TN Placemakers Entrepreneurship Fund
"Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not." -Nicholas Kristoff
About Placemakers
What is a Placemaker?
Someone who leverages local assets to create a sense of place for their community that promotes a strong sense of community and wellbeing.
What is the TN Placemakers Entrepreneurship Fund?
A pool of monetary resources dedicated to assisting communities across the state, from rural to urban, to develop and train small businesses and entrepreneurs by allowing them to obtain funds for broad and diverse activities. As of January 2025, the fund has been merged with ThreeStar program funding. To apply for ThreeStar please review the requirements or contact Jody.Sliger@tn.gov.
Why does it matter?
Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not, and availability does not equate to equitable access. This programming strives to help communities provide opportunity through true access for the small businesses and entrepreneurs that are and will be a part of their community. We know those businesses include microenterprises, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses, entrepreneurs with disabilities and those in underserved and underrepresented areas.
Want to learn more about Placemaking?
There are a lot of resources! You can find several on the BERO website here under “Community Resources,” through various podcasts on your favorite platform, or reports like one from Brookings, “Why we need to invest in transformative placemaking.”