Launch is an organization that aggressively seeks out disadvantaged individuals in underserved neighborhoods and teaches them how to start and manage their own small businesses. Co-Founder Hal Bowling has helped change lives by helping people achieve financial stability through both part-time and full-time business ownership. Hal works with the unemployed and underemployed in 4 key parts of Chattanooga as an evangelist for entrepreneurship.
The Hamilton County Business Development Center is one of the most successful business incubators in the United States. It is owned by Hamilton County and managed by the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. As Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kathryn Foster shepherds a flock of thriving businesses across a variety of business sectors. She explains how she and the BDC achieve a 90% success rate for participating companies.
