Governor's School for Entrepreneurs
Week One Recap
Exploring Kentucky's Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Paul Brown Stadium Tour with VP Troy Blackburn
Cintrifuse and The Brandery
Our Entrepreneurs learned about all the pieces of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and what it takes to build one at Cintrifuse and The Brandery. These entities have done a lot to support economic advancement in their region, and are great examples of true collaboration within entrepreneurship. Thanks to Eric Weissmann and several of the Startups therein for making this a very special day!
Lexington Entrepreneurship Day
Hosted by Awesome Inc and sponsored by Alltech, Lexington Entrepreneurship Day (LED) was a powerful experience for our entrepreneurs. They attended several workshops throughout the day. To culminate, we attended 5Across - a pitch competition. This was an especially unique experience as a team from last year's GSE, Dose Defense, pitched in this competition to earn additional money for their startup. They swept "Crowd Favorite" and are moving toward their next big step! So cool!
Louisville's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Mike Davis, Appriss Inc.
Mike shared his powerful entrepreneurial journey with our Es. His "why" for his startups is a great example of why passion and compassion are key in entrepreneurship.
Ellie Puckett, Renegade Ventures
Ellie's unique entrepreneurial journey lends itself to showcasing a variety of experiences. It's no wonder Ellie is a successful entrepreneur - her grit and mindset have taken her far. We were thankful for her candid advice and thoughts on customer discovery. We know she'll do great things with Renegade Ventures!
Forest Giant
Always a pleasure to visit one of our coolest partners - Forest Giant. Their diverse team knows how to bring a project into fruition. Their attention to customer dynamic, needs, and scope are just a few reasons why they're rocking the industry.
Sean O'Leary of EdjAnalytics
Sean took time from his busy schedule to meet with our entrepreneurs and share his story and offer advice.
Stacy Griggs, CEO of El Toro
Stacy shared El Toro's purpose and story. El Toro is a unique marketing company, focused on IP targeting and the possibilities therein.
Patrick Henshaw, LEAP
Patrick's support of the GSE program is not new. He has been an advocate for our work for a long while. It's always a pleasure to have him visit with our entrepreneurs. He shared about the Louisville region and several initiatives that will help to catalyze entrepreneurship for all.
Guest Entrepreneurs and Speakers of Week One
Justin and Emily Carabello of Carabello Coffee
We had an invaluable experience with Carabello Coffee this week. Not only did they share their entrepreneurial journey - the good, the bad, and everything in between - but their passion and love for the people they serve took this visit to the next level. Not only are they coming to Demo Day to watch our Es pitch on July 13th, but they've sponsored the GSE program by providing Carabello Coffee EVERY DAY for the ENTIRE program! WOW! We are blown away by their kindness and compassion - they are making waves and doing it all through social entrepreneurship. What a night!
Paul Brown of Bircus Brewery
Paul has taken two very traditional business models and blended them together for a ton of fun. What happens when you intertwine a circus and a brewery? Bircus Brewery! We enjoyed learning from Paul and the work he is doing to revitalize Ludlow, Kentucky!
Shane Howard
Shane was named the 2018 Kentucky Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Emerging Entrepreneur. His story of overcoming obstacles - even homelessness and learning disabilities - provides insight into the idea that there's no excuse to not achieve your dreams. We always appreciate Shane's passion and charisma for the work that he does. As he says, the work is the work is the work!
GSE Week One
Team Progress
Challenge One
Startup Madness!
GSE's Demo Day
About our Host
" NKU is a growing metropolitan university of more than 14,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati.
Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. "
Thank You CIE!
Governor's School for Entrepreneurs
Email: tasha@keenstart.org
Website: www.KentuckyGSE.com
Location: 300 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, KY, USA
Phone: 859 - 583 - 7066
Facebook: www.facebook.com/governorsschoolforentrepreneurs
Twitter: @KentuckyGSE