Didn’t get to attend this year’s TechStar Awards, held by the Northeast Tennessee Technology Council, where I’m the youngest board member, but I heard they honored a great entrepreneur at the event.
I’ve been involved with the planning of the TechStar Awards for the last three years, which celebrates innovation in nine categories in our region of northeast Tennessee (the Tri-Cities, or TRI for those of you who travel a lot): Development of New Technology; Use of Technology in BioScience, in Non-Profit, in Government Agencies, in Community Service, in Enterprise, in Education and in Small Business. Two years ago we added a category of TechStar Champion to single out a person who has helped push technical innovation forward and foster innovation.
TechStar is the brainchild of Shelburne Ferguson, a lawyer who acts more like a great small business person and champions small business innovation and entrepreneuring.
This year’s TechStar Champion was Jerry Petzoldt, someone who is an entrepreneur and visionary – a term I don’t use lightly – who conceived the idea of putting a World Trade Center in the Tri-Cities (the first non-metropolitan WTC) and someone I highly respect. Congratulations Jerry!
Of course, as is typical, Jerry wasn’t there to accept the award, either. He was too busy doing what he does best ;) David Temple (shown below) and his father, Sir John Temple, spoke at the event.
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