The primary hub of Nashville's startup scene has new board leadership.
The Nashville Entrepreneur Center announced its new board slate on Dec. 14. The 11-year-old nonprofit now is chaired by Janet Miller, a longtime Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce economic development official who has led the Nashville office of commercial real estate brokerage firm Colliers International (Nasdaq: CIGI) since 2014.
Some of the board's new members come from Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), new-to-Nashville law firm Spencer Fane, and health-tech company Emids (stylized emids), which is among the region's fastest-growing companies.
Sherry Stewart Deutschmann, a noted entrepreneur herself and founder of the women entrepreneurship organization BrainTrust, is vice chair of the board.
The EC, led by CEO Jane Allen, touts 800 alumni companies that have raised a total of $319 million in capital and achieved more than $100 million cumulatively when selling their companies. Among its newer and more notable programs is Twende, a year-long accelerator for Black and brown owners of tech startups.
"We’re making Nashville the best place in America to start, grow and sustain a business no matter who you are," Miller said in a press release. She succeeds Beth Chase as board chair. Chase, founder of c3/consulting, remains on the board.
The new board members are:
- Kevin Crumbo: co-Founder & CEO, Pine Haven Family Office (and former Metro Finance Director)
- Robert "Bobby" Frist Jr: CEO & Chairman, HealthStream Inc. (Nasdaq: HSTM)
- Jessa Kelley: vice president of strategy and innovation, HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA)
- Stacey Garrett Koju: partner, Spencer Fane (formerly Bone McAllester Norton PLLC)
- Andy Moats: executive vice president & director, music sports & entertainment at Pinnacle Bank (Nasdaq: PNFP)
- Courtney Ross: senior manager of external affairs, Amazon
- Steve Schnur: worldwide executive and president of music, Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: EA)
- Saurabh Sinha: founder & CEO, Emids
