Innovate Xcelerate Memphis

🚀 Calling Innovate Xcelerate design thinkers, hackers, or any other innovators 🚀 Ready to take your business to the next level? Apply for Epicenter Memphis Customer Readiness Accelerator! Link below 👇

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of innovation, inspiration, and impact across the Memphis entrepreneurial ecosystem. Here's a roundup of what's been happening at Epicenter: 💡 Women Innovating Memphis – We kicked off Women’s History Month with an incredible panel featuring trailblazing women in innovation! With insights from Regina Whitley of Greater Memphis IT Council and Kathryn Hicks BVO and Creature Studio, moderated by Kontji Anthony, this discussion highlighted the challenges, triumphs, and ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and innovative Memphis ⚡ Innovate Xcelerate Memphis Hackathon, hosted by CodeCrew– Over the course of 48 hours, first-time hackers and seasoned innovators came together to tackle real-world challenges in climate tech, clean energy, logistics, and cybersecurity. Congratulations to our top three teams: 🏆 Routes and Jobs – A workforce development + public transit app 🥈 Ship It Pro – In collaboration with the Binghampton Development Corporation Business Hub 🥉 Tandem Travel – A corporate and personal travel app Audrey Willis wrote about the weekend, read about it here: https://lnkd.in/ebMKKMNk 🎓 Kauffman FastTrac Graduation – Another cohort of founders completed our FastTrac program, equipping them with critical business skills and strategies to scale their ventures. This group is ready to turn their visions into successful businesses! 🎤 Epicenter at SXSW – Hosted by LaunchTN and Greater Memphis Chamber, we brought Memphis to Austin, TX at the #TennesseeHouse. Esra Roan, PhD with Corami Biotech, Kontji Anthony with Youdle, and Evan Drumwright with Limber Robotics all pitched their groundbreaking ventures to a national audience of investors and ecosystem leaders. #MemphisInnovation #Entrepreneurship #WomenInnovatingMemphis #Hackathon #Startups #SXSW #InclusiveInnovation #EpicenterMemphis #InnovationHuboftheDelta

Are you ready to bring your ideas to life and make a real impact 🚀 Whether you're a coder, entrepreneur, creative thinker, or problem-solver, the Innovate Xcelerate Hackathon, hosted by CodeCrew, is your chance to collaborate, build, and pitch groundbreaking solutions to real-world challenges! 🗓️ March 7-9, 2025 📍150 Peabody Pl, Memphis, TN No coding experience required—just a passion for innovation! Why Join? ✅ Collaborate with fellow innovators ✅ Work with industry mentors to refine your idea ✅ Compete for a chance to develop your prototype and scale your business What’s at Stake? 🤑 The top 10 teams will receive initial funding to develop prototypes and enter a yearlong accelerator program with: ✅ Access to mentors ✅ Legal & accounting support ✅ Marketing guidance ✅ Connections to corporate buyers 🔥 At the end of the program, at least three finalists will win up to $25,000 in capital investments—with even more funding opportunities available! Hackathon Schedule: 🗓️ Friday, March 7 | 4-9 PM – Kickoff & team formation 🗓️ Saturday, March 8 | 8 AM-9 PM – Brainstorm, design & expert mentorship 🗓️ Sunday, March 9 | 8 AM-5 PM – Final pitches to a panel of judges   Spots are limited—register now to secure your place: https://lu.ma/w683j8t2

🔥 We are excited to announce Epicenter Live! 🔥 Join us on March 20 for a high-energy night celebrating Memphis culture, innovation, and community—all in one place! 🚀 🎤 Live Pitches: Hear from groundbreaking founders at SweetBio, Inc., MiCare Path, PopCheck Technologies, Inc, and MedHaul as they deliver rapid-fire pitches showcasing the next big thing in innovation. 🎶 Live Music: Enjoy a special performance by Keri Lee, with Princeton James Productions, LLC keeping the energy high all night long. 🍽️ Food Tastings & Local Spirits Bar: Savor delicious bites from City Silo Table + Pantry, Groovy Gratitude, and Lee’s Urban Apothecary while sipping Memphis-made craft cocktails curated by Juice by Jalissa—all paired with the smooth sounds of saxophonist Antonio Hobson. 🫱🏿🫲🏽 Come for the culture, stay for the connections. Whether you're an entrepreneur, creative, or supporter of local talent, this is the place to be. 📅 March 20 | 6–8:30 PM 📍 Epicenter Memphis 🔗 https://lu.ma/1bxxecff A huge thank you to our sponsors Downtown Memphis Commission & Reel Influential for making this possible! Don't miss this night of innovation, music, and food—see you there! 🎉 #EpicenterLive #MemphisCulture #InnovationMeetsMusic #SupportLocalTalent #Entrepreneurship #EpicenterMemphis