Perhaps you’ve heard the news that our economy is – how to say this delicately? – not operating at peak performance. News of job losses, disappointing company valuations and business shutdowns are all around us. No doubt, these are sobering times for many of our friends, colleagues and neighbors.
Because so much of the big-picture economic news is negative, it might be easy to miss some of the small, green sprouts beginning to poke up through the deep freeze. While there are certainly many challenging issues facing our local and regional economies, there is a quiet undercurrent of economic energy and entrepreneurship bubbling just below the surface right here in Knoxville. In fact, Knoxville has actually become quite a hotbed for new media innovation and start-up energy, even during these difficult times.
A few examples (and I do mean a few, as there are plenty of other noteworthy interactive and entrepreneurial projects underway around town):
-The recent launch of Knoxville Overground, part of the much-discussed network of “coworking” communities across the country.
-The expanding membership of the group Entrepreneurs of Knoxville, along with the group’s active online community.
-The growing interest in and traffic to non-traditional, Knoxcentric media sources like KnoxViews, Knoxify, Instapundit, and the very entertaining blog, The Sunsphere is Not a Wigshop*
-Traditional Knoxville media’s ready willingness to adapt to a rapidly changing business model by embracing new ways of reaching out to its audience via blogs, Twitter and Facebook.
-The launch two weeks ago of the Knoxville Social Media Association (Yep, that’s my baby of a project), with more than 200 interested folks already joining us on our Facebook page, and a great first event – to which all are invited - planned for May 21.
It’s true that most of these relatively young projects aren’t yet on the radar when it comes to Knoxville’s overall economic picture, but it’s this sort of optimistic energy and willingness to try new approaches that will help to launch the income-generating Knoxville business start-ups of the future, as well as provide existing businesses with innovative tools and ideas to grow.
The economy will bounce back, and when it does, Knoxville is positioned to become a real hotbed of profitable, Web 2.0-driven innovation. I love my adopted hometown, and I can’t wait to see it happen.
*See cryptic Simpsons/Knoxville reference.
