Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Last week dozens of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and post-secondary students from across South-Central Tennessee attended a three-day workshop in Lewis County. The event began Tuesday morning with a welcome from Hohenwald/Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Director, Debbie Landers, and Lewis County Mayor, Jonah Keltner.

Following class introductions, a presentation was made by Noah Wilson, Director of Sector Development at Mountain BizWorks. Mr. Wilson shared how outdoor recreation businesses are flourishing in his home state of North Carolina, and explained how individuals can utilize our own recreational assets right here in Middle Tennessee.

Rural Outdoor Recreational and Small Business Summit

Later that afternoon, featured speakers included Melanie Beauchamp, Tennessee's Assistant Commissioner of Rural Tourism and Outreach, and Dr. Bridget Jones, Professional Consultant and Co-Chair of the Buffalo River Blueway Committee. They explained how important outdoor tourism is for rural economic development, and encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the unique assets our region has to offer.

The event continued with a business-related bootcamp on Wednesday and Thursday, which

was facilitated by Rebeka Marr, of Chattanooga, TN. Ms. Marr is one of the founders of CO-STARTERS, which is a program designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners to identify successful business strategies, connect with resource providers, and identify the next steps to focus on as they move forward.

The three-day rural outdoor recreational and small business summit was free to attendees, compliments of a $15,000 "launch Tennessee Community Partnership Grant" that was secured by Chamber Director Landers. The event took place at TCAT-Hohenwald and was hosted by President Kelli Kea-Carroll and Vice-President Randy Young.