36|86 points to a bright high-tech future in Tennessee
When you put on a major event, there are always some last-minute jitters. Even with an amazing lineup of speakers, high-caliber attendees and every other positive, there’s always a little worry. But, as usual when it comes to Launch Tennessee’s annual June event, there was nothing to worry about.
The feedback we are receiving about last week’s 36|86 conference is tremendous. That’s due to everyone who took part, including:
•34 outstanding start-ups from seven Southeastern states and the District of Columbia
•57 speakers who graced the stage over two days, including more than 30 percent females
•120 investors from 15 different states and 86 different firms
•900+ attendees
Thank you one and all for participating and making a great conference! This was our third year to produce a summertime conference and, by all measures, it was our best yet.
One of those measures for us at Launch Tennessee is the buzz that Nashville and Tennessee get at the event. Not from us — we’re always touting the benefits of doing business in the Volunteer State — but from attendees and speakers. This year the accolades were nonstop, and were coming from some pretty heavy hitters. For example, there’s this from Eventbrite cofounder Julia Hartz, who along with husband (and cofounder) Kevin addressed attendees and took part in panel discussions: “We have 100 ‘Nashbrites,’ and it’s an incredible team here. The hospitality has been amazing, the talent in Nashville is amazing and we are looking to expand and double down on our investment.”
For the uninitiated, Eventbrite began in 2006 in California, and now has a valuation of more than $1 billion, and has more than 500 employees in seven countries. The Nashville office is only its second in the United States outside California, Kevin Hartz says, and highlights how much of a tech trailblazer Nashville has become.
“It feels like Silicon Valley 10 years ago, with all the entrepreneurs and engineers around,” he said. “We have 15 engineers here and we are trying to grow that fast. We’re finding really great talent, and there’s a real network and community forming here. It takes a lot of different elements to get that up and running, but we’re excited to have set up an office here, and we definitely see the seeds of a thriving tech community here.”
Other speakers shared more of the same. It’s not news to us, because we see the talent coming to, and through, our accelerator networks every day. We field the phone calls from tech firms of all sizes who want to find out everything from workforce stats to available office space.
Investors from the coasts also talked about the benefits of doing deals in the Volunteer State. In addition to being able to find some great companies, there is not such a “valuation bubble” in our region and the costs for real estate and tech talent is much more reasonable than in New York and California. Investors’ money can last longer in Tennessee and the Southeast, and the lower valuations mean higher returns for investors down the road.
Nashville, Tennessee and the Southeast have been something of a “best-kept secret” in terms of tech growth for a while now, but what we saw on stage last week would indicate that the cat’s out of the bag. And for all of us, that’s a good thing.
We look forward to continuing our efforts to bring smart, sustainable tech growth to the state. Come see us at 36|86 in 2016, and see the progress we’ve made. I assure you, it’ll be remarkable.
Charlie Brock is CEO of Launch Tennessee (www.launchtn.org), a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee with the ultimate goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 state in the Southeast for entrepreneurs to start and grow a company.