Miller, Colliers Nashville CEO; Wanda Lyle, UBS (retired); Mignon Francois, The Cupcake Collection Founder & CEO; Sam Davidson, Nashville Entrepreneur Center CEO.
About Nashville Entrepreneur Center
Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 2010 to help make Nashville the best place to start and grow a business by increasing the likelihood of success for entrepreneurs. Since inception, the NEC has helped more than 14,000 entrepreneurs, including 1,000 alumni, who have raised over $319M in capital, generated $417M in revenue and experienced over $100+M in exits. Learn more about the NEC by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook; @entrecenter on Instagram & Twitter and at www.EC.co.
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