Promote Yourself: Supper Seminars
Stay tuned for more sessions to come in the Fall!!
This program operates with support from Launch Tennessee! We will cover a variety of topics to give you the tools to promote yourself and your work. Learn while you enjoy some food and drink, and meet other entrepreneurs!
Our goal is to offer free programming for local entrepreneurs, including makers and artists who are selling and promoting their work, to help them grow their business and skill set. We hope to see you there!
*these are FREE events, pre-registration is required
Meet the Instructors
Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, MBA, founded Beyond Engagement – Social Media Solutions in January 2012 and hasn’t slowed down since. She has a passion for assisting small businesses grow their engagement levels with customers online with social media marketing.
Patrick Savage is a transplant to the area and an ETSU alumni in Mass Communications. In his nearly two decades of marketing and advertising experience, he honed his photography skills starting as a graphic designer who "couldn’t afford” to hire a professional photographer to becoming the professional photographer he needed.
He is now a nationally published, commercial photographer with some major, national brands to his credit. He is passionate about giving that knowledge back and empowering entrepreneurs to improve and grow their digital marketing efforts. Mostly known for his sports and fitness work, he is a dedicated technical photographer with lots of experience in product, e-commerce, lifestyle photography.
Samantha Culbertson at Push the Pixels works hand-in-hand with creative teams and individuals to guide projects to completion. As an award-winning creative and 40 Under 40 recipient with a decade of industry experience and a lifetime of daydreaming and doodling, she uses her empathetic nature and acute listening skills to connect on an emotional yet goal-oriented level, and craft designs that do the same.
Samantha has worked with clients ranging from local start-ups to international companies and has loved every minute of it. Whether it be through logos, landing pages, social graphics, flyers, or something totally new, she enjoys partnering with her clients to achieve something great.
Linore Huss is an artist and teacher, and the Director here at the Inventor Center. She graduated suma cum laude from Bowling Green State University with a BFA in 3D Studies, focuses in Metals and Ceramics, and a minor in Entrepreneurship in 2018. She has since created a Metals and Glass program for Camp Matoaka, spent time at Arrowmont as a Metals Studio Assistant, and taught jewelry and ceramics classes in the Tri-Cites area.
Her goals for the Center include encouraging collaboration between members as well as other local artists and makers, a wide offering of class topics, and growing community. Linore strongly believes that innovation comes from collaboration, and that we grow by asking questions and being open to new ideas.
Seminars:
Creating Your Artist Bio with Linore Huss: May 1st
An artist bio tells the world where you draw inspiration from, what you are passionate about, and how you relate to people through your art. It is one of the best ways to connect with your customer. Attendees will learn what typically goes into an artist bio, discuss several examples, and then write their own bios followed by a group critique to make corrections and improvements.
CVs versus Resumes with Linore Huss and Samantha Culbertson: May 2nd
For those who are newly branching out into niche areas of art, business, and entrepreneurship, writing a Curriculum Vitae can be intimidating. What is the difference between a CV and a resume? What are the goals for each, and what information should be included? We will compare the two, go over the specifics of each, and then attendees will have time to work on their own.
Marketing Photography with Patrick Savage: May 8th
A good photograph is the first thing to grab a customer’s eye. Attendees will learn how to set up their products under different types of lighting as well as in our lightbox, and the basics of manual settings on a camera for different mediums. Once they have learned how to take professional photographs, we will have two hours for them to practice themselves!
Networking for Introverts with Samantha Culbertson: May 15th
Do you dread walking into a conference or large event and striking up a conversation? We will cover methods to increase your comfort and confidence, ways to network in other environments, and how to prepare preemptively so that you are ready for conversation.
Marketing with Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez: May 22nd
Attendees will learn how to create a marketing plan, create an image for your business, how the tone you choose will attract different customers, and how to sell yourself!
Social Media for Businesses with Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez: June 5th
We will discuss various social media platforms, the best ways to engage potential customers, and how to fully utilize their individual features.
Design Your Business Cards with Samantha Culbertson: June 12th
Should I have a back to my business card? Should it be artistic or easy to read? We will cover how your business card should reflect your business’s image, suggested fonts and sizes, and when it is appropriate to have an artistic design.
"LaunchTN is a public-private partnership with a vision to make Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation. We empower Network Partners and other stakeholders by making resources accessible in order to activate sustainable economic growth in Tennessee. Our aim is to stimulate the statewide economy by facilitating capital formation, market building and nurturing Tennessee’s entrepreneurial ecosystem."