KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville company created by students and alumni from the University of Tennessee was named the 2022 Dream Big Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The company, named Carbon Rivers, develops advanced materials used in a variety of industries and fields. For example, they make materials that are used in facilities that produce nuclear energy while also make polymer composites and materials used in ballistic armor. They also make materials designed to kill common bacteria on contact.
"Knoxville is huge right now because in manufacturing, in composite and even in graphene — there's a lot of synergy and a lot of great collaborative initiatives and companies here in this region," said a spokesperson with the company. "We've got an excellent relationship with them. Sometimes we send them customers because there's something that's outside of what we do, but we know someone who can in this region."
The Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award is meant to recognize small businesses that make "a meaningful contribution to the economy and job creation," according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also said they received the award partly because of their emphasis on community involvement, sharing their tech with the public sector and emerging STEM students.
Carbon Rivers was named the winner out of around 3,000 applications. They also received $25,000 as a cash prize.