The Darrell S. Freeman Sr. Incubation and Innovation Center is the result of a dynamic public-private partnership with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. We aim to foster a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and empower them to scale their businesses into thriving enterprises. We provide mentorship, resources, and opportunities to catalyze emerging ideas into impactful and sustainable ventures. As a dynamic hub situated on the campus of historic Fisk University, the Center serves as a bridge between academia and industry, cultivating an environment that nurtures creativity, collaboration, and forward-thinking.

STEM entrepreneurship is a path to success for many founders. However, many minorities are not accessing the opportunities these high-growth industries provide. There are:  800,000 Small businesses in Tennessee, 12,000 business formations per year in Davidson County, and only 2% of STEM businesses nationwide are minority-owned. Our goal is to increase minority representation in the STEM entrepreneurship community and to build bridges to success for the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

The Freeman Center exists to honor the legacy of the late Darrell S. Freeman Sr. A successful Nashville tech entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist. Darrell had a mission to extend a hand back to young entrepreneurs, helping them access resources and knowledge that would propel their businesses forward. Like Darrell, we envision a future where minority STEM entrepreneurs have an environment that nurtures their ideas into reality.