The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is welcoming 20 student- and alumni-led ventures for its 2026 Summer Studio cohort, including businesses across technology, healthcare, logistics, education, consumer products and professional services.
Each summer, the ACEI’s Summer Studio program provides select founders with mentorship, resources and a collaborative setting designed to help ventures accelerate their growth and refine their business models. The 10-week program will culminate in a demo day in August, which is open to the community. The 2026 cohort represents a wide range of academic disciplines and venture growth stages with founders from across the country.
Participant Perspectives
Among this year’s participants is Jack Ford, a junior majoring in finance and political science from Memphis. Ford is the founder of JobWillow, a trust-based internship and job platform created to connect students and employers through stronger accountability and transparency.
Ford sees Summer Studio as a way to strengthen his venture’s impact and expand opportunities for students. “It is a great opportunity to connect with local entrepreneurs and mentors,” he says.
Samuel Pierce and Quinten Jones, juniors from Chattanooga majoring in supply chain management, and their team at Tornado Logistics LLC bring a logistics perspective to Summer Studio.
The company manages sourcing, transportation and delivery operations through its proprietary Tempest System and has found challenges with getting experienced perspectives.
“The hardest part of building something new isn’t the work; it’s doing it without people who’ve been there,” Pierce says. “Summer Studio is where we have found those people.”
Additionally, consumer products gain momentum within the program. Alex Del Vecchio, a senior majoring in management with a minor in advertising from Lenox, Massachusetts, is the founder of Big Al’s Hot Mustard, a clean-label condiment brand that has already reached customers across the U.S.
“Summer Studio gives me the opportunity to network with individuals who are passionate about building, helping and creating products and services that change the lives of those around them,” Del Vecchio says. “Being around these people not only expands my network but truly helps impact, making me the entrepreneur I aspire to be.”
2026 Cohort
This year’s Summer Studio cohort includes the following student- and alumni-led ventures:
- CodeBrosAI, founded by computer science senior Simon Buhl from Franklin, Tennessee, is reimagining the graphing calculator through on-device AI tutoring and enhanced connectivity
- RouteWerx, created by Ben Colgrove and Subhash Tadiparthi, Ph.D. candidates in biosystems engineering and soil science, delivers predictive fleet routing for precision deicing, helping public works departments reduce salt usage and operational costs through smart technology installed directly on snow trucks
- Goal Set, founded by Carson Derr, a senior in finance from Brentwood, Tennessee, helps users achieve goals through accountability and community support
- Lunara Works, led by Tekobo Dongmo (UT, ’26), is building an AI-powered receptionist for home service businesses
- Hixson AI, founded by Evan Elg (HCB, ’25), develops custom AI systems for mid-market organizations
- AdviseAI, created by Swagat Khot, a sophomore from Memphis majoring in industrial engineering and minoring in computer science, helps academic advisors more efficiently respond to student inquiries
- Arbor AI, founded by Winston College of Law J.D. candidate Patrick Ragozzine, provides legal research and document-management tools for small law firms
- Helose, led by biomaterials graduate student Julian Pratt, uses AI analytics to improve operational performance in ambulatory surgery centers
- Ford’s JobWillow is creating a trust-based platform that connects students with internships and employment opportunities
- Knoxville’s Anna McClure (UT Ph.D., ’25) founded an AI platform that uses instructor-informed artificial intelligence to streamline speech evaluation and feedback for educators
- Tornado Logistics LLC, led by Pierce and Jones, provides end-to-end logistics and contracting solutions powered by its proprietary Tempest System
- Grain Fitness, founded by Marius Bryce Pierre Jardret, a senior in biomedical engineering from Knoxville, is developing a strength-focused exercise gaming platform designed to remove traditional barriers to exercise
- Big Al’s Hot Mustard, founded by Del Vecchio, produces a clean-label condiment brand that reaches customers across the U.S. and internationally
- HighHeat, founded by Josef Govednik (UT, ’26), uses advanced analytics to help baseball pitchers at all levels improve performance and development
- Syntrae, founded by Tan Hoang (UT, ’25), applies data science and quantitative modeling to help individuals better understand and strengthen personal relationships
- Vetra, founded by Avi Patel, a senior in finance with collateral in marketing and a minor in entrepreneurship from Johnson City, Tennessee, helps automotive repair shops streamline quoting, job handoffs and day-to-day operations through intelligent software solutions.
- SherSpinz, founded by Sherleen Mwaura, a senior in music business administration from Knoxville, amplifies underrepresented artists through music discovery, live radio programming and community engagement
- Cameron Delaney Creative, founded by Cameron Wright (UT, ’26), provides marketing, branding and content creation services to help small businesses grow their presence and reach new audiences
- ZeroCross, founded by Zara Malik, a computer science, data mining and intelligent systems graduate student, is creating a commercial kitchen venture to build a gluten- and nut-free production space to bring globally inspired flavors to consumers with dietary restrictions
- Jade Owen, a Nashville native and junior majoring in finance, is developing a college-themed café designed to serve as a hub for productivity, dining and community events
About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The ACEI, housed in the UT Haslam College of Business, is the front door to entrepreneurship at UT. It connects Volunteers with the expertise, resources and collaborators at UT and across the regional ecosystem to advance ideas, tackle bold challenges and turn entrepreneurial ambition into results. At the ACEI, Volunteers are empowered to identify opportunities and take bold action to create value through new ventures.
For more information on Summer Studio, visit the ACEI event page.
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Author:
Allison Kelly, ACEI director of marketing, akelly9@utk.edu
Contact:
Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu
Contact
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