Chamber scrutiny

Lewis Lavine of Nashville-based Center for Nonprofit Management is one of several sources casting a wary eye on reports of a multicultural chamber's spending in Chattanooga, the Times Free Press reports.

Soles4Souls

A day after scrutiny of the organization in The Tennessean for possible inappropriate management actions, Soles4Souls announced a brace of business and organizational initiatives. The release is here.

$95MM fund created here

Karen Bruton has a passion for international relief efforts, and she plans to use her earnings from a new $95MM investment fund to support Brentwood-based Just Hope International and related works. The story's here.

UT Engineering mentor James Hung dies

The KNS reports the passing of James Hung (at left), a retired University of Tennessee engineering professor who mentored dozens of graduate students, including Min Kao, CEO of GPS manufacturer Garmin. Guided by Hung, Kao donated $17.5MM to support building a new engineering building on the UT campus, and it is nearing completion.

Fractional Capital

Our story on Ellen Lehman's call for VC involvement in the community foundation she leads reminded me of Mike Shmerling's 'Idea 67' concept, in which Nashville allies would launch ventures that would remain in Nashville long term. The idea: go to local companies in search of viable business ideas those companies might have lying about, but which have been deemed too small to address within the company, itself. Assemble a team of mentors, grad students, investors, et al; develop a business plan, recruit funding and execute. The idea of fractional ownership is well established in U.S. real-estate circles. Why not in other sectors? 'Seems like a great idea to explore, particularly in these times.