About NOVA
NOVA Entrepreneur Center connects people, ideas and resources to help Southern Middle Tennessee build its next generation of businesses.
A regional home for entrepreneurship
NOVA EC is the Southern Middle Tennessee regional entrepreneur center supported by LaunchTN and hosted by the University of Tennessee Research Foundation. Based at Makeshift in downtown Pulaski, we bring mentorship, business resources and commercialization support closer to local entrepreneurs, students and small businesses.
We work across the region with UT Southern, UT Space Institute, UT Research Foundation, UT Center for Industrial Services, TCAT Pulaski and community partners to help good ideas move forward.
NOVA’s founders
NOVA was founded by two entrepreneurs who chose to bring their experience back to Southern Middle Tennessee and build the support they wanted local founders to have.
Co-Founder & Director
Shelley has built businesses by spotting what people need and finding a fresh way to serve them. She co-founded White House Black Market, the specialty retailer later acquired by Chico’s, and went on to launch Little White Fashion Truck, a mobile boutique that brought fashion retail on the road. As NOVA’s director, she puts that entrepreneurial experience to work helping founders and established businesses grow across Southern Middle Tennessee.
Co-Founder & Entrepreneur in Residence
Payson’s path to entrepreneurship began in global supply chain leadership at Cisco, then led him to build and scale fintech ventures. As co-founder and CEO of Crowdz, he helped develop an invoice-financing platform that facilitated more than $95 million for small and midsize businesses. A Techstars mentor and business educator, Payson now brings that operator’s perspective to NOVA, helping regional founders navigate the leap from idea to growth. He is also an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Business Studies at Vanderbilt University.
What we build around
Build networks across education, industry and community so founders can find mentors and peers.
Help promising ideas move toward customers through practical training, guidance and programs.
Strengthen access to investors, funding resources and the conversations that make growth possible.
Your next step starts here