What does it mean to work? What does it mean to create? What does it mean to be in community? These are just some of the questions Enoch Elwell ’12 has wrestled with and learned to live out since his time at Covenant College. Enoch completed high school with a desire to be the best guitar maker in the world. He visited Massachusetts to work under a master luthier as an apprentice, but soon realized that the industry culture was not a good one. While he wanted to express himself creatively, he didn’t want to be a starving artist in a scarcity minded industry. 

A Pivot to College

Enoch then shifted his sights to attending college, because after all, “that’s where everyone says you are supposed to go,” he says. Having grown up in the church, he knew of Covenant College well and decided to pursue a degree there that would help him reach his goal of doing creative work while gaining business skills that would aid him in his desire to be a creative entrepreneur. Enoch majored in business and minored in youth ministry.

The most valuable lessons he gained at Covenant were learned while sitting under the youth ministry teaching of the late Len Teague. Enoch says that Len’s deep love for people, his living out the gospel in his life, and his teaching on developing a life of discipleship and service, impacted him the most. He says, “that’s the foundation of what Covenant is all about that he {Len} embodied. Actually, if there is anything that is most applicable to the work of business…it had to do with his teaching about living as an authentic human around loving Christ and your neighbor. It was the most effective business education that I got.” 

Creative Entrepreneurship

After college, Enoch went on to help shape the creative entrepreneurship culture that Chattanooga is well known for today. He found a group of artists and creatives who were helping build the culture of the city through starting businesses. He joined up with another alum, Sheldon Grizzle ’03, and together they launched The Company Lab, a non-profit that helps area startups. Then, about ten years ago, he built a company called CO.STARTERS, which he describes as “a global network of communities that equip people and communities to thrive through entrepreneurship. And to use creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to actually change a culture of a city.” Through this venture, they’ve supported the launch and growth of over 30,000 businesses all over the world. He has since sold this company and now has an advisory role there.

These days, Enoch continues his creative entrepreneurial ventures. He owns Treetop Hideaways, with two locations in the Chattanooga area, for which he built tree houses that are available for rent. Enoch says he likes to “create spaces that inspire rest and wonder.” Everything in these tree houses are made out of reclaimed materials. He is also experimenting with finding a holistic solution to community through creating a micro-village—a community of people living and working together. 

Enoch’s understanding of the work he does—the work we do as believers—was shaped by what he learned at Covenant. He says, “The idea that the Kingdom of God is present and real and that continuity exists in our work now and into eternity… {as opposed to} the idea that this earth and this life is some disposable throw away trash and heaven is the real stuff. The work that we do, the physical reality of bringing shalom, is a spiritual act of eternal consequence. This informs what I do. The work that we do is way more amazing than we give it credit for. It’s not drudgery. We are getting a head start on eternity.”

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