CITYPULSE
MEMPHIS
A VEHICLE FOR DRIVING
CIVIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP
CITYPULSE puts innovation and entrepreneurship at the center of its efforts to develop and organize economic assets and public & private sector relationships for launching and/or recruiting new civic solutions. CITYPULSE was born out of the Ford Urbanite Mobility Challenge where Ford Motor Company lent their process for resident-informed “entrepreneurship as a solution” model for launching mobility pilots into the community. This model has generated success, and it has been decided to leverage it for solving other innovations in the Memphis region.
Services
Innovation Challenge
CityPulse will conduct resident/citizen/business discovery as part of a research phase to inform some opportunity areas that are then marketed across the country for entrepreneurs to apply for grants to pilot new solutions
Idea Accelerator
Civic ideas go through an efficient process for getting results; this produces greater accuracy in terms of designing things right. Quality ideas need speed applications and processes to provoke productive failures and challenges to get to what works. Finally your risk is lowered and the likelihood of premature execution is reduced.
Research & Development
In select cases Citypulse will bring its civic and business strategy, network, and tools to civic efforts struggling to get unstuck
Grants
Citypulse does administer grants for its Innovation Challenges and for select efforts determined by stakeholders
Memphis Mobility Challenge
The Memphis Mobility Challenge is a program dedicated to launching mobility & transportation solutions into the Memphis community. Year one has been completed where a steering committee of partners researched and engaged the community; identified opportunity areas; recruited and screened entrepreneur applications; selected winners of grants to execute their mobility pilots across the region.
Next Application Opens March, 2025
Active Pilots
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MedHaul- on-demand service for transporting persons with disabilities
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ServiceSync- employee to employee rideshare platform
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Asha’s Refuge- refugee to refugee transportation and distance learning service
3D Printed Home Technology
Expanding access to affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing in urban areas. We are looking for housing solutions that address affordability, adaptability, and livability, creating safe and equitable spaces that meet the diverse needs of all community members.
Bringing ICON’s 3D Printing capabilities to the Memphis region to scale production of homes that are more desirable, with lower upkeep, lower energy costs, etc. as a solution in the local housing supply crisis.
Funders & Partners
AgLaunch
Assisi Foundation
Blue Oval City
City of Memphis
Downtown Memphis Commission
EDGE
Greater Memphis Chamber
Innovate Memphis
Kemmons Wilson Foundation
LaunchTN
Memphis Area Transit Authority
Memphis Medical District Collaborative
Midsouth Development District
More ForMemphis
Orion
Shelby County Government
Start Co.
University of Memphis