Sync.Space and the Inventor center are highlighted in Visit Kingsport’s article about how Kingsport companies give back to the community. Sync.Space’s support for local entrepreneurs is described below, as is how the Inventor Center is creating a space for makers of all kind to create, learn, and grow together.
Besides corporate citizenship, Kingsport’s business community has a strong entrepreneurial network in place. In October 2016, an incubator called Sync.Space opened in the downtown area on Sullivan Street.
“We really like getting down into the weeds and helping startup companies with their business planning and prototypes,” says Heath Guinn, President of Sync.Space. “Kingsport has a rich history of manufacturing with Eastman and many other top companies, and our goal is to develop a bigger entrepreneurial network throughout this entire region.”
To further develop that network, a new location called The Inventor Center opened in late 2018 on Shelby Street, about four blocks away from where Sync.Space had operated.
“The city of Kingsport is very supportive about this initiative and even provided us with a vacant building at a very equitable price to operate,” says Mars Reid, director of The Inventor Center. “The city also committed to partial funding for the first four years to support this effort as the entrepreneurial community builds and grows.”
