Launch Tennessee names FoundersForge as Northeast Tennessee Network Partner

For immediate release
July 27, 2026

Launch Tennessee names FoundersForge as Northeast Tennessee Network Partner
Johnson City nonprofit to strengthen support for entrepreneurs across eight-county region

Nashville - Launch Tennessee has selected FoundersForge to serve as its Regional Entrepreneur Center Network Partner for Northeast Tennessee, continuing the organization's commitment to supporting innovative companies, attracting investment capital, and providing a welcoming front door for entrepreneurs across the region.

FoundersForge was selected to join LaunchTN's Network Partners through a routine, competitive RFP process. The nonprofit organization has been serving Northeast Tennessee entrepreneurs since its founding in 2020.

"We've spent six years proving that Northeast Tennessee's founders can compete with anyone," FoundersForge Executive Director David Nelson said. "This partnership with LaunchTN lets us take what we've built and open the door even wider by bringing new resources to all eight counties in Northeast Tennessee."

Through its Johnson City office, the entrepreneur center will serve Hancock, Hawkins, Sullivan, Johnson, Carter, Washington, Unicoi, and Greene counties.

"FoundersForge already has a strong presence in the area and knows the work and stakes," LaunchTN CEO Lindsey Cox said. "The organization is primed to continue its first-rate work in Northeast Tennessee."

FoundersForge will support the innovation and startup ecosystem across Launch Tennessee's 3 C's: Capital, Commercialization, and Connections. Initial plans include an expansion of a startup bootcamp for the entire Northeast Tennessee footprint, and the build out of capital readiness programming.

"Becoming the Regional Entrepreneur Center for Northeast Tennessee is about making sure every founder in the region, no matter what county they live in, has a clear front door to the same resources as anyone else in the state," Nelson said. "LaunchTN has been a great resource for our startup community since the day we launched, and this partnership lets us extend what's already working into every corner of Northeast Tennessee. It also brings additional resources to our founders and to the other startup ecosystem supporters doing this work alongside us."

It joins eight other regional entrepreneur centers that span the state from Memphis to the Tri-Cities.

• Epicenter, Greater Memphis region
• Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, Eastern region
• Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Northern Middle region
• The Biz Foundry, Upper Cumberland region
• theCO, Southwest region
• The Company Lab (CO.LAB), Southeast region
• The Mill Workspace, Northwest region
• NOVA Entrepreneur Center, Southern Middle region

About LaunchTN
Launch Tennessee is a 501c3 nonprofit and a public-private partnership focused on fueling high-growth companies and helping founders translate new ideas into real-world impact. By strengthening Tennessee's entrepreneurial network, the organization plays a key role in driving long-term economic development. Learn more at launchtn.org.

About FoundersForge
FoundersForge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to amplifying the startup community in the Appalachian Highlands and beyond. Through free coaching, events, and a network of experienced mentors, FoundersForge helps aspiring founders validate their ideas, access resources, and launch companies faster and more successfully. FoundersForge hosts the annual Startup Mountain Summit and authored the Avante Startup Bootcamp, a licenseable, turnkey curriculum that helps communities build and grow their own startup ecosystems. Learn more at foundersforge.com.