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Chambliss and TVFCU to Host 2025 Startup Social and Idea Leap Grant Pitch Competition
Join us on May 8, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET
Event Details
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025
Chambliss Startup Social: 4:30-6 p.m.
Pitch Competition: 6-8 p.m.
Location: The Signal (21 Choo Choo Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37402)
Chambliss will host its Chambliss Startup Social on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at The Signal. For the fourth year in a row, the event, which will take place during National Small Business Week, will be held in conjunction with Tennessee Valley Credit Union’s (TVFCU) Eighth Annual Idea Leap Grant Pitch Competition.
The Chambliss Startup Social will allow entrepreneurs, startup founders, thought leaders, investors, established business owners, and supporters to connect in a fun and celebratory atmosphere.
Following the Startup Social, each of the five Chattanooga finalists will participate in the pitch competition for a chance to win one of five grants to support and expand their small business. The grand prize recipient will receive $30,000, second place will receive $15,000, and three runners-up will each receive $10,000.
Event registration is open to the public and is RSVP only. To learn more about the event or to register, please visit the Idea Leap Grant registration page.
TVFCU’s Idea Leap Grant is an extension of the credit union’s Idea Leap Loan initiative, which was created specifically for small businesses in 2016 to fill a void in the community for capital for start-up and early-stage businesses. In 2023, TVFCU expanded the program by hosting separate Idea Leap Grant competitions in the Chattanooga, Ocoee, and Northwest Georgia regions. To date, TVFCU has funded more than $6 million in loans to emerging and early-stage businesses through the loan initiative. Furthermore, TVFCU has awarded nearly $720,000 in Idea Leap Grants and scholarships to almost 60 unique businesses. In 2025, they will award an additional $225,000 in grants.