Blake Hopkins of Fayetteville, Tennessee, has a passion for entrepreneurship. In his two-and-a-half years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, he entered multiple Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) pitch competitions, placing third in Vol Court and capturing first place in the Graves Business Plan competition in 2024 with his business, Partnerly.
Side Hustle in High School
A chance encounter in high school sparked Hopkins’ interest in entrepreneurship. A car enthusiast, he asked the owner of a high-end Ferrari what it took to own such a car. The man told Hopkins to work hard and own a business. The high school senior took that message to heart and explored acquiring brand deals by growing social media accounts in different niches while also launching a photography business when he arrived at UT. These were purposeful tests of the entrepreneurial arena.
“That was my first step toward knowing what it is like owning a business,” says the December 2025 graduate, who majored in supply chain management with an entrepreneurship minor.
Expanding Entrepreneurial Prowess
From running his social media and photography businesses, Hopkins expanded his entrepreneurial ambitions with Partnerly, a platform designed to connect influencers and brands in authentic, mutually beneficial partnerships. The idea emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he built social media accounts that grew to 100,000 followers without spending a dollar on ads. That hands-on experience revealed both the power of organic growth and a gap in the market he knew he could fill.
“I saw the disconnect between content creators and businesses,” Hopkins explains. “It’s such a growing industry that I wanted to be one of the companies that acted as a middleman between the two. It is a massive opportunity.”
Studying Supply Chain
Although he is deeply interested in all things entrepreneurship and transferred to UT as a management and entrepreneurship major, Haslam’s supply chain management program grabbed Hopkins’ attention when he entered the college. His first supply chain course cemented his commitment to the discipline.
“It was with Lance Saunders and Tom Goldsby, and I just fell in love with supply chain,” Hopkins says. “I’m absolutely fascinated by it, and it was a good degree to get because Haslam has one of the best undergraduate supply chain management programs in the country.”
For Hopkins, supply chain management is a reliable alternative if entrepreneurship goes sideways. He also reasons, depending on the nature of his future ventures, a background in supply chain management could be useful for sourcing and scaling a business.
Returning the Favor
In addition to his academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Hopkins found time to work for Haslam’s Center for Student Engagement from fall of 2023 to fall of 2024 and has served as an ambassador for the Anderson Center. He cites Christ’s example of serving others as his inspiration for applying his Volunteer Spirit.
“When I first came here, I had so many people just pour into me and help me along my journey,” Hopkins recalls. “So many people want me to succeed. That’s the volunteer spirit.”
Hopkins describes Knoxville’s entrepreneurial community as uniquely generous and unlike anything he’s experienced before. Witnessing entrepreneurs actively help one another succeed inspired him to contribute to the supportive atmosphere.
“It’s a full circle,” Hopkins says. “I have people pouring into me, and I’m trying to pour into others because that’s what I was shown immediately upon coming to UT.”
Appreciative of the Past, Building for the Future
Hopkins’ first goal post-graduation is to grow Partnerly into a revenue-generating business, which will align with his entrance into Haslam’s Master of Science in Marketing program. He believes what he will learn through the degree will provide him tools to grow Partnerly.
“I decided to diversify with my graduate degree and go for something that would help with the high-scale software business,” Hopkins says.
Reflecting on his time at UT, Hopkins says winning the Graves Business Plan Competition was probably his most significant achievement at the university, and he considers it especially meaningful since he met Tom Graves, the competition’s namesake. Overall, he is thankful for the plentiful opportunities UT offered.
“I give credit to God for the number of doors that have opened for me, and the opportunities I have been given in this two-and a-half-year period,” Hopkins says.
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CONTACT:
Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu
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