Energizing Tennessee The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council

In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Lilly Tench, Director of the Spark Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee Research Park. The two discuss the Spark Cleantech Accelerator program and how applications are open for Cohort Three until May 15, 2024. TAEBC is a proud partner of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator. We provide operational support and mentorship through our Energy Network program, which operates with support from Launch Tennessee.
Spark CTA information and application “Good Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating a Better World,” by Lilly TenchLearn more about TAEBC and the Spark Innovation Center. 
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In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Monica Walker, Manager of Renewables & Energy Strategy at General Motors.
GM has a bold vision for the future. One with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Piper and Walker discuss GM’s renewable energy commitments, electric vehicle charging partnership with the Pilot Company and Spring Hill Manufacturing facility operations. They also cover how GM was an early adopter of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Green Invest program.

Learn more about TAEBC and GM.
Support the show
Thank you to our podcast sponsor FirstBank.

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Host Cortney Piper interviews Jennifer Safavian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Autos Drive America. Autos Drive America’s mission is to grow the U.S. automotive industry by advocating for and defending open trade and investment policies that expand employment opportunities for Americans and choice for all consumers.
 Cortney and Jennifer discuss the international automotive presence in Tennessee, how the IRA and other recent federal policies impact the sector, and Autos Drive America’s 2023 Economic Impact Report. Their report found international automakers built 413,746 vehicles in the Volunteer State, creating 109,352 local jobs in Tennessee and contributing $15.7 billion to the state GSP.
Learn more about TAEBC and Autos Drive America.
Support the show
Thank you to our podcast sponsor FirstBank.

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

In what is likely Host Cortney Piper’s favorite interview to date, she interviews Liliana Ramirez, Global Director of Workforce Development at Ford. Ramirez is responsible for using cutting-edge strategies to build the manufacturing workforce required for BlueOval City and BlueOval SK Battery Park. 
In this episode, they discuss Ramirez’s 30+ year career at Ford, her passion for her work and how the company has changed since she joined in the early 1990s. The two also discuss Ford’s ambitious approach to workforce development, including BlueOval Learning and how it plans to fill 6,000 new jobs in West Tennessee!
Learn more about TAEBC and Ford's BlueOval City.
Support the show
Thank you to our podcast sponsor FirstBank.

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

How can we advance mobility solutions for all Tennesseans? In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Dr. Kevin Heaslip, Director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 
Heaslip also served as the Chief Executive Officer of TEAM TN, a partnership with the National Science Foundation and an alliance of 100 academics, industry, and technical societies led by UT Knoxville. TEAM TN’s goal is to position Tennessee on the leading edge of transportation electrification and digitization.

Learn more about TAEBC, the Center for Transportation Research, and TEAM TN.
Support the show
Thank you to our podcast sponsor FirstBank.

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Host Cortney Piper interviews Gina Bonini, Vice President and General Manager of Advanced Thermal Systems at Modine. Modine is the only U.S.-based automotive thermal management provider for electric vehicles. They are headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, but the EV component manufacturing occurs at their plant in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
Modine has a rich history of automotive thermal management, dating back to the first radiator installed on the Ford Model T. Now, Modine is at the forefront of making zero-emissions mobility a reality for all vehicle classes and duty cycles. 
Listen to Piper and Bonini talk about thermal management and why it is so critical for electrification, how Modine is overcoming engineering challenges to keep heavy-duty EVs viable in dirty and severe environments and about Modine's presence in Tennessee.
Learn more about TAEBC and Modine.
Support the show
Thank you to our podcast sponsor FirstBank.

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.