Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center and The Innovation Hub opening 2026

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Jeremy Qualls, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at Williamson County Schools, who discusses the center's growth and success. Established seven years ago, the center initially had 72 students but now has 270 with a long waitlist. The program offers a unique, non-traditional education experience, exposing students to real-world entrepreneurship, including interactions with venture capitalists, mentors, and angel investors. Students spend one period a day at the center, learning through hands-on experiences and collaborations. Mentors include leaders from business, tech, medical and other industries in the community and specialists like a patent attorney.

Jeremy Qualls next highlights their pitch process where the student entrepreneurs compete for a grant, which is 100% funded by private donations. He mentions that the winner gets an opportunity to submit to Chicago and that they have had several students make the top 20 in the past. He shares the success story of Anthony Beckett, who created an educational technology product called Markify, which won the IncubatorEdu National Pitch Competition last July and already has gained 12,000 users worldwide. Jeremy mentions that Markify is now looking for angel investment to hire someone to market and sell the product.

Jeremy Qualls then discusses the success of a current student, Abby Goddard, who created Spikey, a spiked drink detection keychain. Abby was selected as the winner of their local Shark Tank this year. She recently fulfilled an order for 800 units.

Jeremy then introduces The Innovation Hub, a project funded by a grant from the State of Tennessee for vocational education. The Innovation Hub, which will be a 25,000 square foot facility, aims to shift the traditional educational model and create innovative partnerships. He discusses the new vocational pathways being introduced at the central facility. The aviation program, in partnership with Franklin Special School District and Hawkins Flight Academy, allows students to obtain a private pilot license at 16. The program also includes a partnership with MTSU, providing up to 12 hours of college credit. The entrepreneurial program, in partnership with Thompson Caterpillar, offers two post-secondary programs: heavy machine technology and electrical power generation. These programs are designed to provide direct-to-work opportunities and matriculate into post-secondary institutions. The Innovation Hub also will focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and hospitality, with a culinary arts program being the largest requested CTE program. The Innovation Hub will include a mock hotel lobby, a work-based learning site with Honest Coffee, and more. The project is expected to be completed by August 2026 for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Jeremy Qualls wraps up discussing the importance of partnerships in workforce development, particularly in the Middle Tennessee region. He emphasizes the need for business partners with a desire for a return on investment in the form of a future workforce. He also mentions the need for more partners offering apprenticeships or internships, and the possibility of in-kind donations. Jeremy encourages potential partners to reach out directly to him at [email protected] for more information.

Visit https://www.wcs.edu/secondary/entrepreneurship-innovation-center-eic to learn more about the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at Williamson County Schools.