What It Actually Looks Like to Receive Investment: A Conversation about SweetBio and InvestTN
Kayla Rodriguez Graff didn't come from venture capital — she came from Target Corporate. This is the story of how she and her brother built SweetBio from a lab idea into an FDA-cleared, Medicare-covered biotech company, and what equity investment through InvestTN actually made possible along the way.
Inside the Equity Investment Process: What Eller Kelliher at LaunchTN Wants Founders to Know
Equity investment shapes which startups get funded and how fast they grow, but for most people, it's never been explained plainly.
How to Get Investor-Ready: Lessons from Zap at The Lighthouse
If you've ever had an investable business idea but weren't sure where to start, or thought venture capital was for insiders only, Zap, founder of The Lighthouse in Nashville, had some helpful advice for you.
Pivoting in Business: Tim Hayes’s Journey to Layered Bakeshop
Tim Hayes didn't always plan to be a baker — he went to school to be a trauma surgeon. But after a divine redirection, he built one of Jackson's most beloved bakery brands, only to walk away from the name everyone knew him by. After a season of growth that felt more like suffocation, Tim closed the doors on "How Sweet It Is by Tim" and reopened weeks later as Layered Bakeshop — with a new name, new look, and a hard-won perspective on what it really means to run a business well.
CO.STARTERS Pitch Night 2026
From the start, theCO has been committed to helping entrepreneurs in West Tennessee, and CO.STARTERS is one of the programs we use to support them. It’s a nine-week program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn their business ideas into action.
