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Entrepreneurs often follow non-linear career paths. Brad Smith, founder of Nashville-based Aspire Health, has traveled a particularly winding road.

In high school, Brad thought he’d be a trauma surgeon. As an undergraduate at Harvard, his interests evolved to include politics, and in his first job out of college, he worked on the campaign of Tennessee Senator Bob Corker. Brad went on to resear…

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“I remember exactly where I was sitting when I realized we had to shutter the company.”

At age 28, Amanda Lannert was named president of Jellyvision, then an interactive gaming company best known for YOU DON’T KNOW JACK. Six months later, she had to lay off most of the company’s employees – herself included.

“I wrote a severance letter to Amanda, from Amanda,” she said.

At our most recent Ta…

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