A new initiative from the Nashville Entrepreneur Center

You’ve been building alone long enough.

Founders Circles is Nashville’s dedicated community for underrepresented founders — women, founders of color, veterans, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs ready to build together.

Start the conversation →
See what’s included

Coffee and Connections with Women Founders

2%of venture capital that goes to women founders

16%loan approval rate for Black business owners — vs. 35% for white owners

0.8%of VC funding goes to veteran-founded companies — vs. 9% of the U.S. population that’s veteran

93%of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs cite capital access as a significant challenge

Why we built this

The numbers are clear. The networks haven’t caught up.

The Nashville Entrepreneur Center directly serves 128 founders of color, 121 women founders, 34 veteran founders, and 24 LGBTQ+ founders through membership and accelerator programming.

65%of EC’s overall accelerator participants are founders of color, women, veterans, or LGBTQ+ founders.

These founders represent enormous potential for Tennessee’s economy. But they continue to face structural barriers their peers don’t — in capital access, professional networks, and public visibility. The gaps aren’t about ambition or capability. They’re about systems that haven’t kept pace.

Founders Circles exists to close that gap — through community-first programming, capital education, and sustained public visibility for underrepresented builders across Nashville.

Sources: Bankrate (2023, 2025) · Federal Reserve · National Women’s Business Council · World Economic Forum (2025) · U.S. Treasury SSBCI Spotlight (2024)

Capital

Know the money. Get the money.

Demystifying funding and building real financial confidence — from understanding the capital landscape to hands-on help with loan and grant applications.

Capital 101 — the full funding landscape
Loan & Grant Application Workshops
Capital Readiness: Get to Know Your Banker
Certifying Entity Day (MBE, WBE, VOSB)

ii.

Community

Find your people.

Business success doesn’t happen in isolation. Founders Circles brings underrepresented founders together in peer cohorts and community spaces built for connection.

Veterans Peer Group — already running
Founders of Color Peer Group — already running
Summer Play Series at founder-owned venues
Identity-aligned happy hours and meetups

iii.

Representation

Your story deserves an audience.

Founders Circles amplifies underrepresented entrepreneurs through media features, speaking placements, and a sustained social campaign across EC’s channels.

Founder spotlights on EC platforms
Exited Founder Series conversations
Professional headshots coordination
Speaker and panelist placements

Get connected

One short form. Zero pressure.

Start the conversation →

In their words

I’m in the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. If I had to say what is my favorite organization that I’m a part of, and I’m part of a lot of them, EC is my favorite. It’s not the curriculum, though that matters. It’s the room. The people in it. The casual conversations between modules that change your business.

Paul Whitten · EC Veteran Community

May 21, 2026

Ready to build with people who get it?

If you’re building in Nashville and you’re ready to stop doing it alone — this is for you.

Peer groups

Available to EC members. Recurring, identity-aligned cohorts that meet for accountability and support.

Play events

Open to the public. Community gatherings, coffee meetups, and happy hours — no membership required.