Tag Archive for: Entrepreneurship

From family project to flourishing farm: 1818 Farms grows in North Alabama

In 2012, Natasha McCrary launched 1818 Farms as a small family project.  The idea was simple: teach her children about responsibility and entrepreneurship through a hands-on experience. That idea quickly evolved. What began as a request from her son for a sheep has grown into a nationally-recognized brand rooted in nature, sustainability, and community connection. […]

Sit Down with Success: A Conversation with Teresa Holland of DanTera & Terra Bacio Salons

In the early 1990s, Teresa Holland introduced the Aveda concept to North Alabama, laying the foundation for three thriving salons under the Terra Bacio and DanTera brands. Over more than three decades, Holland’s role has evolved from working behind the chair to leading from the executive level. Today, her focus is on growing people as […]

Applications Open for 2026 Singing River Trail Launch Tank

The Singing River Trail Launch Tank competition will mark its fifth year in 2026. Launch Regional Partnership, in collaboration with Singing River Trail, is accepting applications for the 2026 Singing River Trail Launch Tank. Established in 2022, the Singing River Trail Launch Tank is a pitch-style competition for entrepreneurs in North Alabama. The event provides […]

Building on a Legacy: Butcher Drafting Service at 60 Years

Sixty years ago, Butcher Drafting Service began out of a house on Jack Coleman Drive in northwest Huntsville, where Joe and Betty Butcher raised their three children. Tom Austin purchased the business in 1998. At that time, it was a two-person operation. Joe had one small tabletop copier, hand-drew all of his plans, and used […]

Connecting the Dots: Rochelle Silveira’s Innovation Ecosystem Map Aims to Bring Alabama’s Innovators Together

When Rochelle Silveira moved from Brazil to the United States, she often heard the same piece of advice: “Right company, wrong place.” Innovation, people told her, belonged to the coasts. But after years of working with founders and mentoring startups across the country, she began to see a different truth.   “There’s incredible innovation happening here,” […]

First Horizon Bank Invests $150K to Boost Huntsville Startups

First Horizon Bank is committing $150,000 to support Huntsville’s expanding startup ecosystem through programs run by gener8tor. The funding supports gBETA Huntsville and Spark at MidCity, delivered in partnership with gener8tor, a nationally ranked startup accelerator and venture capital firm, and the Apollo Coalition. By leveraging the Innovate Alabama Tax Credit Program, First Horizon is […]

The Catalyst Center Hosts Founder Lady Vowell Smith to Inspire Young Entrepreneurs

On April 17, The Catalyst Center’s “Strong Coffee Strong Women” series featured Lady Vowell Smith, co-owner of The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville’s independent bookstore. The morning buzzed with entrepreneurial energy as Smith shared how she turned a “bookstore without a store” into a thriving brick-and-mortar business. A Community-Driven Model Smith, a former English professor […]

SPARK Huntsville Showcase Highlights Entrepreneurial Innovation and Resilience

On March 25th, Huntsville’s startup community took a bold step forward as the first cohort of SPARK Huntsville, powered by gener8tor, presented their ventures at the UAH Invention to Innovation Center (I2C). Over the course of seven weeks, participants in this free, venture-creation program refined their ideas, built out business models, and prepared to enter […]

Huntsville teen builds branding business from the ground up

At just 18 years old, Landon Bruski is no ordinary college freshman.  While most of his peers are focused on adjusting to college life, Bruski has been busy running his own branding and digital marketing company, Bruski Branding Services.  Founded when he was only 16, the Huntsville-based business has already served more than 40 clients […]

On Grief and Success: Huntsville Small Business Owner LaTasha Allison of HopeE Notary Gives Back

Born and raised in Huntsville, HopeE Notary founder LaTasha Allison provides an example of the blending of enterprise and community-mindedness found in the local community.  Allison found herself at a low point in her life following the death of her mother from kidney disease. “When you’re going through that type of grief you need something […]