• ZeroTo510, a Memphis-based Medical Device accelerator, has launched six medical device companies with products now on the market. The Memphis-based accelerator program was named one of the nation’s top 25 accelerators for three consecutive years. • Sparkgap Logistics Accelerator is a 115-day program that connects logistics tech founders with crucial early-stage funding, as well as mentoring from some of the top figures in the supply chain and logistics industry. The Sparkgap accelerator provides a real-life laboratory for product and idea testing and refinement using real corporate assets in the center of America’s logistics capital. Supporting women and minority-owned businesses is also a high priority for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Memphis. A 2019 study by the Center for American Entrepreneurship noted that Memphis is one of the nation’s strongest metros for first-round funding for female-founded startups. The share of female-founded startups in Memphis raising a first round of venture capital was 45 percent between 2016-2017 compared to 21 percent nationally. The City of Memphis oversees an effort called The 800 Initiative aimed at building greater capacity for minorityowned businesses with five or fewer employees. The program offers training, support and access to resources for entrepreneurs of color. Through the Greater Memphis Chamber’s ASCEND Business Development Program – minority-owned small businesses have been paired with established member companies for mentoring opportunities. Twenty-eight minority firms have participated in the program, now in its second year.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
If you’re a young professional new to Memphis or just new to the Memphis workforce, congratulations—you’re currently in one of the top cities for Millennials according to research by the Urban Land Institute (2017). But we know you also want more than just a great job and an affordable place to live. You want a way to get involved and make a difference in the community and even the world. For those of you seeking to participate meaningfully in shaping the policies and developing the strategies that will grow the Memphis economy, consider becoming a member of SoundCheck: A Young Professionals Council of the Greater Memphis Chamber. There are a variety of ways young professionals can get plugged into this soulful city. Check them out and start paving a way for a better tomorrow.
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GREATER MEMPHIS RELOCATION GUIDE
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS NEW MEMPHIS INSTITUTE www.newmemphis.org LEADERSHIP MEMPHIS www.leadershipmemphis.org SOUNDCHECK YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COUNCIL www.memphischamber.com MEMPHIS URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS www.mulyp.org YOUNG AT ART www.dixon.org/youngatart JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF MEMPHIS AND THE MID-SOUTH, INC. www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-memphis/ THE LATINO MEMPHIS YOUNG PROFESSIONAL FELLOWS www.latinomemphis.org
