Entrepreneur Spotlight: Lisa Tumlin

Lisa Tumlin’s entrepreneurial journey began long before she even knew it had started.

With over 25 years experience in HIV care, the problem she saw most often was that patients were in need of housing due to the many life changing events and challenges they face. Her idea for The Springs House of Hope, a nonprofit that will provide transitional housing to HIV+ women in Chattanooga, was conceived back in the 1990s while she worked at an HIV clinic. It took 12 years and a particularly inspirational sermon for her to take a leap of faith and get to the next step.

Lisa’s friend and LAUNCH entrepreneur Robin Davis told Lisa to give the Business Entrepreneurship Academy a try. By the time she enrolled, the program was already in it’s third week. Working two jobs at the same time as the course, Lisa was overwhelmed and wasn’t sure how she was going to fit the program into her life. Facilitator Alexis Willis made sure to put Lisa’s fears at ease and worked with her one-on-one to catch her up.

“Once I started the program it gave me a whole lot of insight on the work it takes to succeed and sustain your business once it is up and running,” Lisa says. “The 10-week Business Entrepreneurship Academy gave me the push I needed to go after my dreams. I never would have started The Springs House of Hope if I had not had been shown how hard work and help from people that believe in you can get you through the challenges that you face when starting a business.”

With the training she had and a prayer in her heart, Lisa came up with the name The Springs.  It was, a name that combined her mother’s maiden name with the idea of a season that brings new life and a fresh start. While it was a hard decision, she felt that it was important to focus on women. “A woman will do anything necessary to care for her family, but if she is not strong physically, mentally and spiritually, she will struggle. I plan to provide a system of educational, social and spiritual support.”

Through The Springs House of Hope, Lisa aspires to help HIV+ women in the Chattanooga area that need a hand to stand strong.  She will introduce them to the tools they need to be confident. With her current business plan, $1,000 will provide housing for one woman for a three months, and she is currently raising funds via Causeway, with every donation being matched dollar for dollar. To learn more and to donate, head here.

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