Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Cox.
Hi Lindsey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been driven. I’m a three enneagram, if that tells you anything?
And if we’re speaking in entrepreneurial terms — you could say that I have a bit of a bootstrap story.
Without a ton of traditional family support, I achieved a bachelor of science in accounting from Tennessee Tech University before continuing to get my MBA, also from Tennessee Tech, which is about 25 minutes away from my hometown of Livingston, TN.
Now, as the CEO of Launch Tennessee, I lead a statewide organization that helps entrepreneurs grow their startups and achieve their biggest dreams, all while contributing to the economic development in my home state of Tennessee, which I love.
I have an innate drive to use my powers to make a positive, lasting impact. I love to work hard and do it all with a sense of levity, when possible.
Now, I’m proud to be leading an organization that offers startup founders access to funding, support taking research from the academic lab to the commercial market, and invaluable connections through events and a statewide network of partners.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to success is never a straight line.
After my first tenure at Launch Tennessee (which really helped establish my foundation as a leader), the journey took me from Nashville to Washington, D.C., which is where I was when COVID hit. And I think no matter where you were, those years were challenging in ways that linger even today.
But, time moved on, and as COVID felt more controlled, I accepted a job in Chattanooga as CEO of The Company Lab, which is a Launch Tennessee Network Partner.
I committed to the job and to Chattanooga. My husband and I bought a house there. I dove into the leadership role, developed a new vision and strategy, and built the team to help make it all happen. We were doing it. It was satisfying and fun.
And then, the CEO role opened at Launch Tennessee. It was a job I had envisioned for myself one day. I just didn’t expect that day to come so soon after settling into a new city and role.
My people-pleaser tendencies kicked in. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. And I wanted to finish more of what I’d started there. I was torn. My stomach was torn up. The struggle was real.
In the end, I trusted my gut and followed the road back to Nashville to accept the CEO role.
And now, three years later — despite the winding way — I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Today, after nearly 15 years, I find myself with expertise in finance, public policy, community engagement, organizational collaboration, leading effective programs to grow start-ups, large-scale event production, civic leadership and internal operations.
I use all those skills as CEO of Launch Tennessee, which has a vision to make the Volunteer State synonymous with high-growth startups.
We support economic development, focusing on tech-based startups that have the potential to truly innovate, grow and help shape our city and state.
I started this work during my first tenure at LaunchTN in August 2013, when I helped create a statewide entrepreneurial ecosystem made up of regional entrepreneur center partners in nine areas of the state.
Later, Launch Tennessee added statewide industry partners to the network, and in fiscal year 2025, under my leadership, $3.1 million in funding went to these partners.
Today, this strategic network is still active and thriving. Other states sometimes use it as an example of other states that are successfully collaborating to grow entrepreneurship and tech-based economic development.
This is real effort, real money, funneled to every corner of the state to create tangible growth and prosperity. I hope it can be said that I’ve helped lay the foundation for the entrepreneurial success the state is seeing today.
I’m also really proud of the work we’ve done since I’ve been back as CEO.
For example, since 2023, LaunchTN has funded 39 individual companies through InvestTN. In 2025 alone, InvestTN helped power 25 startups in the first 6+ months.
This is another tangible example of funding going directly into innovative startups that have the potential to change the way the world works.
I’ve also led the development of a robust commercialization strategy, which includes working directly with universities to get inventions out of the academic lab and into the commercial market, an area where Tennessee had been lacking because many universities don’t generally have adequate funding for this work.
We are changing that.
Another fun thing we’ve done in the last couple of years is to take our state’s greatness on the road with Tennessee House, which is an activation at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
It’s meant to spread the good word about Tennessee, show off the state’s innovation and emerging tech, and encourage founders, investors, and others to come see what our state is all about. In its second year, we saw an 80 percent year-over-year increase in attendance. We’re already planning for this year!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
One of the most fun, exciting ways to engage with us is to attend or support our signature event, 3686! We’ve worked for 12 years to make it Tennessee’s preeminent entrepreneur conference and the largest gathering of its kind in the state.
It’s the best way to get to know Tennessee startups and the best practices we’ve cultivated over more than a decade of work.
The general public can always support our mission, which is to provide capital, commercialization support and connections for Tennessee startups. We are a nonprofit and take individual gifts, which is always helpful.
For entrepreneurs, university leaders, college students, corporations — there are lots of different ways to work with us.
Startup founders raising capital may be a fit for InvestTN.
University leaders can support and engage with our commercialization efforts.
College students can sign up to get placed at internships.
And we’re always looking for mission-aligned corporate partners.
You can find out more about all of this at launchtn.org.
Pricing:
- We don’t charge for our services, generally. We do sell tickets to 3686.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://launchtn.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/launchtn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaunchTN/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchtn
- Twitter: https://x.com/launchtn?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LaunchTN
