Spotlight Stories • Innovate Mississippi

Read more about the article Innovate Mississippi Celebrates 25 Years of ‘You Can Build it Here’ Entrepreneurship at the Accelerate 2024 Conference

Innovate Mississippi Celebrates 25 Years of ‘You Can Build it Here’ Entrepreneurship at the Accelerate 2024 Conference

[Jackson, Miss.] Innovate Mississippi is pleased to announce the Accelerate 2024 Conference, celebrating 25 years of dedicated service to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Mississippi. The Accelerate conference takes place November 19-20, 2024, bringing together startup founders, investors, and business leaders from across the state to explore innovative solutions and…

From Family Business to Angel Investing: John Fair’s Journey of Mentorship and Leadership

John Fair's professional journey began in high school when he worked summers at his father's gasoline and propane business in Louisville, Miss., as a "grease monkey," earning $20 a week. Initially employed at a lumber company, his father started a small distributorship called The Fair Oil Company near the mill in 1934,…

U.S. Treasury Selects Mississippi for Award to Accelerate Startup and Small Business Growth

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced this week it has selected the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), in conjunction with the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDCN) and Innovate Mississippi (Innovate MS), to help small Mississippi businesses prepare for growth funding through the ConnectMS Program. The federal government selected…

Judd Wilson, Jacoby Broadnax, Damion Dehart and Allen Kurr

CoBuilders welcomes its newest statewide partner, the Community Development Foundation (CDF) in Tupelo, MS

We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our statewide network of partners for CoBuilders, the Community Development Foundation (CDF) in Tupelo, Mississippi. As the epicenter of business activity in Northeast Mississippi, Tupelo holds a pivotal role, and together with our seven other regional partners, they will help foster and expand the…

Mississippi Business Journal: AI is Transforming Work and Education in Mississippi

We're excited to share another recent article from the Mississippi Business Journal, highlighting incredible strides in artificial intelligence (AI) in Mississippi. The story showcases the work of the Mississippi AI Collaborative and its AI Agency, which uses AI and cloud technologies to boost innovation in local businesses and education. David…

Magnolia Report Spotlights Lobaki’s VR Innovations in Education

This past month, Jeremy Pittari in the Magnolia Tribune highlighted a long-time Mississippi innovator, Lobaki, and their intriguing new partnership with Mississippi charter schools. Pitttari details how Lobaki is helping bring students immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences thanks to a $510,000 federal grant. We’ve had the privilege of working with Lobaki for…

2024 CoBuilders Cohort Launches With Eight Promising Mississippi Startups

CoBuilders, now in its third year of working with partners around the state to accelerate startup businesses in Mississippi, launched its 2024 accelerator with an eight-company cohort this August. Each founding team participates in our 12-week development process, working with mentors on their product, business plan, and deck, preparing to…

Magnolia Tribune Features Pearl River Glass Studio, an Early Innovate Mississippi Award Winner

Innovate Mississippi would like to thank Susan Marquez of the Magnolia Tribune for her beautiful Pearl River Glass Studio article. Her piece highlights the remarkable journey of a Mississippi-based business that has reached national acclaim. Pearl River Glass Studio's story is one of passion, craftsmanship, and perseverance—qualities that we at Innovate…

WISPR Systems ‘SkyScout’ Launch Covered by Mississippi Business Journal

We at Innovate Mississippi are thrilled to share that WISPR Systems, a Mississippi-based drone manufacturer, has been featured in the Mississippi Business Journal in a story by reporter Christin Yates. The article documents WISPR's remarkable growth in the commercial UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) industry. Founded in 2016 by Conor Ferguson and Austin…

WLBT Reports: Southern Spark Conference Features Innovate Mississippi’s David Collins

At Innovate Mississippi, we're proud to be at our state's forefront of AI innovation. Recently, a group of educators, business leaders, and tech enthusiasts gathered at the inaugural Southern Spark conference to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in Mississippi. WLBT was on hand to cover this exciting event.…