It’s been a bit since we last provided a roundup, but that doesn’t mean things have slowed down. With that, we’ll get back into the swing of things. We’ve got plenty to “focus” on.
SOAR Focus Summit was a huge success
More than 320 people from 44 Kentucky counties converged on Hazard for our Focus Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The Summit was presented by Kentucky Power and KY Innovation.
A special thank you to Hazard Community and Technical College, Hazard/Perry County Chamber of Commerce, City of Hazard, Perry County Fiscal Court, and Hazard/Perry County Economic Development Alliance.
Did you miss the Summit or attended and want a replay? We’ve got all plenary sessions, videos featuring local organizations and small businesses, and two of our Breakout Sessions on our YouTube Channel.
Hoskins wins Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition
Just because you live in a rural community doesn’t mean you can’t do big things. Dakota Hoskins had the idea of a car wash barcoding system after visiting a car wash industry trade show.
He brought that idea home to Casey County.
And that led to the formation of Safari Car Wash Solutions.
On June 23, Dakota took home a $10,000 cash prize as the winner of our Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition, presented by Community Trust Bank. The event was part of our Focus Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which took place June 23-24 in Hazard.
Check out a nice piece on the competition by our friends at KYInno.
You can watch the Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition in its entirety on our YouTube Channel.
Appalachian Nursing Academy is a wrap
The first-ever Appalachian Nursing Academy wrapped up on June 24 in Pikeville. We sponsored the two-week Academy for 17 high school students in response to the demand for healthcare workers needed across Eastern Kentucky.
For two weeks, students were immersed in learning, shadowing, and, of course, fun. This included tours of various parts of Pikeville Medical Center and access to labs and classrooms at the University of Pikeville.
Each student also received a $1,500 scholarship for their continued education.
Check out this story from WYMT.
Kentucky Wildlands, SKED announce Destination Thrive Fund
Tourism is thriving in parts of Eastern Kentucky. And a new fund will make it easier for business owners to seek funding and business coaching thanks to a new partnership between the Southeast Kentucky Economic Corporation (SKED) and the Kentucky Wildlands.
The Destination Thrive: Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Growth Fund provides $1 million to help finance projects.
Learn more about the fund here.
Team Kentucky and SPEDA partner for KY Innovation Workshop
Business and Innovation Champion Tal Jones was in Somerset on June
21 for a special workshop for business owners on KY Innovation. The event was hosted by our Grassroots Partners at the Somerset/Pulaski Economic Development Authority, or SPEDA.
Check out more from SPEDA on this event.
Would you like to host a workshop in your community? Contact a member of our team today!