TALENT PIPELINE

Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s classes and accelerator-like programs include two for the city’s hottest verticals— health care and music.

The maker spaces and education programs at Wond’ry serve the Vanderbilt community and other creatives and aspiring entrepreneurs. Recent ventures started there include Leaf, which uses blockchain to help refu- gees move their money, and a VR company fighting opioid addiction. Serial entrepreneur John Wark launched Nashville Software School 7 to pump developer talent into local firms. The nonprofit provides “opportunity tuition” for half its students, which includes deferral of most fees until after they are employed. Its unusually diverse student body includes veterans, waiters, and musicians.