What we're all about.

Sync Space Entrepreneur Center is an economic development organization as part of the State of Tennessee’s Launch Tennessee network, providing entrepreneurial mentoring, networking, access to capital programs while serving the upper eight counties of Northeast Tennessee, the southernmost counties of Southwest Virginia as part of the Appalachian Highlands.

Sync Space also provides Tennessee with programs for entrepreneurs, digital education and workforce training, mentorship, and impact investment, with an emphasis on providing pathways for socio-economically disadvantaged populations including racial and gender minorities, rural and veteran populations, and the formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted community..

We champion all entrepreneurs through leadership, programs, resources and connections.

Measuring Our Impact

Sync Space Mid-Year Impact Report for 2024

Nothing can stop a region whose time has come.

Read the report here

Our Team

Our Board of Directors

Pat Shull (Chairman)

Kingsport Mayor

Richard Venable

Mayor Sullivan County

John Campbell

Exec Director Accel Now

Morris Baker

President and Chief Energy Officer of Goodwill Regional HQ

Dr. Todd Fowler

Mayor Johnson City

Dwight King

Sullivan County Commissioner

John Rose

Executive Director, Northeast Tennessee Economic Development HUB

Logan McCabe

Community Outreach & Engagement, Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway

Heath Guinn

President

Heath Guinn is an entrepreneur and community leader based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Over the last 20 years, Guinn has started multiple companies and continues to own four unique businesses, all located in Northeast Tennessee.

Additionally, Guinn is a key member of the entrepreneur community of Northeast Tennessee, and a leading voice for small business in the strategic visioning and planning taking place in the region. In early 2016, Guinn realized the potential and timing in the market was ripe to build a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurs as a leading component for economic development. With a vision of Northeast Tennessee becoming the “Epicenter of Rural Health Innovation” among other potential focuses, Guinn began connecting regional partners with mature communities and institutions in Tennessee and around the nation, leading to the development of recruitment pipelines for the best and brightest startups to participate in this regional vision.

In between businesses and community involvement, Guinn enjoys international traveling, scuba diving, snowboarding and more. 

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Ryan Shipley

VP of Strategy and Capital

Ryan Shipley is VP of Strategy and Capital. With nearly a decade of experience within the creative services industry, Ryan brings unique insight to each individual project. He has the ability to quickly adapt to a variety of situations and can easily connect the dots across industries. With these skills, he brings efficiency to strategic planning and project management applied to entrepreneurs, startups, and large corporations.

Ryan has led multiple successful projects in a variety of industries ranging from technology, entertainment, marketing, video production, corrections, and gaming. Notable clients include Netflix, Activision, Barstool Sports, and the American Cancer Society.

Throughout Ryan’s career he has been recognized for outstanding work within these fields by receiving multiple ADDY Awards in Northeast Tennessee. One of his most recent achievements includes becoming a 40 Under 40 Honoree, a recognition rightfully earned by his tireless and dedicated work resulting in exceptional impact in this region and across the nation.

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Liz Bennett

Executive Director

Liz Bennett is the Director of the Holston Business Development Center (HBDC), where for the past three years she has helped entrepreneurs and small businesses in Northeast Tennessee achieve their goals. Prior to that she was the Assistant Director of the ETSU Innovation Lab. She earned her undergraduate degree in business management and Japanese studies from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2001 and her M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2015, with a focus on entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and management.

Liz’s international experience includes living in Japan for 12 years, where she ran her own English conversation school and later served as the Global Sales Manager for Yamato Soysauce and Miso Co. in Kanazawa.

Committed to her community, Liz serves as the Treasurer for both The Inventor Center, a downtown Kingsport makerspace, and The Literacy Council of Kingsport. A proud graduate of Leadership Kingsport, class of 2024, she is a strong advocate for all entrepreneurial efforts in the region, helping to build strategic partnerships and assisting clients in building their businesses.

Originally from the Midwest, Liz enjoys the majestic beauty of the Appalachian Highlands and the area’s unique cultural heritage. She is also an avid baseball fan and enjoys attending Appalachian League games.

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Brooklyn Scott

Executive Assistant

Brooklyn Scott is the Executive Assistant at the Holston Business Development Center (HBDC), where she helps manage day-to-day operations, partnerships, and programs that support entrepreneurs and local businesses in Northeast Tennessee. She is also pursuing a B.S. in Supply Chain and Operations Management at Western Governors University and is a licensed real estate agent serving the Kingsport and Johnson City area.

Her background in real estate, customer service, and business support has equipped her with expertise in organization, communication, and client relations, which she leverages across academic, professional, and community endeavors.

A driven professional with a passion for business growth and community development, Brooklyn is committed to supporting local entrepreneurship while advancing her career in supply chain and operations management.

Originally from Gate City, Virginia, Brooklyn enjoys staying active at the gym, spending time outdoors, and shopping in her free time.

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Samantha Culbertson

Director of Marketing

With a decade of industry experience and a lifetime of daydreaming and doodling, I use my empathetic nature and acute listening skills to connect on an emotional yet goal-oriented level, and craft designs that do the same.

I have worked with clients ranging from local start-ups to international companies and have loved every minute of it. Whether it be through logos, landing pages, social graphics, flyers, or something totally new, I enjoy partnering with my clients to achieve something great.

My time with Sync Space includes building out campaigns to spread our message loud and clear, while designing the graphics to make sure it’s professional and engaging.  

I enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, movies, and video games, and I have an adorable yet sassy corgi named Maple that I would do anything for. She’s my fluffy chunk of joy.

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About

Announcements

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Ecosystem

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Contact

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info@syncspace.org

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Our Locations

Kingsport Entrepreneur Center

227 E Sullivan St, Kingsport, TN 37660

Sync Space Office at Create Appalachia 

225 W. Center St., Suite 215, Kingsport, TN 37660

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