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UK Founder Madison Bates Wins $5,000, Featured on Fox56 News

UK Founder Faraneh Fathi Wins Prize, Featured on Fox56 News

Gatton College Hosts Governor's School for Entrepreneurs Summer Startup Program

Meet the Founders! RSVP to Bootcamp!

July 7-8: 1st Annual KEDC AI Summit Igniting Minds, Inspiring Innovation

July 15: Small Business Resource Fair

July 18: Annual Kentucky Women's Conference

July 25: Kentucky Young Professionals Summit

July 31: Lexington Bluegrass Business Area Expo

EKY Runway: Apply Today & Launch a Business That Builds Up Your Community

Join us in transforming the Gatton student experience!

GSE’s Summer Startup is underway at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business & Economics! The summer program offers a free three-week immersive learning and residential program where high school entrepreneurs from across Kentucky (9th, 10th and 11th graders) come together on campus to create innovative solutions to real world problems. Participants will gain vital entrepreneurial skills, make connections, and transform their lives whether they head to college, start a business, or both.

"It’s exciting to have all of these aspiring entrepreneurs at UK's Gatton College. The energy and enthusiasm that the GSE students bring to campus is infectious. VACE welcomes the opportunity to speak and engage with future students interested in business." - Warren Nash, Director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) at The Gatton College of Business and Economics

Click here to check out the winners from Summer 2024!

The Entrepreneurs Bootcamp is an online business accelerator that helps educate Kentucky's aspiring entrepreneurs launch new ventures. All eligible students, staff, faculty, and Kentucky entrepreneurs are welcome to apply to the program. Bootcamp is only open to Kentucky-based entrepreneurs. All other entrepreneurs outside the state are encouraged to seek out your local state resources. Eligibility and acceptance into Bootcamp is competitive and capacity is limited. Previous participants/graduates of Bootcamp will not be eligible. Click here to check out the current projects and founders.

Orientation & Info Session Overview

Join The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship for an exciting virtual event on August 20th where you'll learn all about our upcoming Bootcamp Accelerator for the Fall 2025 semester. All attendees interested in entrepreneurship in Kentucky are encouraged to join this webinar and learn more about the accelerator.

Date: August 20 (Weds)

Time: Noon - 1:00pm EST

Attendees: This info session and orientation webinar is open to all Kentucky-based entrepreneurs, students, campuses across the state, and community members seeking to learn more about the accelerator. Orientation is MANDATORY for anyone coming into Bootcamp with an idea as a team leader/founder.

For application details for the Fall 2025 Bootcamp Accelerator, click the link below.

The EKY Runway program helps people in Eastern Kentucky find meaningful careers and build stronger communities by providing free job training, mentorship, and practical support so residents can develop valuable skills and pursue rewarding work close to home. As a core project of EKY Runway, the Social Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) is dedicated to guiding entrepreneurs and business owners as they launch new ventures, strengthen existing operations, and expand their impact on the region.

SEA is currently accepting applications on a rolling basis, and works with people in these 12 counties and surrounding areas: Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry, Pike.

For all inquiries, contact:

Danna Barnett | danna@soar-ky.org

Project Manager, SOAR Social Enterprise Accelerator