Mayor Signs Incubator Resolution

February 16, 2022

Nashville, Tenn. – Today team members from Fisk University and Metro Nashville joined Mayor Cooper, Darrell Freeman and other groups at the future site of of a new business incubator and innovation hub. Mayor Cooper signed a resolution about the project.

“I have had multiple meetings with Mayor Cooper about Nashville’s interest in investing in a business incubator at Fisk University,” Freeman said. “A place where the community could also receive Metro’s services. A place where small businesses can locate and receive advisory services… We are going to make a difference in a community that deserves it.”

Fisk Executive Vice President Jens Frederiksen told the Nashville Post, “We all hope these will lead to possibly successful startup businesses and innovations in that space. That is sort of the pinnacle of it, but in terms of igniting a community, engaging a demographic of students and faculty, activating North Nashville businesses…It is transformative, and I believe that more university students are looking for a connection into the real world and for the kind of leadership, innovation and inspiration that happens in this startup culture. I think having that on the campus and in conjunction with real-life North Nashville businesses and other small startups in the community will be quite transformative to the whole experience.”

Mayor John Cooper told the Rotary Club of Nashville that, “a business incubator at Fisk will drive the creation of Black wealth and small business formation in Nashville and further cement Jefferson Street as a corridor of innovation while connecting students from Fisk and Tennessee State University to jobs at Oracle and other businesses downtown.”