The 10 Nashville Entrepreneurs You Should Know

Jensen Sussman — President and Owner, Sweet Talk Publicity

Don’t be fooled by the name of Jensen Sussman’s public relations firm—rather than sweet-talking her way through clients’ campaigns, she lets her decade of music industry experience speak for itself. After stints at Sony and Warner, the L.A. native now commands her own powerhouse roster; she splits her time between crafting media blitzes for stadium headliners (Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen) and building grassroots buzz for smaller acts (Will Hoge, Frankie Ballard). Sussman also cofounded Women Rock for the Cure, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer awareness and recently partnered with the annual Opry Goes Pink benefit.

Robbie Goldsmith — Director of Community Engagement, Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Robbie Goldsmith is proof that age is just a number. The Chicago-born entrepreneur graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2010 and spent two years as a branch manager for Enterprise Rent-a-Car before volunteering—i.e., moving chairs and making coffee—at the Entrepreneur Center. After four months, EC president and CEO Michael Burcham hired Goldsmith as the nonprofit’s fifth employee, just as it was transitioning to a new, state-of-the-art facility in the historic Trolley Barns. Around the same time, Goldsmith launched a startup of his own, now called Bach Weekend, a full-service concierge for bachelor and bachelorette parties in Nashville; going into its third year, Bach Weekend will expand to include New Orleans and Miami, launch an online platform where users can book directly through the site, and plan more than 250 parties for 2015. The mover and shaker’s biggest endeavor yet starts next month with Project Music, the first music-concentrated accelerator program in the country.

Philip and Dana Nappi — Co-owners, Peter Nappi

Little did Dana and Philip Nappi know that when Philip sold his Nashville-based garbage and recycling business for more than 200 times its original price in 2008, they would soon be building an epicenter of cool. At first, all Philip wanted to do was learn how to make boots—so they set off to Italy, studied, and brought home a concept for a lifestyle brand. Dana drove the details of the operation while Philip learned his craft; today, the Peter Nappi brand includes boots, handbags, small leather goods, and a recently launched selection of leather jackets. In just three years, their retail space and design studio, a former meatpacking warehouse in East Germantown, has become a gathering spot for the creative community. There’s shopping, yes, but you also might stumble across an impromptu concert, a magazine photo shoot, or a soiree for a food magazine.

Brian Waller — Chief Strategy Officer, Vaco

In the recruiting realm, Vaco, founded here in 2002, is a specialist in executive searches and talent acquisition; they’re currently serving 30 U.S. markets. And Brian Waller oversees all of it, as one of Vaco’s three founding partners. Through IT initiatives and special projects, he is positioning the company for further growth while also acting as a mentor to a number of Vaco’s offices. When he’s not helping his business place the perfect candidates, Waller lends his support to the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Safe Haven Family Shelter, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee.

Lori Badgett — Senior Vice President, City National Bank’s Entertainment Division

In 2011, Hendersonville native Lori Badgett helped launch the Nashville branch of City National Bank, a mammoth financial institution known for packing its client roster with entertainment professionals. Since then, she and her team have produced over $100 million in net new financing to the local music industry and secured financing for many of the city’s well-known publishers, artists, songwriters, producers, managers, lawyers, and agents. Outside the office, Badgett is the board president of the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives charity, which helps people in need through the power of music, and serves on the board of directors for fellow nonprofit Music Health Alliance.

Benjamin and Max Goldberg — Co-founders, Strategic Hospitality

Restaurateurs and Nashville natives Benjamin and Max Goldberg have stood as the poster children for the local hospitality scene since their 32-diner concept The Catbird Seat debuted in 2011. The opening of their newest experiment, Pinewood Social—complete with a bowling alley, coffee shop space, karaoke room, and swimming pools—cemented their status as restaurant royalty. The Goldbergs, both University School of Nashville alumni, co-founded Strategic Hospitality in 2006 and have since grown the company to 350 employees. Benjamin, who serves as the president of Strategic, opened the now-defunct Bar Twenty3 before launching the brand, and Max worked in New York for several years before joining his brother in Nashville (and was named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 in 2011). Currently, the Goldbergs have a handful of other projects in the pipeline, including spearheading the food and beverage side of a new boutique property in Printer’s Alley, which is rumored to be an Ace Hotel.

Samar Ali — Attorney at Bone McAllester Norton

As an attorney at Bone McAllester Norton, Samar Ali specializes in administrative law, business and corporate law, and litigation and dispute resolution practices, with a focus on international diplomacy. Of course, you don’t become an exciting new face at one of the city’s most prestigious law firms without a loaded résumé—and this former White House Fellow delivers: A Vanderbilt grad (and adjunct professor), Ali also runs Lodestone Advisory Group, the global consulting firm she cofounded last year; previously, she’s worked in the Department of Homeland Security, advised Governor Bill Haslam on economic development issues, and consulted with the Obama administration on fighting ISIS.

Brad Smith — CEO, Aspire Health

Knoxville-born Brad Smith has an impressive list of credentials and achievements to his name. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, received a master of philosophy from Oxford University (where he was also named a Rhodes Scholar), worked at the White House, and later served as chief-of-staff at the Tennessee Department of Economic Development, a $220 million, 140-person organization. These days, Smith stands at the forefront of the health care industry, having cofounded Aspire Health, a home- and outpatient-based palliative care company focused on supporting patients facing serious illness. The company, launched in 2013, now operates in six states. Prior to his foray into health care, Smith served as interim CEO of LaunchTN and was the founding executive director of Tennessee SCORE; he currently sits on the boards of KIPP Nashville and the Martha O’Bryan Center.

Meet all 30 in the December issue of Nashville Lifestyles print and digital!