INCubator at BDC Awarded $50,000 Microsoft TechSpark Fellowship

Established in 2017, TechSpark is a Microsoft civic program designed to promote digital skills, increase access to broadband, and foster inclusive economic opportunity.

Since its inception in seven communities across the country, the program secured more than $125 million in community funding – advancing skills for 55,000 people and creating more than 3,000 jobs.

Program funds help drive economic growth in bi-national communities like Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They’ve supported efforts to bridge the skill divide by advancing manufacturing in cities like El Paso, Texas and fostered digital equity opportunities in cities like Jackson, Mississippi.

The Chattanooga Chamber’s INCubator program housed in Hamilton County’s Business Development Center (BDC) announced its entry into Microsoft’s TechSpark Fellowship – receiving $50,000 to help support its mission of advancing local startups through resources, coaching and workspaces.

“Hamilton County’s Business Development Center has supported hundreds of small businesses in the critical early days of each entrepreneur’s journey. Local entrepreneurs will have even more opportunities ahead by harnessing these digital tools to help grow their businesses,” Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said.

The fellowship represents the first time TechSpark has collaborated with the INCubator, with the objective of startups leveraging technology to grow, innovate and compete.

Located in downtown Chattanooga the Chamber’s INCubator is the largest business incubator in Tennessee and third largest in the United States

Serving as an integral part of Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for more than 30 years, the program provides 127,000 square feet of startup business support to cultivate sustainable enterprises that create jobs for Hamilton County.

These efforts will now be supported through TechSpark to tackle digital inclusion in four focus areas: digital access, digital skills, computer science education, and digital transformation. 

“This collaboration with Microsoft TechSpark will help fulfill our mission to advance economic opportunity, job creation and innovation in Hamilton County,” said Bill Lupia, Director, Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.

Learn more about TechSpark, here.

Learn more about the INCubator and its clients through our Chattanooga Chamber website, here.

Read about the INCubator’s $70 million impact, here.

Other Topics

Adam Myers will serve as Vice President, Economic Development, Charles Wood, President and CEO, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, has announced. "Adam’s decade-plus of experience in both the public and private sectors and a strong track record in economic development…

In Chattanooga - this bustling city where entrepreneurs are a driving force - veterans own fewer than 10% of businesses. However, through local university programs and Chattanooga-area company support, veteran entrepreneurs are equipping themselves with more essential tools and better…

This week in Chattanooga, government officials, industry leaders, and experts convened at the Tennessee Economic Development Conference, GovCon23, to discuss various aspects of economic development in the state. One of the highlights of the event was the Commissioner's Luncheon, where…

While many companies offer fitness reimbursements or discounts, some local companies go the extra mile by providing on-site exercise facilities. Engaging in physical activity produces many benefits that extend into the workday, including improved mental and physical well-being, reduced absenteeism…

Last week the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Lookout Counseling Association and Chattanooga State Community College, hosted the annual College and Career Fair for local high school seniors.   The event is a unique opportunity for students…

The Chattanooga Chamber has announced that Jesse Branum will serve as Director of Accounting. "Jesse’s resourcefulness combined with over a decade of experience in financial management and exceptional team leadership will greatly contribute to the Chamber’s financial excellence,” Yolonda Hayslett, MBA,…

Sign up for weekly updates.