Meet our Best in the West Finalists: ApeGrip Training Products
Best in the West Katie Weatherford Best in the West Katie Weatherford

Meet our Best in the West Finalists: ApeGrip Training Products

Brad Royer wasn’t getting the most out of his workouts. Whenever he lifted weights, the white chalk on his palms slid onto his wrists in ashy rivers of sweat. He tried researching alternative products, but he couldn’t find anything that sufficiently kept his hands dry and grip strong. So he decided to invent a product himself: ApeGrip Xtreme Liquid Chalk.

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Meet our Best in the West Finalists: The Farmer's Perk
Best in the West Katie Weatherford Best in the West Katie Weatherford

Meet our Best in the West Finalists: The Farmer's Perk

Like many entrepreneurs, Nelson noticed a hole in the market: no one at the West Tennessee Farmers’ Market was offering coffee to the patrons who came out on Saturday morning to browse the colorful selections of vegetables, herbs, and goods. Nelson invested $400 in obtaining a coffee pot and bags of coffee beans, and during the summer of 2012 he began a business that he would later name “The Farmer’s Perk.”

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Best in the West: Top 10
Best in the West Katie Weatherford Best in the West Katie Weatherford

Best in the West: Top 10

theCO recently hosted its second edition of the Best in the West competition to foster entrepreneurial spirit in West Tennessee by connecting local entrepreneurs to funding and a collaborative community. Contestants from all sectors and industries pitched their original ideas. Among the many applicants, here are the ten ideas that stood out the most; find out how you can support these emerging local businesses.
 

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CO.STARTERS Grad Spotlight: Krista Paul Event Planning
CO.STARTERS Katie Weatherford CO.STARTERS Katie Weatherford

CO.STARTERS Grad Spotlight: Krista Paul Event Planning

How did you get started with event planning?

In middle school, we had lots of parties—the good kind! But I was the person who coordinated where the parents should drop their kids off and what time to pick them up and which friends were bringing drinks, snacks, and cups—and all the details. So I really started as a kid. But officially I started in college when my friends asked me to coordinate their wedding because I’m a really organized person, and I have a lot of energy. So I did that in 2012.

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Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Prescott, SP Creative
DevCatalyst Katie Weatherford DevCatalyst Katie Weatherford

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Prescott, SP Creative

Steven Prescott is a standout alumnus of Dev Catalyst. Prescott began the program in 2013 under Vicki Deloach’s computer class at Madison Academic Magnet High School. The program was new to both West Tennessee and Prescott, but the product of a semester of work would lead to lifelong impacts. 

Dev Catalyst was a brainchild of the founders at theCO who noticed a need for educational development.

For Prescott, Dev Catalyst created friendships and freedom.

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