Knoxville is getting some credit for being friendly to the "makers" of the world.
Representatives from Etsy, an online marketplace for people who create and sell handmade goods, officially named Knoxville as the first of less than 15 cities to become an "Etsy Maker City."
The designation was announced Monday at Knoxville's first Maker Summit. The summit is part of Innov865 Week, a series of events meant to encourage business innovation through entrepreneurship.
According to Etsy, the goal of naming "Maker Cities" is to connect creators to local governments that support entrepreneurship, sustainability and responsible manufacturing.
Joy O'Shell from the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center said Knoxville meets these criteria.
"So Etsy loves our tradition of making, whether it's moonshine or music. We have a strong maker tradition, and it continues today, so this award is part of that legacy and a continuation of it so we can keep converting and revitalizing empty spaces into maker spaces," O'Shell said.
