Innov865 Alliance Talks Entrepreneurship at Mayoral Forum
Knox County Mayor candidates addressed the crowd’s questions on workforce development, entrepreneurship, and the local economy.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (April 8, 2026) – Knoxville entrepreneurs and business owners quizzed each candidate running for Knox County Mayor about their economic development priorities Wednesday night at the Innov865 Alliance 2026 Mayoral Forum. A full recording of the event’s YouTube livestream is available on the Innov865 Alliance YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgL3Ey0mnaOjRONGMRoUhjA.
All four candidates running for Knox County mayor, Kim Frazier, at-large Knox County Commissioner, Betsy Henderson, Knox County School Board Member, Larsen Jay, at-large Knox County Commissioner, and Beau Hawk, President of Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council, shared a stage at 121 Tech Hub discussing their positions and perspectives on entrepreneurship, startup opportunities, workforce development, industry readiness, and partnerships for Knox County’s business community.
The Innov865 Alliance is a local collaborative of organizations advancing the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The forum was moderated by Piper Communications president and WATE 6 On Your Side political contributor Cortney Piper, with questions contributed by a panel comprised of Bailey Foster, founder of Real Good Kitchen, Dan Lee, founder and CEO of Perseus Materials, Lance Adler, Founder of Witching Hour, Joel Smith, Founder and CEO of TeachCraft, and Don DeRosa, CEO of Eonix.
“Our local leaders will set priorities that heavily influence our region’s innovative cultural and business environment,” said Piper. “We are proud to hold space for our Innov865 Alliance members, other founders, and citizens to hear how they plan to navigate these issues, if elected.”
ABOUT THE INNOV865 ALLIANCE
The Innov865 Alliance develops, supports, and promotes the Knoxville region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is a collaborative effort to celebrate and showcase Knoxville as a great place for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses and increase access to capital. Its signature event is the annual Innov865 Week; the Alliance also coordinates other activities throughout the year, including pitch competitions, educational opportunities, and social events. Founding members of the Innov865 Alliance include the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PYA, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Three Roots Capital, Tennessee Valley Authority, Launch Tennessee, Knoxville Chamber, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, and the City of Knoxville.