Blue North and Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) are celebrating National Small Business Week by announcing a new partnership to bring the next CO.STARTERS cohort to Kentucky in July.

CO.STARTERS presented by SOAR and Blue North is scheduled to begin on July 29 and classes will be held virtually on Thursdays. Applications are available virtually for the 10-week program to residents of Kentucky or those who have businesses in the Commonwealth. The application deadline is July 1 and the program fee is $75.

Launched nationally in 2013 and brought to Kentucky in 2019 by SOAR then expanded into Northern Kentucky by Blue North and the Owen County Chamber of Commerce in 2020, CO.STARTERS helps local entrepreneurs further develop their ideas, critically examine their business models, and determine the next steps through real-time feedback from business leaders.

SOAR, located in Pikeville, KY, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that is a champion for Appalachia Kentucky. Through a collective impact model, SOAR works to expand job creation, enhance regional opportunity, innovation, and identity, and support all those working to achieve these goals in Appalachia Kentucky. 

“We’re really excited to collaborate with Blue North to run this cohort and connect business owners in Appalachia to those in Northern Kentucky,” said Ryan Jones, Director of SOAR Innovation. “This effort is a direct result from of our partnership with KY Innovation to pull our resources together and build a thriving startup ecosystem.”

CO.STARTERS has served more than 3,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs around the world, building a community of peers, coaches, and business services. Last year, Blue North’s inaugural cohort graduated six small businesses from the program.

“Building a business can be challenging, and the opportunity to receive guidance, feedback, and resources from business leaders can elevate and accelerate the start-up process,” said Abby Ober, Program Director at Blue North. “This 10-week program will provide participants with a tangible framework, and the knowledge, to create their own roadmap to find success.”

CO.STARTERS session topics include goal setting, knowing your customer, marketing, accounting, team building, and more. To learn more about CO.STARTERS visit costarters.co.

To register, fill out an application online today.

About Blue North

Launched as an independent organization in 2020, Blue North is the guide and force leading
Northern Kentucky’s Entrepreneur Ecosystem. Building and sustaining a community of
innovation and entrepreneurship, Blue North connects startups and small businesses to
resources, support, and opportunities in an eight-county region: Kenton, Campbell, Boone,
Grant, Gallatin, Owen, Carroll, and Pendleton. Blue North receives operating support from the
Kentucky Office of Entrepreneurship at the Cabinet for Economic Development, KY Innovation,
and other funding sources. Learn more at bluenorthky.com.