

Nashville Small Business Tax Clinic
Join Pilot, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center for the Small Business Tax Clinic, a hands-on event designed to help local business owners get fully prepared for the 2026 tax season.
Breakfast and coffee provided
The 2026 Small Business Tax Outlook
A high-level conversation with city leaders and business experts examining the 2026 tax landscape, economic outlook, policy updates, and the challenges small businesses should expect. Learn how changing tax frameworks impact daily operations and what proactive steps to take before tax season.
Speakers:
Lauren Theobald, Pilot
Clay Banks, Founder, InPaceline
Amy Phillips, CPA, TriStar
Rob King, MakeTaxesFair
About Pilot:
Pilot provides expert bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services tailored to startups and small businesses. Headquartered in San Francisco and Nashville, Pilot combines U.S.-based finance experts with powerful software to deliver trustworthy financials and actionable insights—helping founders focus on what they do best: building their businesses.
About Clay Banks:
Clay Banks is a seasoned entrepreneur and growth strategist with more than 23 years of experience building and scaling brands across hardware, software, and consumer products. He’s co-founded or led eight companies, raising over $7 million in seed and venture capital. As co-founder of GloriLight, Clay started and grew the company to more than 25,000 orders across Amazon and Shopify, becoming a 7-figure annual brand in under 12 months.
Currently, Clay serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, where he leads the TakeOff Accelerator, coaching over 50 founders on go-to-market strategy and business growth. He is also the founder of ReFramEDU, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that helps high school students learn STEAM disciplines through entrepreneurship, giving them hands-on, real-world business experience.
Clay is best known for co-founding HAVEN, which appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank and was featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur. Beyond building companies, he’s a published author, investor, and six-time Ironman athlete committed to helping founders bring bold ideas to market.
About Amy Phillips:
Amy Phillips, CPA, is the Managing Partner of TriStar CPAs, PLLC. With more than two decades of experience, she specializes in tax preparation, bookkeeping, and strategic financial advisory services. She holds dual degrees in Professional Accountancy and Business Management from Lipscomb University and completed the CPA Examination in 2007. Outside her professional work, she enjoys swimming, gardening, and house-hunting, and is a proud grandmother of seven.