Turning Student Business Dreams into Reality

Starting a business or side hustle can be hard. But at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem is equipping student entrepreneurs with the skills and resources needed to start their own companies.

For nearly two decades, UT’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has been a resource for entrepreneurship across the state of Tennessee. Housed in the Haslam College of Business, the center helps faculty, staff, alumni and students of all majors acquire meaningful skills, experiential learning opportunities, and connections with mentors and tools that enable them to start and grow their new businesses.

Since its inception in 2009, the center has awarded more than $1 million in pre-seed funding to student start-ups through competitions like the Boyd Venture Challenge, the Graves Business Plan Competition and Vol Court.

Breanna Hale joined the Anderson Center as its executive director in November 2022. Hale is a seasoned entrepreneur, having started two of her own businesses as well as leading entrepreneurial centers in California and Utah, and she brings experience working with student start-ups to the role.

“Supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our students, faculty and alumni helps UT meet Tennessee’s workforce development needs,” said Hale. “These Vols are spurring economic growth and enriching communities across the state.”

Fostering Collaboration Across Campus

The Anderson Center collaborates with colleges and units across campus to help the Volunteer community refine their entrepreneurial skills outside the classroom. The center hosts a regular lunch and learn series to connect industry experts with students, faculty, staff and members of the Knoxville community.

Students from any major can earn an undergraduate entrepreneurship minor through the center. The curriculum includes interdisciplinary courses offered by seven of the university’s colleges and evolves with new trends in business, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation. The university saw a 26% increase in the number of students pursuing the entrepreneurship minor in the 2023-24 academic year.

The center also works closely with the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development to support the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund and the program’s partnership in the Innovation Corps Mid-South Hub.

Taking Ideas to Market

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native Brian Washington’s business AluminAiry is one of the hundreds of small businesses that have been funded by the Anderson Center. Washington came to UT in 2020 to earn his Ph.D. in chemical engineering and will graduate in December. While working with aluminum-air battery systems for his research, he formulated an idea for a company that develops and commercializes stationary and portable energy generation and storage systems based on aluminum-air battery systems. With a growing interest in entrepreneurship and business development, he looked to the Anderson Center for support.

“With the potential of technology and a newly discovered passion, AluminAiry was founded in April of this year,” said Washington. “The Anderson Center has been pivotal in the growth of AluminAiry to this point, and I look forward to future opportunities to interact with its incredible staff.”

In addition to learning and developing their skills, students and recent alumni have opportunities to launch their business ideas through the center’s Startup Studio, a 10-week accelerator program that operates in partnership with start-up founder and Department of Management and Entrepreneurship faculty member Haseeb Qureshi. Participants undergo mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration and an intensive curriculum to learn how to establish and scale their businesses.

“It’s amazing to show the potential of entrepreneurship for our students and recent grads by teaching them the tactical tools to make their ideas happen,” said Qureshi. “The power of entrepreneurship is making an impact, and I’m so incredibly proud to be encouraging that positive change through Startup Studio.”

The Anderson Center also conducts cutting-edge research on issues concerning entrepreneurship and innovation. In 2023, the center was ranked ninth in Texas Christian University’s 2024 Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings, the only global ranking that focuses on research output from entrepreneurship programs.

Strengthening a Culture of Innovation

During the 2023-24 academic year, the Anderson Center’s start-up coaches hosted over 250 hours of meetings with entrepreneurs from across campus seeking targeted high-impact mentoring. More than 1,500 students enrolled in entrepreneurship courses, with more than 150 students attending the center’s events.

On Nov. 25, the center is releasing its first-ever UT student business gift guide, which will showcase a curated collection of products and services offered by the university’s student entrepreneurs in time for the holiday season.

Entrepreneurial programs like those housed in the Anderson Center empower students to bolster their UT degrees with hands-on learning, preparing them to enter the workforce — or to forge their own paths as business owners.

“UT is truly on the cusp of some incredible growth, supported by all of the entrepreneurial resources on campus and off campus in our community,” said Hale. “The culture of innovation and appetite for entrepreneurship among our students and faculty is inspiring, and it’s only getting stronger.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Maggie Palmer (865-974-3993, mpalme19@utk.edu)