SkyNano is an East Tennessee deep tech start-up success story; one that the Co-Founder, Anna Douglas has been writing for seven years. On Tuesday morning, Douglas, alongside dozens of community members and partners, celebrated the ribbon cutting for SkyNano’s new 20,000-square-foot facility in Louisville, Tennessee.
SkyNano brings to market new, cutting-edge technology that helps with global decarbonization efforts. For the last several years, Douglas has been developing and expanding novel electrochemical manufacturing technology for the capture and conversion of CO2 into carbon-based materials, primarily carbon nanotubes.
Her revolutionary concept captured the attention of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2017, around the time Tom Rogers spearheaded the launch of the Innovation Crossroads program. Through the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Douglas joined the first cohort of the post-doctoral entrepreneurship program. It was ultimately the influence of that program, community connections, and a robust support system that convinced her to plant her research, and new facility in East Tennessee.
This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 208th installment visiting with Amy Woods, owner and founder of Women Choosing Excellence which exists because of what happens for women because of what they do. They find their passions, rediscover who they are after walking out of a fireball of a situation, heal, forgive, and find their leadership in their life and in their business. By doing so traditions of circumstances change, and the movement forward creates different legacy’s that allow women.
Tell me more. Women choosing excellence is a 6 month or 12 month coaching container where we meet on a weekly basis, my clients will soon have access to a digital course they can implement in their own time, and they have access to me 24 hours a day through telegram. By doing so the women in this program gain the support they need, the accountability to not become “stuck” in their fear, and heal anything from their past so as they move forward they are living in the present. This is done through mindfulness practices, NLP strategies, and psycho-cybernetics. By using these modalities they gain a better understanding of how their mind works, and how their body is affected through their thoughts, and are able to start reconditioning their way of thinking and any habits they might want to change or shift. This results in more control over their life, reaching goals they want to accomplish, which builds confidence and self-worth.
How did you get started? I was getting ready to graduate college in 2020 and looking for an internship. I had been homeless before going to college and wanted to ensure I kept moving forward in my life. Then the country shut down and all internships shut down without a date to be back up. I had to do something to keep going so I decided I had a computer, internet, and skills so I started a business in marketing. Not really knowing how to run a business, I went through some failures but that is when I discovered I could be a life coach and a sales coach. I became mindfulness certified, NLP certified, and as I healed from some trauma of my own past, I saw how I could help others, That is when Women Choosing Excellence was fully formed.
What is your background? I used to be a real estate agent many years ago in a different state where I was very successful. Also through college, my major was Communications with a professional writing marketing background. While in college I earned 7 advanced leadership certifications through the NSLS, and was nominated into a few other college community’s. The life skills I earned from completely changing my own life is the main skill I learned. Through knowing the emotions and impact it can have on you to go from the absolute bottom to transformation isn’t something that is learned in a class setting. It’s experienced.
Describe your clients. My clients are women who just ran out of a fire and has gone through the process of cleaning up their mess, and are looking to rebuild. They are spiritual or accepting of spirituality as I also use intuition and other modalities to calm minds and bodies. They aren’t looking to be co-dependent but are at that point of change catalyst to take action. They are love, kindness, generosity, loyal, and truth. They have humor and aren’t easily offended, and can fail while learning and understanding its not over. They are strength, power, and resilience.
What do you enjoy most about your profession? The people, my clients, and the professional network I have built around me. I am actually friends with most of my clients who live around the world. We even meet up as we travel, or do an on purpose trip to an event together or somewhere fun. They are the best relationships I have ever had. The people I have connected with outside of being my clients are all inspiring, and are bringing change to the world around them. This is just magic to be a part of and I am grateful everyday for the life I have chosen to live.
What else is going on with you? I am starting to do speaking, and will be publishing a book this summer. I have published one journal called Infinite Empowerment and have been a collaborator in a book called Whatever It Takes. This spring I will be publishing a second journal call Love Your Life, A Journal For Women.
Working towards building for the future, the Blount Partnership’s Early Education Task Force is proud to announce the launch of Blount4Kids.com, a groundbreaking online platform dedicated to providing comprehensive early education and childcare resources. The website aims to promote economic growth and stability in Blount County by increasing workforce participation and work readiness through accessible, high-quality early education and childcare services.
Blount4Kids.com is designed to address the critical need for affordable, quality childcare and early education options in our community. With a mission to support families and caregivers, the platform offers a wealth of resources, including:
– Directory of licensed childcare providers: Parents can easily find accredited childcare centers, home-based providers, and preschools in their area, ensuring peace of mind and quality care for their children.
– Educational materials and activities: The website features a variety of educational resources, including age-appropriate learning activities, developmental milestones, and tips for fostering early childhood development.
– Early Education Careers: Blount4Kids.com provides information on available opportunities to find a career in early education and childcare with properly licensed programs.
– Community support and engagement: The platform encourages community involvement and collaboration by facilitating connections between parents, caregivers, educators, and local organizations dedicated to early childhood development.
“With Blount4Kids.com, we recognize the importance of early childhood education and its impact on the future success of our children and our community,” said Director of Workforce Development Jessica Belitz. “By providing families with access to quality childcare options and empowering caregivers with valuable resources, we aim to create a more vibrant and economically resilient Blount County.”
The launch of Blount4Kids.com represents a significant step forward in addressing the childcare crisis and supporting the economic prosperity of Blount County. By investing in early education and childcare, the website aims to equip children with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive academically and socially, while enabling parents to pursue employment opportunities and contribute to the local economy.
For more information about Blount4Kids.com and its services, please visit www.blount4kids.com.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) released its newest anthem video, “Born to Make,” in conjunction with February serving as National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in Tennessee.
CTE gives students and adults the academic skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers while also building upon skills to prepare them for a wide range of jobs in high demand. While CTE is taught to school-aged students in middle and high school, it is also offered to adult students at postsecondary institutions in an effort to give more Tennesseans the skills they need to obtain careers across a variety of industries.
Gov. Bill Lee issued a proclamation asking Tennesseans to join him in celebrating February 2024 as Career and Technical Education Month and highlighting how CTE gives Tennessee students opportunities to advance their education and training in order to better position them for future success while also strengthening Tennessee’s workforce pipeline.
“The pathway to success doesn’t look the same for every Tennessean and while attending a four-year institution may be the right option for some, a certification from one of our Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology may be right for others,” said Gov. Lee, “We have prioritized career readiness so that more Tennesseans are given the opportunity to follow the career path of their choosing.”
“Born to Make” focuses on the Tennesseans that create products known around the world from here in the Volunteer State. From cars and boats to whiskey and chocolate to chart-topping songs and motion pictures, “Born to Make” celebrates Tennessee’s workforce across a number of industries.
“The strength of Tennessee’s brand wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the men and women who contribute to exceptional products that are made in our state,” said TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “In ‘Born to Make,’ we recognize and applaud the skilled individuals that dedicate their talents to the success of Tennessee’s businesses and the reputation we are known for around the globe.”
Watch “Born to Make” here and follow TNECD on social media to see highlights of the businesses and workforce that shape Tennessee.
Anyone looking for a job or wanting career development opportunities should attend the Blount County Job Fair February 21 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Foothills Mall in Maryville. This event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. Attendees are asked to utilize the entrance between Cancun Restaurant and TJ Maxx.
More than 50 employers, including Smith & Wesson and Amazon, are expected on site offering employment in the areas of healthcare, internet technology, hospitality, public services, construction, aviation, education, banking and more. Go to www.blountchamber.com/jobfair for a complete listing of employers.
“This is a great opportunity for potential employees to meet one-on-one with area companies or for anyone wanting to further their career,” said Jeff Muir, Blount Partnership communications director. “We have a variety of employers offering full-time or part-time employment.”
Additionally, the American Job Center in Maryville will be on site to assist job seekers with training and educational opportunities, job searches, writing resumes and cover letters as well as doing research on prospective employers.
Sponsors of the event are GEAR Staffing, Amazon, Blackberry Farm, Massey Electric, Smokies Life, UT Federal Credit Union, @Work Personnel, Cherokee Millwright, Cirrus Aircraft, DENSO and Chick-fil-A.
This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 206th installment visiting with Chara Boring, owner of DeVine Moon. DeVine Moon, located in Foothills Mall, sells crystals, gemstones and gemstone jewelry.
Tell me more about Divine Moon. We specialize in different assortments of rocks, crystals, and gemstones….raw and polished and we like to let our shoppers know what each crystals healing properties are when you carry them or have them as home decor.
How did you get started? We started as vendors at Natural Mystic over in Midland shopping center. We do still currently vend there so our products can still be purchased at that shop. But we have just done so well with putting items on a couple tables in their shop and decided we wanted to try to have our own shop.
What is your background? It started as a hobby for my husband and I as we took more interest in stones. We started getting more and more knowledgeable. We were regular shoppers at Natural Mystic and with us having a direct contact with a stone miner we asked to become vendors and it just took off within a few months.
Who is your mentor? Hunter Johnson from Natural Mystic has been a huge support. He educated us on different stones when trying to identify them and even taught us about different textures to look for. Eon Carson is another friend from the spiritual community that has been nothing but supportive and a helping hand on anything we need for the shop. Ally B Inked has been another huge support with our shop. She’s a longtime friend and tattoo artist who made sure to be our first customer on our opening day.
Describe your customers. Our customers range from all ages and all different types of people. You don’t have to be a part of a group or have a certain belief to enjoy a beautiful stone that came from the earth.
