Big Ideas Welcome Podcast Knoxville Entrepreneur Center

Tanika joins Big Ideas Welcome host Chris McAdoo to talk about what matters most to her as an entrepreneur and community leader. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tanika Harper has always been driven by a spirit of innovation and a desire to make a positive impact. 
As a serial entrepreneur, she has successfully launched and managed four small businesses, each one a testament to her unwavering dedication and entrepreneurial prowess. One of Tanika's primary passions lies in championing the development of Black-owned startups. Tanika is a vocal advocate for equity and representation in the business world, and she actively seeks to create opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs. With her relentless drive, entrepreneurial expertise, and genuine desire to uplift others, Tanika Harper continues to make a lasting impact in the world of entrepreneurship. 
Learn more: 
Harper's Naturals Website | Instagram
Shora Foundation Website
The Women Website | Instagram
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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Ed Rottmann has a big idea: Entrepreneurs should be empowering their teams to accomplish their work without them. 
"Your job is to empower your team to be the best it can be."
...Ed Rottmann
Rottmann is the founder and CEO of Chroma Energy Group. Prior to forming Chroma, Ed served as the COO for Stowers Machinery Corporation, East Tennessee’s only Caterpillar Distributor. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. He also serves as president of the board for The Tennessee Theatre and as a board member for the Tennessee Road Builders Association. 
Rottmann digs deep into his three core leadership philosophies as a team leader, and a founder of a rapidly growing energy technology company: 
Step one: Focus on retention, then recruitment.
Step two: Get to know your people. 
Step three: Build structure and empower your teams and team leaders. 
Learn more about Ed and Chroma at chromaenergygroup.com and connect on LinkedIn HERE! 
Listen to all episodes of the Big Ideas Welcome podcast, available now on your favorite streaming platforms and at bigideaswelcome.com.
This Big Ideas Welcome podcast is brought to you by Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, hosted and curated by Chris McAdoo, and produced and edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.
#BigIdeasWelcome #MadeForKnoxville #TheMakerCity #innov865 
Youtube link to interview (also available at bigideaswelcome.com):
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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Paris Woodhull shares her incredible journey in her #madeforknoxville talk, entitled "No Turning Back", where she literally takes the keys to her future in her hands. Odds are you’ll recognize Paris Woodhull’s artwork – it’s featured all over Knoxville! Paris was born to create, and to share that creativity with others, backed by a fierce determination to reject the “starving artist” model for a life that is fed by artful curiosity, business savvy, and what has now become one of the strongest brands in the region’s art scene. Paris brings a youthful, spontaneous energy to whatever she does, and you can’t help but smile when you drive by large pieces, like the 80ft #wallsforwomen mural, titled “Victoria” at Print Shop Beer in South Knoxville, or while searching the shelves at RALA for original prints, t-shirts, and her famous tea towels.

AND host Chris McAdoo caught up with Paris to see what's up now...and what's up next!
It's been one year since artist Paris Woodhull opened up for her storefront in downtown Knoxville, TN - and it's been one year since she gave her talk, "No Turning Back" to a packed house as part of Knoxville Entrepreneur Center's #MadeforKnoxville LIVE series. What has she learned - and what's happening next? Find out in this exclusive bonus interview with KEC's own Chris McAdoo, and listen to her talk on the Big Ideas Welcome podcast at bigideaswelcome.com

Paris Woodhull Website | Instagram | Facebook

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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

“There’s so much we could design if we honestly just asked each other what we wanted.” - Jaleria Rivera
Jaleria founded the soon-to-be artists studio co-op, SpaceCraft, because like herself, artists need space to practice, play, and connect without the worries of perfection or production. Above all, Jaleria has an infectious energy, and a desire to bring people together to accomplish…big ideas. She believes that by coming together, sharing our unique perspectives without judgment, and collectively envisioning the type of future we want to see, we have the power to reshape our communities and allocate resources to bring our visions to life.

Jaleria Rivera on LinkedIn
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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Hannah Lee has a BIG IDEA: “The four-day workweek will change the way we work.” 
Hannah is the CEO and Co-founder of Second Mile, an award-winning revenue operations agency focused on helping its clients scale smarter and improve the workweek.
She believes very strongly in the power of time, and making the most of it, - so it was important to her and her Second Mile team to tackle the possibilities, benefits and challenges of the four-day workweek. They’ve seen increased productivity, consistent revenue growth, and improved employee work-life balance. 
They’ve also been keen to focus on building a positive, collaborative culture where employees can communicate freely, and quickly - to accomplish big things in a limited timeframe. As Hannah succinctly puts it, “If you have two weeks to pack, or two hours, you will fill the suitcase”. 


Now, she is sharing her passion for the four day work week with the world, including speaking at one of the biggest marketing conferences in the world, INBOUND 2023! 


To learn more about Hannah, connect with her on LinkedIn or check out Second Mile. 

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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Jonathan “Courageous” Clark is this week’s Big Ideas Welcome podcast guest. Jonathan’s Big Idea: Art and Science can answer the world's toughest questions. 

Multidisciplinary Artist, Activist and CEO/Founder of ART.Official Intelligence, Jonathan Clark, also known as “Courageous,” currently serves as a member of the Knoxville Mayor’s Maker City Council, a board member of the Network of Ensemble Theaters and The Waymakers Collective, and formerly as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Alternate ROOTS.

Jonathan shares a poem about The Maker City, and the artistic process of making "something out of nothing". He then talks about his journey into artistic entrepreneurship through programs like Co.Starters and 100 Knoxville. These programs, and the people he met along the way, helped him realize his desire to build his own company, Art.Official Intelligence, and he has a big mission: to foster empathy and overcome bias by blending creative art and psychological science. Now working with organizations like The University of Tennessee College of Nursing, Jonathan continues to change mindsets (including his own), begin new conversations, and open up new environments. 

Jonathan is a native son of Knoxville, TN and Alumnus of the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, whose professional performance career began at the age of thirteen with The Carpetbag Theatre’s T.R.Y. Youth Theatre Ensemble and he’s remained a working performance artist ever since; traveling the country performing original poetry, acting, facilitating DEI workshops and immersing himself in as much culture as the United States has to offer. Courageous is a Spoken Word Poet, Writer, Playwright, Director, Event Host, Actor, Digital Storyteller/Listener, Teaching Artist, Baker and Dad Joke Connoisseur.

Find out more about Jonathan: Instagram | LinkedIn | #madeforknoxville

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KEC: Instagram | Facebook | Website I Twitter | Linkedin
#MadeforKnoxville Website
Chris McAdoo: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Check Us Out: Website

If you have any questions, comments, or big ideas of your own, email us at hello@bigideaswelcome.com

The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.