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Spirit of Innovation: Meet Our 2019 Finalists

Lizzie Hickman

Innovation is the lifeblood of entrepreneurship and best business practices. It's also part of why Chattanooga is an amazing place to live, work and play.

We’re highlighting companies who find creative solutions for challenges in their industries.

The Spirit of Innovation Awards recognize local companies who are changing the game. Join us Oct. 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. to celebrate our Spirit of Innovation Award finalists. Until then, get to know these innovative companies.

Adventure Sports Innovation

When thinking about high-tech experiences, outdoor play and fun transportation may not be the first things to spring to mind. Until now.

Adventure Sports Innovation’s mission is to pioneer new technology for outdoor experiences, enabling our community to explore and experience recent inventions and innovations in a fun and safe environment. This company is disrupting the existing adventure sports model through experts who provide exhibitions, demonstration rides and training sessions in a low-risk environment at an affordable price.  


American Bicycle Group

Traditionally, when shopping for a mountain or road bike, consumers go to a local bike shop and choose a bike that was ordered a year ago and has been sitting on the showroom floor waiting for a home.

American Bicycle Group (ABG) has a different philosophy. Whether you’re looking for a bike to climb mountains, complete a triathlon or to shred ounces, ABG has a bike for you. Ordering through ABG lets consumers customize tires, color and much more. The bike ships to consumers' doorsteps and only needs two tools to put together and maintain.


Chattanooga Whiskey

Chattanooga Whiskey challenged prohibition era laws to bring their distillery to Chattanooga. And did we mention they have the only Experimental Distillery in the country? Let’s raise a glass to Chattanooga Whiskey’s spirit (get it?) of innovation.


FreightWaves

The freight industry and the companies working in this space often rely on data that is months old while shipping decisions are made within 48 hours of the shipment.

FreightWaves harnesses traditional journalistic information gathering to ensure the latest stories and data are shared with the freight community. FreightWaves also created SONAR, the first real-time market analytics platform designed to deliver data contributing to rate fluctuations.


Landrace Bioscience

In December 2018, U.S. Congress passed the Farm Bill which allows industrialized hemp to be cultivated, processed and sold. Processed hemp can be turned into cannabinoids or CBD and sold to consumers looking for a calming effect or decreased inflammation.

CBD is non-intoxicating and naturally derived. Landrace Bioscience acted as a part of Tennessee’s provisional pilot licensing program for hemp processing before the Farm Bill passed. Landrace Bioscience has moved multiple CBD products into the patent protection space and is revamping the CBD supply chain through innovative processing solutions.


WorkHound

Workforce development is tricky, especially when considering workforce retention and engaging non-desk employees. WorkHound helps people love what they do by providing a platform for real-time, anonymous employee feedback collected via an easy to use platform.

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