Memphis "Smart Start" is a program that is a collaboration between the Memphis EPIcenter and the City of Memphis to foster the rapid development of small businesses in the Greater Memphis Area.

With the full support of both the Shelby County Mayor (Mark Luttrell) and the City of Memphis Mayor (Jim Strickland), the program attempts to empower new Memphis entrepreneurs by offering key tips and insights into getting a startup running in the Greater Memphis Area.

One of the key elements is the "Startup Wizard" which is a guided form that allows the entrepreneur to quickly figure out all the steps she needs to do in order to be legally setup in Memphis. In addition, a sticky "checklist" is provided so the entrepreneur can keep track of which steps they've already completed.

The Entrepreneurship-Powered Innovation Center (EPIcenter) is a collaborative and community-wide strategic initiative that is helping entrepreneurs conceive, launch and scale businesses in the Memphis region.  EPIcenter serves as a central point of contact for the region’s ecosystem and coordinates resources from various organizations in the community such as accelerators, incubators, mentors, investors, networking programs, and technical assistance programs for entrepreneurs.  EPIcenter also represents the complete picture of the region’s entrepreneurial activity and resources in high-growth, scalable startups and businesses.

The Greater Memphis Chamber’s Chairman’s Circle has tapped Memphis Bioworks to lead the efforts and objectives of EPIcenter, in collaboration with Emerge Memphis, Start Co., and other partners, to pursue a common goal of creating a robust and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Memphis to service the Mid-South region.

The goal of EPIcenter is to create 500 companies and 1,000 entrepreneurs by 2024, through four areas of support: Idea Creation, Development, Funding and Growth.