by Emma Ayala | Mar 31, 2026 | Startup Advice
We talk a lot about building a startup ecosystem in this region. What happened at ETSU's 9th annual iBUCS pitch competition is proof it's working. 14 student founders took the stage. From idea-stage…
Read More: The iBUCS Pitch Competition Just Proved Northeast Tennessee's Student Founders Are the Real Dealby Emma Ayala | Feb 2, 2026 | Startup Advice
For a long time, success has been sold as a departure. If you want to build something meaningful, the advice is almost always the same: move. Bigger city. Bigger market. Bigger network. The message…
Read More: You Can Build Big Things In Small Placesby David Nelson | Dec 31, 2025 | Startup Advice
Now that every company seems to have its own version of Spotify Rewind, it’s hard not to reflect on the previous 12 months. As I look back on 2025, it feels less like a single year and more like a…
Read More: 2025: A Year in Review with an Epic Year Aheadby David Nelson | Mar 2, 2026 | True Stories
At my first startup, our very first customer was Diageo’s Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. We hit it BIG right out of the gate. After three years, it turned out that this company was the greatest company…
Read More: The Emotional Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurshipby Emma Ayala | Jan 26, 2026 | Startup Advice
In a region where small businesses are the backbone of the community, the most successful ones are not always the loudest or the biggest. More often, they are the most intentional. The Bush House is…
Read More: The Bush House: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Building with Visionby Emma Ayala | Dec 29, 2025 | Startup Advice
Some Apparel is a play on the word “Some,” a nod to founder Kevin Sommers’ last name—but the story behind the brand goes far deeper than the name. At its core, it’s about choosing freedom: freedom…
Read More: Kevin Sommers and the Story Behind Some Apparelby Emma Ayala | Mar 2, 2026 | Startup Advice
We love to celebrate entrepreneurship at its loudest. The ribbon cuttings. The million-dollar Series A investments. The founders who quit their job to pursue their dream. But sometimes the most…
Read More: The 130-Storefront Ecosystem Hiding Inside One Johnson City Buildingby David Nelson | Jan 9, 2026 | Startup Advice
The economic development landscape for communities of all sizes is constantly changing, just like the economy itself. Technology continues to evolve, people are more mobile than ever, and a new wave…
Read More: Economic Development Is Broken—Entrepreneurs Are the Fixby Emma Ayala | Dec 15, 2025 | Startup Advice
327 East Main Street didn’t sit empty for long. Just a month after Some Apparel closed, ETSU senior Calli Hall stepped into the very same space with her brand-new storefront, Calli Rose, and with it…
Read More: How Calli Rose Found it's Home on East Main Streetby Emma Ayala | Mar 31, 2026 | Startup Advice
We talk a lot about building a startup ecosystem in this region. What happened at ETSU's 9th annual iBUCS pitch competition is proof it's working. 14 student founders took the stage. From idea-stage…
Read More: The iBUCS Pitch Competition Just Proved Northeast Tennessee's Student Founders Are the Real Dealby David Nelson | Mar 2, 2026 | True Stories
At my first startup, our very first customer was Diageo’s Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. We hit it BIG right out of the gate. After three years, it turned out that this company was the greatest company…
Read More: The Emotional Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurshipby Emma Ayala | Mar 2, 2026 | Startup Advice
We love to celebrate entrepreneurship at its loudest. The ribbon cuttings. The million-dollar Series A investments. The founders who quit their job to pursue their dream. But sometimes the most…
Read More: The 130-Storefront Ecosystem Hiding Inside One Johnson City Buildingby Emma Ayala | Feb 2, 2026 | Startup Advice
For a long time, success has been sold as a departure. If you want to build something meaningful, the advice is almost always the same: move. Bigger city. Bigger market. Bigger network. The message…
Read More: You Can Build Big Things In Small Placesby Emma Ayala | Jan 26, 2026 | Startup Advice
In a region where small businesses are the backbone of the community, the most successful ones are not always the loudest or the biggest. More often, they are the most intentional. The Bush House is…
Read More: The Bush House: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Building with Visionby David Nelson | Jan 9, 2026 | Startup Advice
The economic development landscape for communities of all sizes is constantly changing, just like the economy itself. Technology continues to evolve, people are more mobile than ever, and a new wave…
Read More: Economic Development Is Broken—Entrepreneurs Are the Fixby David Nelson | Dec 31, 2025 | Startup Advice
Now that every company seems to have its own version of Spotify Rewind, it’s hard not to reflect on the previous 12 months. As I look back on 2025, it feels less like a single year and more like a…
Read More: 2025: A Year in Review with an Epic Year Aheadby Emma Ayala | Dec 29, 2025 | Startup Advice
Some Apparel is a play on the word “Some,” a nod to founder Kevin Sommers’ last name—but the story behind the brand goes far deeper than the name. At its core, it’s about choosing freedom: freedom…
Read More: Kevin Sommers and the Story Behind Some Apparelby Emma Ayala | Dec 15, 2025 | Startup Advice
327 East Main Street didn’t sit empty for long. Just a month after Some Apparel closed, ETSU senior Calli Hall stepped into the very same space with her brand-new storefront, Calli Rose, and with it…
Read More: How Calli Rose Found it's Home on East Main StreetWe would love to hear it! Just submit your idea and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
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