(Cross-posted from Teknovation.biz)

By Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, PYA

Five of the seven new start-ups that comprise Cohort 3 of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s “Innovation Crossroads” (IC) program and two of the alumni of Cohort 1 that recently graduated were spotlighted during a showcase Thursday as part of “Innov865 Week.”

Held in collaboration with the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC), the event underscored one of the entrepreneurial strengths of the region – advanced energy and the 15 start-ups that have been or are still participating in the IC initiative. It also marked the graduation for the two alumni of Cohort 1 that recently completed the “Energy Mentor Network” program offered by TAEBC with financial support from Launch Tennessee.

During the event, I had the opportunity to have a fireside chat with the two Cohort 1 graduates – Anna Douglas of SkyNano Technologies and Mitchell Ishmael of Active Energy Systems. Both have ties to Tennessee, but both have also decided to remain here and grow their companies.

Read more here.