CO.LAB is a 501c3 nonprofit based in Chattanooga, TN that accelerates early-stage startups in the sustainable mobility space.
We believe that your venture can make the world a cleaner, smarter, more sustainable place—if provided with the right resources.
Our organization has the connections, means, and motivation to help you move the needle of progress forward.
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There are few things more exciting than scaling a new venture. Entrepreneurship is the beating heart of Chattanooga, and we are thrilled to immerse ourselves in it.
Team collaboration is the rising tide that lifts all boats. We believe in creating a positive, creative synergy that helps you efficiently achieve your goals.
Diversity enriches our perspective, challenges our beliefs and broadens our understanding of the world. Embracing this allows us to foster a more equitable environment to live and work.
Chattanooga's strength of industry, competitive advantages, and unparalleled resources make our city your destination for growth.
Get the investment you need
Strengthen your proof of concept
Connect with leaders in your space
Expand your talent network with ease
Get to market faster
Tasia Malakasis is a tech-industry veteran, serial entrepreneur and former head of an award-winning company. She’s the second female CEO in The Company Lab’s 11-year existence.
Coming from a strong background in HR, Rosimar is excited to go out into our communities and foster relationships within the surrounding 9 counties, all the while bringing awareness to Co.Lab’s mission and resources.
David grew up working in his parent's small, rural sign shop and saw firsthand what it takes to run your own business. He's worked with the Tennessee Center for Rural Innovation, PBS, a Fortune 500 company, and numerous small businesses in Middle Tennessee. He loves to encourage and provide resources to folks who are looking to make their dreams a reality.
Christine is an operational leader who has worked in several industries and loves working at COLAB to support local entrepreneurs. She's passionate about making a positive impact on our community and driving organizational success. In her free time, Christine loves to be outside, hiking trails with her husband and dogs.
Angela Poffenbaugh is an award-winning storyteller, expert in communications, and former News Anchor/Reporter in both Wisconsin and Chattanooga. She is thrilled to settle in the beautiful Scenic City and support entrepreneurs changing lives for the better through The Company Lab.
Allie Schrenker has spent the last few years playing professional rugby all over the world - and with her experience, she knows that no dream is unreachable. She is thrilled to bring her passion and professional goal setting skills to Co.Lab's new mission.
Laura Ann (LA) Howell is COO of Reliance Partners, a national leader in commercial transportation insurance.
She loves the fast pace of scaling businesses and works to build productive and positive teams which translate into positive client experiences.
LA is a graduate of the University of Georgia, earning a B.B.A. in risk management and insurance and a B.A. in Spanish. She also served as the risk manager for Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods, where she founded an internal flatbed trucking company and brokerage division.
She loves getting outside and enjoying all that Chattanooga has to offer with her husband, Jeff, and their son, Charlie.
Thomas S. Lyons is the Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
He is the co-author of fourteen books and numerous articles and papers on these subjects and has edited a three-volume set on social entrepreneurship (Social Entrepreneurship: How Businesses Can Transform Society).
In 2011, Dr. Lyons received the Ted K. Bradshaw Outstanding Research Award from the Community Development Society.
Dr. Lyons is currently Co-Editor of the Entrepreneurship Research Journal. He is a practicing entrepreneur, who has co-founded two companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Tiffanie Robinson is a professional connector, bringing together businesses with property, women entrepreneurs with investors, and parents with their school board.
She is the President/CEO of Lamp Post Properties, a real estate fund and development group, specializing in projects like The Tomorrow Building; the Founder and President of SVN|Second Story Real Estate Management; and a founding member and active general partner at The JumpFund, an angel fund made up of all female investors focusing on investments in female led companies.
In August of 2016, she was elected to the Hamilton County Board of Education, making her the youngest woman to be elected in Hamilton County history.
In 2020, she was re-elected unopposed for her second term on the Hamilton County Board of Education.
Santosh Sankar cofounded Chattanooga-based venture capital firm Dynamo in December 2015 with Ted Alling, Barry Large and Allan Davis.
He has led investments including Starsky Robotics and PlusOne Robotics and has also made investments through other Dynamo entities.
The Tennessee seed fund has focused so far on startups in logistics technology, which it defines as including supply chain and transportation companies.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the healthcare information technology industry, Rebekah Elkins Sharpe is a visionary when it comes to identifying new strategic offerings and executing go-to-market plans.
Her expertise is on building teams and developing operational departments, and she is experienced in leading healthcare IT startups from concept to scale and through aggressive growth stages, including multiple capital raises and strategic acquisitions.
She is a Certified Healthcare Compliance Professional (CHCP) and is a board member of the Chattanooga Co-Lab and NPMM Education Fund boards of directors.
Sybil McLain-Topel, MFA, IOM, has served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce since 2014. Shortly before joining the Chamber, she completed an MFA in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta.
In Chattanooga, she serves on the board of ArtsBuild, Co.Lab, and the Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians, which covers three states and 48 counties.
She’s an active member of the Public Relations Society of America and Rotary International. She serves as a mentor for the SCAD Writing Program.
She completed both the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute and Leadership Chattanooga programs.
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the transportation/trucking/railroad industry. Strong business development professional skilled in Negotiation, Budgeting, Operations Management, Supply Chain Optimization, and Freight.
Matt Patterson is currently a Co-Founder and General Partner at Brickyard, a startup incubator based in Chattanooga, With a robust career history and skill set that includes Leadership, Customer Service, Operations Management, Sales, Marketing and more, Matt Patterson contributes valuable insights to the industry.
Carol Eimers develops, leads and facilitates implementation of TVA’s strategic engagement with public officials, local power companies, and businesses and communities across a 4-state, 82 county territory.
Kirk Burton is an innovative thinker using a unique mix of experience to develop solutions to complex problems. Proven senior executive with demonstrated ability to deliver value and lead change. Experience designing and leading accelerator/incubator programs.
Jim Ingraham is responsible for electric utility and broadband communications service, strategic market research and data modeling relevant to electric rates, service development, business strategy, business planning, public policy, grant development, and business intelligence research.
Rick advises clients in environmental matters, business planning, technology issues, transactions, and trial and appellate litigation. He also counsels businesses and utilities concerning environmental compliance matters.
He's also handled a number of appellate cases, including a leading case on the lender exception to liability under the federal Superfund law.
As counsel to the charter study commission of the City of Chattanooga, Rick was one of the principal drafters of a charter framework that was implemented in 1990.
