Recapping this Year's 3686 Festival 2024
More than 900 people from 33 states attended 3686 in Nashville over 3 days last week. Here's some of our team's favorite moments and takeaways!
Given many of our team’s current, former, or approximate locations in and around Nashville, you can typically count on seeing a handful of us at Launch Tennessee’s annual 3686 Festival. It’s a 3-day celebration and manifestation of the work that LaunchTN (and others like it) does across the state of Tennessee to spur the growth of capital, startups, support infrastructure, technology innovation, and favorable policy that states/cities need to cultivate to create sustained innovation ecosystems.
But, it’s also a way for folks from around the region (or even other countries) to connect with each other around a central theme:
1. That great companies, or your next investor, can come from anywhere &
2. We all win when we work together to tap into different ecosystems’ unique strengths and networks.
You can see the official recap from LaunchTN here, but our team also wanted to chime in on Build In SE’s activities and experiences from another fun week.
Monique Villa (Build In SE) - Nashville, TN | LinkedIn
Build In SE and LaunchTN co-hosted our 6th Annual Comfort Food & Conversation during #3686Fest, presented by J.P. Morgan. Special thanks to Kate, Lavinia, Loring, Lucy, and Sarah from J.P. Morgan for making this event possible for three consecutive years. We brought together VCs and ecosystem supporters at Lola Nashville for tapas and intentional conversation, and we loved the energy! Since launching in 2018, this event has inspired gatherings of women VCs in at least 4 other cities across the country.
Evan Prislovsky (Build In SE) - Nashville, TN | LinkedIn
Community, running, donuts, and coffee – my four favorite things! There is nothing quite like getting together with like-minded folks for a run to get your day started. It is a great way to connect with old friends and make new ones. Plus, it is always fun to show off the city to founders, investors, and supporters who came in town for the conference.
Brittain Skinner (Mucker Capital & Build In SE) - Louisville, KY | LinkedIn
This was my first time attending 3686 and I connected with a number of folks who, like me, have come home to the South after time elsewhere building companies, investment firms, and communities. Many of us are acting as cultural translators between those spaces, while helping envision a future (and a now) for the Southeast that is even better with the learnings brought back from time away — both what to do and what not to do.
A special shoutout to Juan Garzón, an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder at Innovate Charlotte in North Carolina. Juan is energetic and passionate about the work he's doing building the community in Charlotte, and his enthusiasm is catching. There are times when community championing can be challenging in its own way, and I find it so re-invigorating to connect with others in similar spaces and to come home with a renewed verve.
Chris Redd (number8 & Build In SE) - Kentucky | LinkedIn
My two favorite parts of 3686 this year:
Cultivating Recurring Relationships: This conference has become more than just an annual event for me—it's a reunion. Coming in from Kentucky, I now look forward to reconnecting with the brilliant minds I've met in previous editions. These recurring interactions have evolved into deep, meaningful relationships that extend far beyond the conference walls. It's been fascinating to catch up with fellow attendees, learn about their progress, and explore new collaborative opportunities.
Witnessing Tennessee's Growth: As a three-time attendee, I've had a front-row seat to the remarkable growth in Tennessee's innovation ecosystem. It's been inspiring to see how the ideas and startups pitched in previous years have blossomed, and how new ventures are building upon this foundation. The energy and momentum in the Tennessee entrepreneurial scene are palpable, and I feel privileged to be part of this thriving community.
Topher Price (MS&AD Ventures & Build In SE) - New York, NY | LinkedIn
Despite now a whole 3 years away from my former adopted community in Nashville and Tennessee, I find that 3686 always provides an opportunity to meet extremely talented, smart people working on cool things around the state and around the country, and the nature of the event means that all of them are friendly, open-minded, excited to be there, and looking for ways to help. The trope of “people are just nicer here” often gets repeated as a factor in “why should I move my company/spend more time in [insert city] in the Southeast”, but it’s stunning how consistently true it proves to be, and how much easier it makes building new connections.
I loved catching up with venture and growth equity investors representing cumulative billions in capital, meeting founders raising not only locally/regionally but also backed by familiar funds like Afore, General Catalyst, True Ventures, CVS Health Ventures, Concrete Rose + others, and getting to know numerous other Southeastern contacts with deep industry and operational expertise that I can’t wait to follow up with. Congrats to Lindsey Cox and all involved over at LaunchTN for yet another great event!
