Member Since October 2015
About
Eric Mathews is a champion for community and entrepreneurial change. Beginning in 2006, he began creating entrepreneurial ecosystem components in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2008, Eric founded Start Co. (formerly called LaunchMemphis and LaunchYourCity, Inc.), the region's venture development organization where he serves as CEO. Start Co. supports entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of starting up from raw idea through to seed capital. It includes co-working, technical assistance, investment capital, acceleration, and resource cultivation for an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Prior to these endeavors, Eric was the Associate Director of Corporate Research and Development at the FedEx Institute of Technology. There he grew research programs and business development activities including growing strategic business relationships with Fortune 500 companies. Eric has a B.S. in Chemistry from Rhodes College, and an M.S. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Memphis where he studied artificial intelligence. He has been quoted hundreds of times in many media outlets on building startups as well as the use and influence of innovation in business. With a passion for supporting the arts, Eric currently serves on the following boards: BalletMemphis and Project:Motion. As a voice for change in economic development policy, he serves on the board of the Center City Development Corporation as chairman. In 2012, Eric also served a one year appointment as interim Executive Director of EmergeMemphis the Midsouth's innovation economy business incubator while still building Start Co. Eric is the author of From Garage to Greatness: Succinct First Steps for Early Stage Entrepreneurs, an accessible book for first time entrepreneurs and those supporting them about how to move from idea to business launch. Eric invested in, co-owns, and operates building product and real estate businesses in Little Rock, AR. Eric is an Eagle Scout.
Eric Mathews
Published content
expert panel
expert panel
Working from home requires paying attention to many small details regarding your mental and physical well-being, with work-life balance tending to be significantly higher among remote workers compared to traditional office workers. Most companies have now opted to offer remote work packages for their essential staff in response to the global pandemic. But when you're only just getting into the remote working lifestyle, it can be challenging to figure out a proper work-life balance. Remote work, especially, tends to infringe upon your daily life incessantly, making it hard to set boundaries and stick to them. Below, these eight professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council share the habits they rely on to achieve a better work-life balance while working remotely and explain why their strategies can help other entrepreneurs, as well.
expert panel
[long-form emailed to Kelsey]
expert panel
Sep 21, 2020
Entrepreneurs should all know by now how nerve-wracking delivering a pitch to investors can be. If you've invested a lot of your time and effort into designing a business idea, you want to get the point across to investors effectively. As with anything, practicing your delivery can go a long way toward making a steadier presentation. That’s why we asked 13 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:
expert panel
expert panel
Aug 31, 2020
Being honest and truly helpful is a surefire way to gain your prospect's trust.
Company details
Start Co.
Company bio
Start Co. builds the digital economy of Memphis by investing in founders and their startup companies with money, mentorship, and intense business and technical assistance.