Innovate Mississippi was thrilled to sponsor and support Techstars Startup Weekend DeepTech Mississippi in Vicksburg at MCITy this January. The event, organized by Mississippi State University and powered by Techstars, provided an excellent opportunity to bring together bright minds from across the state to collaborate, innovate, and build new ventures. This approach…
Magnolia Tribune has published a fantastic story about Nate Venarske and his startup, Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap, a participant in Innovate Mississippi's CoBuilders accelerator program. Huge thanks to writer Lynne Jeter for covering Nate's journey! While studying biosystems engineering at Mississippi State University, Nate developed the Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap, designed to combat pesticide-resistant mosquitoes.…
Innovate Mississippi was thrilled to participate in the first ConnectMS (ConnectMS.org) convening at Community Bank headquarters in Flowood, where representatives from the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC) and Innovate Mississippi launched their ambitious collaborative program. Through the ConnectMS.org website, startups and small businesses…
Innovate Mississippi's investment director, Lindsey Benefield has written a piece for #WEBuildInSE, an online collaborative guide showcasing entrepreneurship in the Southeastern United States. In her article, Lindsey promotes Oxford, Miss., known for its charming town square and literary history—and now for making waves as a center of gravity for startups. The University…
Once again, the Accelerate 2024 conference highlighted the power of innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration in Mississippi. It was a vibrant gathering of industry leaders, ambitious startups, savvy investors, and dedicated stakeholders from all corners of our beautiful state, showcasing Mississippi's entrepreneurial spirit. For a quarter of a century, Innovate Mississippi…
Innovate Mississippi celebrates three years of partnership with Microsoft in supporting CoBuilders, a statewide startup accelerator that has become a launching pad for innovative Mississippi companies. This milestone reflects not only Microsoft's commitment as a sponsor but also the enduring impact of the CoBuilders program on Mississippi's economy. CoBuilders, managed by…
[Jackson, Miss.] Innovate Mississippi is pleased to announce the Accelerate 2024 Conference, celebrating 25 years of dedicated service to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Mississippi. The Accelerate conference takes place November 19-20, 2024, bringing together startup founders, investors, and business leaders from across the state to explore innovative solutions and…
John Fair's professional journey began in high school when he worked summers at his father's gasoline and propane business in Louisville, Miss., as a "grease monkey," earning $20 a week. Initially employed at a lumber company, his father started a small distributorship called The Fair Oil Company near the mill in 1934,…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced this week it has selected the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), in conjunction with the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDCN) and Innovate Mississippi (Innovate MS), to help small Mississippi businesses prepare for growth funding through the ConnectMS Program. The federal government selected…
We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our statewide network of partners for CoBuilders, the Community Development Foundation (CDF) in Tupelo, Mississippi. As the epicenter of business activity in Northeast Mississippi, Tupelo holds a pivotal role, and together with our seven other regional partners, they will help foster and expand the…