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Daniel Dassow, is a journalist who’s covered business, technology, and energy in East Tennessee for years. You may be familiar with Daniel’s bylines in the Knoxville News Sentinel and the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

In this behind-the-headlines conversation, we talk about:

• How Daniel got his start as a business and energy reporter
• Chattanooga’s growing nuclear and quantum industries
• Other developing stories Daniel's following in 2026

Enjoy the episode!

Follow Daniel's work: https://www.timesfreepress.com/staff/daniel-dassow/

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To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members.

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Today, we’re speaking with Nick de Vries, Chief Technology Officer at Silicon Ranch, about the instrumental connection between solar power, agriculture, and economic development.

This Nashville solar development company grew into a billion-dollar powerhouse for a reason.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Silicon Ranch being named #5 on TIME America's Top GreenTech Companies of 2026
• The company's 2026 SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award for its CattleTracker system
• How this technology is closing the gap between the industries of solar power and agriculture

If you like what you hear, subscribe to our podcast and don’t forget to leave a rating or review. It helps us reach a wider audience to champion Tennessee’s Advanced Energy Business Sector.

Enjoy the episode!

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen up, entrepreneurs! This is the episode is for you.

Bill Malkes, Executive Director of the Spark Innovation Center and Spark Accelerator program at the University of Tennessee Research Park, and Lance Adler, Founder of Witching Hour and an alum of the Spark Accelerator, joined the show to talk about:

• How the Spark Accelerator is bringing more entrepreneurs and their businesses to Tennessee
• Lance's journey as an entrepreneur and why he chose East Tennessee to grow his business
• How Witching Hour's technology aims to stop forest fires before they start

But the best news? Applications are now OPEN for the next Spark Accelerator Cohort! Apply here: https://www.f6s.com/spark-accelerator-cohort-5/about.

Interested entrepreneurs must apply for this year's cohort by May 27, 2026.

For more information, visit https://www.tnresearchpark.org/spark/

To learn more about Witching Hour, visit https://www.witchinghour.io/ or follow the company on LinkedIn.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members.