CREATE News | April 1, 2026
Kentucky thermal institute owner named 2026 Kentucky Small Business person of the year by U.S. Small Business administratioN
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – April 1, 2026 –
John Harnage, owner of Kentucky Thermal Institute has been named the 2026 Small Business Person of the Year for Kentucky by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), one of the nation’s highest honors for small business leadership.
This prestigious recognition is part of National Small Business Week, an annual celebration highlighting the critical role small businesses play in driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation across the country.
As a state-level honoree, John is invited to attend the National Small Business Week Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 3–4, 2026. During the event, one individual will be selected as the National Small Business Person of the Year.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from the SBA,” said John Harnage. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire team, the loyalty of our customers, and the support of our local community. We are proud to represent Kentucky on a national stage.”
For more than 60 years, the SBA has recognized outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in business growth, innovation, and community impact. Harnage was selected for his leadership, resilience, and meaningful contributions to the local economy. Kentucky Thermal Institute is based at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, KY.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” said Julie Milam, Executive Vice President of Partnership Services for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are incredibly proud of John and the Kentucky Thermal Institute team for this well-deserved honor. Their success story is a powerful example of what is possible through hard work, vision, and community partnership.”
“We have been honored to not just watch the Kentucky Thermal Institute grow, but to support John Harnage as he has become a leader in our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Jeff Hook, Executive Director of the Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE), one of the six KY Innovation Hubs operated by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. “This community and this ecosystem are focused on supporting entrepreneur-led collaboration, and John embodies that spirit.”
For more information about Kentucky Thermal Institute, please visit www.kythermal.institute or contact john@kytermal.institute.
About Kentucky Thermal Institute
Kentucky Thermal Institute is a Bowling Green-based training and education provider specializing in thermography, equipping professionals with the skills to perform advanced thermal imaging and non-destructive inspections. Founded by industry expert John Harnage, the institute was created to help individuals and businesses grow within the rapidly expanding field of thermal technology through hands-on instruction and real-world application. Its programs span multiple industries, supporting workforce development and innovation across sectors ranging from building science to industrial and medical thermology.
CREATE News | March 3, 2026
Launch Kentucky: Idea Challenge Seeks the Next Breakout Businesses from South Central KentuckY
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – March 3, 2026 –
Big ideas don’t launch themselves. That’s why the CREATE: Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology and Entrepreneurship located at the WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, KY is putting the spotlight on entrepreneurs, creators, and students ready to turn bold ideas into real businesses through the Launch Kentucky: Idea Challenge a competitive, high-impact opportunity designed to move ideas from concept to commercialization. CREATE is part of the Kentucky Innovation Network.
Launch Kentucky: Idea Challenge is now accepting applications from innovators located in 12 counties Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hancock, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Ohio, Simpson Warren and WKU Students. Final submissions are due by March 15.
“This challenge is about momentum,” said Penny Hugehs, Program and Event manager for CREATE. “We see strong ideas every day. Launch Kentucky gives innovators the expert support and accountability they need to test, refine, and move their ideas toward the marketplace.”
Participants in the Launch Kentucky: Idea Challenge will compete for professional services, including market research, legal and patent assistance, accounting support, product development, and more
All ideas submitted will remain confidential throughout the application and review process.
This is not a pitch competition for prize money it’s a proving ground for entrepreneurs ready to build.
Applications and full program details are available online. Submissions must be received by March 15 at 11:59 PM (CT).
For more information and to submit your ideas, CLICK HERE
CREATE News | November 14, 2025
EdgeTrack Solutions Showcases Predictive Logistics Platform at CREATE Small Business Summit
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – November 13, 2025 – EdgeTrack Solutions, a technology startup founded by University of Kentucky graduate students, participated as a sponsor and featured exhibitor at the 5th Annual CREATE Small Business Summit and Expo held at the WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The event brought together entrepreneurs, support organizations, and community leaders across South Central Kentucky and from elsewhere in the state to discuss opportunities for innovation and collaboration under the theme “Blind Spots and Breakthroughs – What Every Business Owner Needs to Know.” The event is organized by the Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, & Entrepreneurship (CREATE), which is headquartered at the WKU Innovation Campus.
As part of the exhibition, EdgeTrack Solutions demonstrated its AI-powered predictive shipment-tracking platform, designed to enhance real-time fleet visibility and optimize logistics performance. During the Summit, Shem Odhiambo (CEO & Co-Founder) and Eric Wambua (COO & Co-Founder) engaged small businesses, startups, community leaders, and entrepreneurs exploring smart-supply-chain solutions, while also discussing opportunities for Kentucky-based partnerships that support technology adoption and local manufacturing growth.
“Participating in the Small Business Summit allowed us to showcase how technology and data visibility can strengthen Kentucky’s manufacturing competitiveness,” said Shem Odhiambo, CEO and Co-Founder of EdgeTrack Solutions. “Events like this highlight the strong innovation ecosystem that Kentucky continues to build for emerging companies like ours.”
The EdgeTrack team also emphasized how collaboration and community engagement drive innovation. “Our conversations at the Summit reflected the shared goal of building a smarter, more connected supply-chain network across Kentucky,” said Eric Wambua, COO and Co-Founder of EdgeTrack Solutions. “We were inspired by the level of interest from local manufacturers and entrepreneurs eager to adopt new technologies.”
The Summit served as a strategic platform for innovation-driven businesses to connect with regional resource providers and share best practices in scaling operations and technology adoption. The event featured keynote addresses from regional business leaders and breakout sessions focused on entrepreneurship, funding, and business development.
EdgeTrack Solutions was a featured startup entrepreneur sponsor of CREATE’s conference, alongside other sponsors Pinnacle Financial Partners, Kerrick Bachert, DKI Sky Restoration, BlueCotton, Payroll Vault, B. Stephens HR Consulting, Stupp Fiber, Print Media, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, and the WKU Innovation Campus.
EdgeTrack’s participation reflects the company’s continued engagement in Kentucky’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its mission to advance visibility and efficiency across supply-chain operations.
About EdgeTrack Solutions
EdgeTrack Solutions is a logistics technology company developing an AI-powered platform that combines predictive analytics and edge computing to enhance real-time shipment visibility, fleet efficiency, and sustainability. The company is piloting its technology with leading Kentucky logistics partners to build a smarter, more connected supply chain.
CREATE News | October 16, 2025
BOWLING GREEN, KY – Join The Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE) this April to inspire innovation, creativity, and collaboration as we highlight the region’s brightest minds and emerging opportunities across arts, technology, and entrepreneurship.
CREATE, a leader in fostering educational growth and creative problem-solving, today announced the launch of its exciting new campaign, “Bucks for Bright Ideas.” This initiative, running through April 2, 2026, is designed to empower people across the region by offering them a direct channel to submit their innovative ideas with the potential for those ideas to receive funding. The “Bucks for Bright Ideas” campaign underscores CREATE’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of thinkers and providing tangible resources to turn their vision into reality within their own school environments. The website is located at HERE.
“We are excited to be working with Innovation Campus and CREATE on this initiative,” said Steve Momorella, Instructor at Western Kentucky University. “Our PR students will be able to engage in business world activities such as media relations, social media and flyer content creation, and working to raise awareness for this campaign.”
ABOUT CREATE
The Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE) is a non-profit organization headquartered at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green. Their mission is to foster an innovation environment that brings collaborators together across stakeholder groups to share their networks, design and test new ideas, commercialize proven solutions, and grow those solutions. CREATE has helped recruit and establish hundreds of startup companies in the region, generating thousands of jobs with cumulative payroll in excess of $100 million, and revenues in excess of $1 billion. http://www.create-ic.com
CONTACT
Penny Hughes
Events and Program Manager
270-745-2899
CREATE News | August 14, 2025
Vecteezy, one of the world’s largest creative marketplaces for high-quality and affordable stock photos, vectors, and videos, today announced the launch of Vecteezy for Education, a new initiative designed to give schools, teachers, and students free access to over 60 million royalty-free creative assets.
CREATE News | May 9, 2025
The Advanced Materials Institute is shifting the future for WKU, CREATE and the Bowling Green community with its groundbreaking research on rare earth materials.
CREATE News | May 8, 2025
Morton Solar & Electric, a leading regional solar energy and electrical engineering firm, is proud to announce the opening of its newest office at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This expansion marks a major
CREATE News | April 17, 2025
Quantum computing. Linear algebra. Probability. How can studying advanced mathematics translate into support for cancer patients and new insights for oncologists?
Through her biotechnology company, Curelytics, Emma Bunch is connecting her dual passions for mathematics and healthcare to make a difference in her community. For Bunch, a senior mathematics major, the two fields intertwine in beneficial ways.
UnDesked | April 15, 2025
If you’re part of an HR, safety, operations, or IT team, you’ve probably heard of HRIS or HCM systems. These tools do a great job with things like payroll, benefits, and employee records. But when it comes to helping your frontline workforce stay informed, safe, and productive every day, they come up short.
That’s where UnDesked comes in.
CREATE News | March 12, 2025
“CREATE is especially focused on potential high growth startups, artists and tech companies and kind of helping those companies grow,” Sam Ford said…
Kahlil Garmon 💸 said that the WKU Innovation Campus has been a valuable tool in advancing Moneybot.
“This place gives me confidence,” he said. “ There’s always someone I can go to and ask a question.”
CREATE News | February 26, 2025
On this week’s edition of Sunrise Spotlight, News 40’s Ashlee Wilson sat down with Matt Sheffield and Penny Hughes. Together, they discussed Living with Purpose, an upcoming event featuring Brenda Gantt and Elizabeth Rhodes.
This event will be held on Friday, March 14th at 5:00 P.M. at the WKU Downing Student Union Auditorium. To purchase tickets and get more information, you can click right here.
CREATE News | February 1, 2025
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Augusto Valverde, creator and host of ‘Global Child’, came to Bowling Green to film an episode of his show with local businesses and residents.
Having been to 36 countries, Valverde’s mission is to inspire and bring purpose to communities during his travels. He believes he has learned a lot throughout his journey and that the challenges he has faced made him who he is today.
“All these life lessons that I’ve received that I’ve shared in the show are within my heart and they’ve made me,” said Valverde.
For nine years, Valverde has been doing “Global Child”, which has grown to become the world’s top travel show. The main thing he’s hoping to encourage is the idea of never giving up on anything you have a passion for, even if you have difficulties at the beginning.
“I really think that a lot of times when it’s a big dream, the opposition and the frustrations and the challenges that [they] face look at them like steps on a ladder,” Valverde says. “As you walk these steps, you become the person that can actually handle the blessing when it comes your way.”
For more information on their program, go to Global Child’s website.
CREATE News | January 22, 2025
The premiere episode of Global Child: Travel with Purpose featuring Bowling Green, Kentucky, has been showcased across the United States, captivating audiences in 65 major airports. Since its release at Christmas, the episode has reached more than 16.3m views.
CREATE News | October 21, 2024
CREATE, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and CREATE invite you to attend the 4th Annual Small Business Summit and Expo, a one-day event for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and aspiring business leaders.
KY Center for Leadership | August 20, 2024
Don’t miss out on the Kentucky Center for Leadership’s upcoming Leadership Summit on September 26-27 at the WKU Innovation Campus. This event is designed for those who are ready to take their leadership skills to the next level.
The DeCesare Group Podcast | July 22, 2024
Join Jim DeCesare for a conversation with Amanda Havard the founder of and CEO of Lunae Innovation Lab, a founding partner of the Innovation Engine consultancy, and an advisor to multiple startups…Most recently, she picked up the title of CEO at her newest venture, Origin Story Health. Amanda’s superpower is transforming fuzzy ideas into usable things. Lunae and its subsidiaries and partners are now based in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the WKU Innovation Campus. Lunae, inspired by moonlit ideas, aids both public and private sectors in fostering a collaborative innovation environment.
WNKY | July 19, 2024
(The Hub system) includes CREATE at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, according to the release. CREATE will serve 12 counties in Kentucky and offers a membership-based co-working space, the CO/CREATE Talent Database to identify professionals interested in moving to the area and numerous business recruitment and networking services.
Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation | July 19, 2024
Each hub acts as their region’s “front door” to deliver services, while leveraging local partnerships and regional organizations, and assist entrepreneurs across industries and stages of development as they advance their businesses. The hubs’ goal is to increase the likelihood that scalable, venture-backable businesses can be started in Kentucky and can obtain both public and private investments to develop and grow.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 8, 2024
The tech hubs are remapped generally every four years, according to Bajorinas, by opening submissions for request for proposals (RFPs) about how the hubs can best serve the state’s regional entrepreneurial communities. The RFP process was overseen by Katie Smith, the cabinet’s deputy secretary…(CREATE) County coverage area (12): Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hancock, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Ohio, Simpson, Warren.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | July 3, 2024
As Siri or ChatGPT would surely tell you, the future of pervasive tech is here, and you’d better get on board. That’s exactly what a new partnership between the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus is designed to do. Created earlier this year, the Regional Technology Council based at the Innovation Campus is gaining steam under the leadership of volunteer Director Rob Wilson.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | June 25, 2024
Working a 3-D printer, extracting DNA from a strawberry, and creating a concrete shark. Those are just some of the learning experiences Hatley McPherson will be able to share about her summer when she starts her eighth grade year at South Warren Middle School this fall. McPherson was among 45 local middle school-age students who took part in an unusual learning festival Friday at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus. Unusual because it was free and because the instructors rode into town on bicycles.
Tommy Modeszto | WNKY | June 21, 2024
One group of MIT students and graduates are biking across the country sharing their knowledge and love for STEM with children along the way…The group will be biking around 4,000 miles, taking around 80 days to complete from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco while sharing their interests along the way.
Michael Ridgeway | WNKY | June 17, 2024
Warren County got some help from across the pond in this regard, with a researcher from France coming to Bowling Green who enlisted some more help from around the world to further push the agenda of improving what several thousand people call home. Some issues of importance at the BG 2050 workshop that was open to the public were things like walkability, entertainment, green space and maintaining Bowling Green’s cultural diversity as well as the housing market.
Michael Ridgeway | WNKY | June 11, 2024
Buddy Steen, CEO of the innovation campus, told News 40 that whether you like it or not, Bowling Green is basically North Nashville and, “We’re witnessing an economic supernova like no one’s anticipated just south of us.” He said we want change to happen for Bowling Green, not to it.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | June 4, 2024
Researcher Karine Halpern, one of the event’s organizers, said everyone is invited to participate — tradesmen and designers, young and old, high school graduates and doctors, parents and singles. “We want to have everyone and for very good reason — everyone is using the tools (of communication) today,” Halpern said. “We can allow ourselves to make mistakes and try experiments to see if it’s feasible to mix people from the general public together with professionals on specific issues to solve together.”
Meredith Shimer | WBKO | June 5, 2024
Karine Halpern has received funding from the Region of Paris in France, her home country, to travel to Bowling Green and host these workshops. This is her second time in the city working with WKU’s Innovation Campus. “Everybody here is testing and learning. I am, and I hope everybody will because that’s what it means to do a collaborative workshop, co-designing or co-creation,” Halpern said. “It means we’re definitely learning from each other, wherever we are.”
Sam Ford | Bowling Green & South Central Kentucky 2024-2025 Magazine | May 2024
In 2023, Louisville Business Journal wrote, “Bowling Green has become a hotbed for tech and innovation in the commonwealth.” A big part of that growth is at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | May 18, 2024
The inaugural event from Imagine_BGKY at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus invited tech wizzes from across the region for an all-day marathon of development aimed at harnessing Bowling Green’s full potential. Over the course of 12 hours, six teams worked to craft deliverable projects from scratch using coding and design skills.
Carlyle Coppins | WNKY | May 1, 2024
The CEO of the Innovation Campus, Buddy Steen tells us about the Spark Summit and how it affects future entrepreneurs. He says, “It’s a highly inclusive and collaborative environment, so those that are young and maybe aren’t as connected are sitting just across the room from folks that are maybe very, very well connected.”
Adam Ferguson | WBKO | May 1, 2024
The Warren County Public Schools district held an inaugural entrepreneurship pitch competition on May 1. The school district teamed up with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and WKU’s Innovation Campus to host The Spark Summit. High school students from across the Warren County Public Schools district pitched business proposals to a panel of judges made up of members of the Innovation Campus and the Chamber of Commerce.
WNKY | April 29, 2024
The Spark Summit is a platform dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial spirit and innovation among students and young professionals. With the support of our integral community partners, the WCPS district aims to provide a dynamic platform where aspiring entrepreneurs can showcase their ideas and receive valuable feedback from industry experts to turn their visions into reality.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | April 12, 2024
“At the WKU Innovation Campus, we are focused on applied research work that focuses on piloting new technologies and methods in real-world settings, scaling those research activities, and collecting evidence to guide that scale and prove efficacy,” said Buddy Steen, CEO of the WKU Innovation Campus.
WNKY | March 29, 2024
The university states the WKU Innovation Campus Scholar designation is meant to recognize researchers significantly engaged in doctoral, postdoctoral or other significant research work at the WKU Innovation Campus while working primarily for another academic institution.
WKU News | March 29, 2024
In her role as WKU Innovation Campus Scholar, Michalik is conducting pilot research on the effects of a program called Bingocize® on older adults’ willingness and ability to utilize technology to access health information.
Michael Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | March 26, 2024
With help from organizers across the WKU Innovation Campus, some of whom with businesses of their own, Garmon wanted to bring that opportunity to Bowling Green. He said the collaboration found across the campus is what makes this event possible. The event is supported by AccelerateKY, The Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE) and the Chamber of Commerce Regional Technology Council.
Michael Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | March 13, 2024
Members of the second cohort of Accelerate KY’s “Civic Imagination Team” incubator listen to a recording filmed by Lamont Pearley, a folklorist, New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee and host of NPR’s The African American Folklorist podcast, as he explains his goal to create a “digital repository” of all things blues using augmented or virtual reality during the cohort’s meeting at the WKU Innovation Campus on Friday, March 8, 2024.
The DeCesare Group Podcast | March 4, 2024
This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, Jim sits down with Rob Wilson and Ron Bunch to discuss the new Regional Tech Council. The Regional Tech Council is a partnership between the WKU Innovation Campus and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. Jim and his guests will discuss the council’s motivations, future goals, and how the community can get involved.
The Lane Report | Feb. 8, 2024
The 11th annual IdeaFestival Bowling Green will welcome more than 850 middle and high school students from 21 school districts across the Commonwealth to campus for a mix of speaker sessions and minds-on, hands-on activities…This year’s speakers (include) Sam Ford (who) serves as an Innovation and Culture Fellow for WKU.
Logan Aluminum | Feb. 5, 2024
Logan Aluminum was proud to join with our partners at the WKU Innovation Campus headquarters on Thursday, January 25th in Bowling Green as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear saw firsthand the “Team Kentucky” spirit of collaboration at the Campus. Our President and CEO, Mike Buckentin joined WKU President WKU President Timothy C. Caboni, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Ron Bunch, and other leaders from the area to give the governor a tour of the facility.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Feb. 1, 2024
What’s on the horizon for your company in 2024? Several public-private partnerships that expand the way we think and talk about launching companies, and creating a collaborative ecosystem that supports that. (For us, that’s Warren County and the WKU Innovation Campus, together with a host of other key partners like businesses in the area).
Sam Ford | WKU Spirit | Winter 2024
The WKU Innovation Campus was a natural launching point for a visit of the future. In the last year, the Innovation Campus partnered with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce to proactively attract a range of new emerging technology and storytelling companies to the area and to work with county and city leaders to build new programs that enhance the cultural standard of living and make it a place where talented people will increasingly want to live.
Tim Caboni | WKU News | Jan. 29, 2024
One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to fostering innovation is through our Innovation Campus – where ideas flourish and entrepreneurs, leaders and researchers work together to develop real-world solutions to our area’s most pressing concerns. Last Thursday, we showcased the remarkable work underway at our Innovation Campus during an onsite visit with Governor Beshear, and it reminded us how much we have accomplished of late.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Jan. 27, 2024
Gov. Andy Beshear visited Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus on Thursday after a stop at Tyson Food’s bacon facility opening earlier that day. Beshear briefly toured the facility, home to dozens of emerging technology companies, communication firms, researchers and more, and spoke of the need to fund higher education on the back of Kentucky’s ongoing economic success.
WKU News | Jan. 26, 2024
Governor Andy Beshear toured the WKU Innovation Campus during a visit to Bowling Green on Thursday, January 25.
Jacob Martin | WKYU | Jan. 25, 2024
“The things that we’re doing is unique, not just unique in the state but across the country, and that’s coming from people from Paolo Alto, and Austin and Boston,” Steen said, adding that he didn’t think the effort would be possible without help from “Team Kentucky and the Governor.”
Eli Randolph | WKU College Heights Herald | Jan. 25, 2024
WKU’s Innovation Campus is a 280,000-square-foot building that brings together industry partners, faculty and students in an effort to promote collaboration and economic development in the region according to the WKU website. Beshear toured the building and met with faculty and students alike.
Adam Ferguson | WBKO | Jan. 25, 2024
Today, Governor Andy Beshear visited the WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green. Representatives from the university gave Beshear a tour of the 280,000-square-foot facility that acts as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and investment in the community. He says places like the hub showcase what’s going on in the state.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Jan. 24, 2024
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce announced the creation of a new regional technology council at its 89th annual celebration on Tuesday CEO Ron Bunch said the project will be a partnership with Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus to better connect and attract emerging technology companies in the area.
Lane Report | Jan. 19, 2024
Suspenders of Disbelief, a new storytelling and engagement consultancy, announced its founding and establishment of headquarters in Bowling Green, Ky., in the Collaborative SmartSpace of the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus HQ.
Michael Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Jan. 10, 2024
Memes and fandom culture may seem like simple fun, but for a new local company, they’re the focus of decades of research and experience. The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce announced this week the formation of a new “storytelling and engagement consultancy,” Suspenders of Disbelief, at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus.
WNKY | Jan. 8, 2024
The company, Suspenders of Disbelief, will be housed in the Collaborative SmartSpace of the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus HQ, according to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce…Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ron Bunch said the chamber is excited to welcome “world-scale experts in storytelling, participatory culture and emerging technologies” to south central Kentucky.
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce | Jan. 8, 2024
The company’s location at the WKU Innovation Campus is a natural extension of multiple research projects the Suspenders of Disbelief founders have conducted in the state in the past several years, including a 2017 statewide workshop on the Future of Work in the Kentucky in 2040 that helped give rise to the eventual formation of the nonprofit AccelerateKY.
Michael Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Jan. 6, 2024
Caboni spoke at WKU’s last convocation ceremony about the need to double the university’s research activity within the next five to seven years. The Innovation Campus has been at the heart of that initiative.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Dec. 28, 2023
Buddy Steen, CEO, Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus: “I believe that the use of AI in 2024 will be revolutionary, far beyond anything we could dream of in 2023. It’s not just evolution, it’s like a leap into the future! Combine this with a few more major advancements in quantum computing and we’re not just talking about change; we’re talking about a monumental paradigm shift that could impact everything.”
Stephanie Smith | Building Kentucky | Dec. 20, 2023
Unseld received the inaugural Buckman Prize recently at the Summit of the South Conference hosted at the WKU Innovation Campus. Named for Dr. Bill Buckman a former physics professor and entrepreneur at WKU’s Innovation Campus, the Buckman Prize is awarded to outstanding student entrepreneurs at WKU who exemplify an entrepreneurial spirt and a commitment to making a positive impact.
Mason Fletcher | WBKO | Dec. 16, 2023
Nessa took home the Inaugural ‘Buckman Award’ presented by WKU’s Innovation Campus that will allow her to continue her work for at least two more years.
“Sometimes they sponsor leases for student entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses and kind of advise them and get them set up,” said Unseld. “That’s something I was going through but I graduate in May. Through this Buckman Award, one of the prizes is you get a 2-year sponsored lease so I will still have that opportunity and advice even though I will have graduated.”
Michael Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Dec. 15, 2023
Nessa Unseld, a 20-year-old Western Kentucky University senior, may be the youngest CEO at WKU’s Innovation Campus. Unseld received the Buckman Award last month at the campus’s Summit of hte South event for her non-profit company Coleus Academy, an online learning platform focused on life skills and civic understanding.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Dec. 7, 2023
“Surround yourself with collaborators who have expertise in areas you don’t, who won’t just tell you what you want to hear, who will help solve your problems and share problems they won’t solved. That’s what we’ve built in Bowling Green.”
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Dec. 7, 2023
“I am focused on helping strengthen the greater Bowling Green area’s regional ecosystem and creating sustainable economic development programs that improve the economic and cultural standard of living in our region. This region of Kentucky, just north of Nashville, is the fastest growing in the state.”
Yahoo! Finance | Dec. 7, 2023
“We’re excited about all that Engage 3 will offer for Western Kentucky University and we plan to use the platform to reinvigorate the way that students interact with the university,” said Molly Kerby, Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of Sociology at Western Kentucky University…MyXR Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco, California and announced a new Regional HQ in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Dec. 6, 2023
MyXR Inc. will officially announce the rollout of its Engage 3 platform on Thursday, Dec. 7. As KY Inno previously reported, the company held a ribbon cutting on a 1,600-square-foot office space on Aug. 29 at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green. Called a “behavior modification platform,” Engage 3 rewards users for their time on the sites that are built exclusively for clients and their particular campaigns.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Nov. 22, 2023
This educational and training component turned into the Kentucky Thermal Institute (KTI), which was established in 2008 and formed a partnership with WKU in 2020. Harnage eventually expanded his scope from residential buildings to the inspection of commercial facilities such as industrial plants, after realizing that thermal imaging also recovered electrical issues, water leakages and duct work issues.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Nov. 3, 2023
WKU Innovation Campus’ annual Summit of the South will bring together entrepreneurs and business owners from across the region for its third year. The free event planned Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will feature workshops, information booths and a keynote speech by local entrepreneur and business owner Justin Gearlds.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Nov. 1, 2023
The mark of a steep competition is the overall talent and depth of the field. That was certainly the case for this year’s KY Inno Fire Awards. In our second edition of the awards, we had many worthy nominations when it came to naming the startups and members of the local entrepreneurial ecosystems in Kentucky and Southern Indiana who have been, well, on fire when it comes to growing their companies and the community as a whole. The Ecosystem-Builders winners include WKU Innovation Campus CEO Buddy Steen. The CEOs winners include Eyeconic.tv Founder and CEO Jeremy Jacobs.
Jake Moore | Bowling Green Daily News | Oct. 14, 2023
New this year was the Emerging Technology Business Award, created in partnership with the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus and sponsored by Keller Schroeder. The winners included beingAI, Eezy, Eyeconic, Lunae and MyXR, all ventures with a presence inside the tech hub on Nashville Road.
Morgan Hoover | WNKY | Oct. 6, 2023
That’s where BumptUp comes in. It’s a health app developed by trained exercise scientists from Western Kentucky University to help pregnant and postpartum women become more active. It offers features like tailored workouts, social support and nutrition education, making it easy for new or expecting mothers to get healthy at home.
Stephanie Smith | Building Kentucky | Sept. 27, 2023
During her senior year at Western Kentucky University (WKU), one of Madison Whittle’s professors approached her about serving on the Civic Imagination and World Building Team at the WKU Innovation Campus. The program is a partnership between WKU’s Potter College of Arts & Letters, the WKU Innovation Campus and the University of Southern California.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Sept. 24, 2023
Whittle graduated in May and, with some help from her “Civic Imagination Team,” used her skills to put together Muser — an app that tracks willing museum attendees to map how they move about exhibits. The team was comprised of six multidisciplinary members who met regularly, each seeking guidance and feedback on a personal project of some kind. They met Friday at the Capitol Arts Center to present their projects and reflect on the last year together.
Alexandria Anderson | WKU College Heights Herald | Sept. 18, 2023
In the old Bowling Green mall, which once connected to a call center and a Big Lots, nearly 50 businesses engage with each other and the community. The renovated mall is the home of the WKU Innovation Campus, an economic and workforce development operation that provides an environment for meaningful business engagement.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Sept. 13, 2023
Ride-hailing company Lyft in June released a company safety report revealing that it recorded 4,158 incidents of sexual assault over a three-year period. Its chief rival, Uber, has been rocked by impersonators who have assaulted or killed riders in a number of cities. A pair of Bowling Green-based entrepreneurs – Jeremy Jacobs and Bobby Rabold – believe they have found a solution.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Sept. 7, 2023
MI2, based out of the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky, began with eight founding member companies, all of which have strong ties to the metal processing ecosystem in Kentucky that happens to be the fourth largest in the country. Recently, four others have signed on as members: Ball, ElectraMet, Hitachi Vantara and Trace Die Cast.
Price Wilborn | WKU College Heights Herald | Sept. 1, 2023
The Innovation Campus is an awesome resource for students and the Bowling Green community. It will only enhance WKU’s standing in the commonwealth because it helps create global relationships between the university and the rest of the world. While all the university’s colleges already provide high-level research opportunities for students, the Innovation Campus creates even more high-level research opportunities that will in turn attract students from across Kentucky, across the nation and across the world.
Stephen P. Schmidt | Louisville Business First | Sept. 1, 2023
What started from humble beginnings — the original tenant, a software development company named Hitcents would have its internet connection go down during rain storms — the campus has become a force to be reckoned with in Kentucky. Just don’t use the word “incubator” in front of Steen.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Aug. 31, 2023
“For our team, our prospects and our shareholders, selecting the WKU Innovation Campus and the state of Kentucky was an easy decision after a long review process,” said MyXR Inc. Chairman and CEO Hans Koch in a release. “The Kentucky public and private communities have given us both a welcome mat and a playbook for growing our business, delivering better service and software and an opportunity to create a world-class corporate hub for our company.”
Aaron Dickens | Spectrum News 1 | Aug. 30, 2023
But why did MyXR, Inc. chairman Hans Koch choose Bowling Green as its headquarters? According to Koch, Bowling Green checked all the boxes. “It’s little bit like that freshmen year of high school lunch, when you don’t know what lunch table you want to sit at,” Koch said. “And you go to this one, this one, and this one, and you finally find one that’s just right.”
Noah Faerber | WNKY | Aug. 29, 2023
A new, unique business is making its way to the WKU Innovation Campus. MyXR, an augmented reality based company, is opening a new space in Bowling Green, bringing 60 new jobs to the community. CEO Hans Koch went to many different cities like Dallas and Charlotte, but once he saw Bowling Green’s development, he knew this was the place to start his new regional office.
J.T. Henderson | Kentucky.gov | Aug. 29, 2023
“As MyXR becomes a part of Kentucky’s business community, the company’s dedication to driving innovation and growth is going to benefit the entire Bowling Green community,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “MyXR leadership’s decision to establish a presence here further enhances the commonwealth’s growing reputation as a center for forward-leaning enterprises and technological advancement, including cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence.”
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | Aug. 28, 2023
The Large Chamber Scanning Electron Microscope (LC-SEM), claimed to be the world’s largest instrument in a scientific environment developed by Germany’s Ellcie Industries GmbH…was brought to the NOVA Center in 2008 and can magnify by 100,000 times objects up to five feet and 500 pounds, is able to provide a 3D scan of an object in its entirety, rather than having to split the object into smaller sections to be studied in parts with standard microscopes.
WKU News | Aug. 14, 2023
President Caboni also discussed the important role of WKU’s 285,000-square-foot Innovation Campus in serving as the epicenter for the region’s growing business ecosystem. He noted that during the last year, the Innovation Campus became the headquarters for the Metals Innovation Initiative, or MI2, a consortium of manufacturers within the metals industry tasked with developing solutions and innovations in what has become one of Kentucky’s largest sectors.
Timothy C. Caboni | Western Kentucky University | Aug. 14, 2023
We spent the last five years transforming our Center for Research and Development into a true Innovation Campus, building an environment where students, staff and faculty connect with entrepreneurs, industry leaders and business resources to create jobs, to develop talent pipelines and to propel our regional economy. I am pleased to share with you that the past twelve months marked an especially critical juncture for our Innovation Campus, cementing its role as the epicenter for our region’s growing business and technology ecosystem. A facility that provides life to research, emerging technology and economic and cultural development.
Alexandria Anderson | WKU Herald | July 28, 2023
BeingAI, an artificial intelligence company out of Hong Kong, will locate its new U.S. headquarters at the WKU Innovation Campus. Company CEO Jeanne Lim announced the chosen location on Thursday, and the investment in high-tech growth was highlighted by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Aaron Dickens | Spectrum News 1 | July 28, 2023
beingAI Corporation announced plans to locate its new headquarters at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green. Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Ron Bunch said this will revolutionize the Bowling Green Community.
Isaac Calvert | WBKO | July 27, 2023
Bowling Green is a natural home for the emerging technology company, according to Lim. ”I always look at AI as a co-pilot. We are developing AI to facilitate human well-being and learning so that they could actually scale these opportunities to more people,” said Lim. The company will be part of the new Immersive Experience Innovation Lab at the WKU Innovation Campus, which focuses on creating immersive environments for various industries.
Karenna Chaudoin | WNKY | July 27, 2023
Lim also mentions what made her choose Bowling Green for the location. “What really impressed me about Bowling Green is the people, they’re very authentic, and they’re very forward looking in all aspects. So I met with people from manufacturing from education and business, and everyone is just extremely open to new ideas.” The BeingAI headquarters is expected to be ready by March of next year, and will including a team of content developers, writers, AI experts, software developers, and much more.
Michael J. Collins | Bowling Green Daily News | July 27, 2023
Hong Kong-based tech company BeingAI announced Thursday plans to open a U.S. headquarters on Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 27, 2023
In Bowling Green, Kentucky, the relocating startup train keeps on chugging on its way to the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus. First, it was augmented reality (AR) firm MyXR in April. Then, it was IP-focused Lunae, announced last week. Today, beingAI — an artificial intelligence (AI) company that has been creating what is deemed as “the world’s first transmedia AI beings” — has announced it, too, will be moving to South Central Kentucky, according to a news release, as part of an approximate $3 million investment.
Kentucky.gov | July 27, 2023
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted high-tech growth in the commonwealth as leaders at BeingAI Corporation, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) company, have announced they will locate the company’s new U.S. headquarters at the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, investing nearly $3 million and creating 28 high-wage Kentucky jobs over three phases in the next three years.
South Central Kentucky Economic Development | July 27, 2023
beingAI, an artificial intelligence (AI) company creating the world’s first transmedia AI beings® and one of five global AI startup finalists in SXSW Pitch last year, is thrilled to announce its selection of the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus HQ in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as the location for its new U.S. headquarters.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | July 25, 2023
It’s already home to technology-heavy companies focused on metals manufacturing, video production and workforce development. Now the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus on Nashville Road is entering the growing field of providing telehealth behavioral health services.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 20, 2023
When she first visited with members of the Bowling Green community, Havard said the biggest factor of wanting to start her new enterprise in the town largely came down to the synergy she experienced when talking to members of the innovation campus, WKU, the city’s chamber of commerce and other city leaders. “You all seem to share a vision for what this place could be. I don’t know how every time I talk to someone else in this town, they also share that vision, and you’re all trying to help each other.”
Derek Parham | WBKO | July 20, 2023
In an effort to improve the disparity of mental health services in rural America, Oria Health, a telehealth service based out of Dallas, will move its headquarters to the Western Kentucky University Innovation Center. “As we thought about expanding beyond our initial Texas operation, we were looking for a state where we could really fill that need, and increase access to care,” said Oria CEO and Co-Founder, Amanda Havard.
Tucker Covey | WNKY | July 20, 2023
Texas-based Oria and their management company Lunae are planning to set up a new headquarters inside of the WKU Innovation Campus off of Nashville Road. The current plan is to hire 30 core staff at Lunae, which will support Oria in hiring a multitude of mental health professionals. Together, they hope to bring telehealth style mental health access to Kentuckians across the state while bringing jobs to Bowling Green and Warren County.
South Central Kentucky Economic Development | July 19, 2023
The founding team of Oria Health announces their telehealth-first behavioral health practice’s planned expansion to Kentucky, alongside the establishment of the headquarters of its management service organization, Lunae, at the WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Kentucky.gov | July 19, 2023
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted a new addition within the state’s health care industry as Lunae LLC, the management service organization of Oria Health, plans to establish its corporate headquarters at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus, investing $266,000 and creating 33 quality Kentucky jobs.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 12, 2023
Smith, the new director of CREATE’s Elizabethtown office, spoke with me on Monday from what would be the command center, so to speak, of the burgeoning Elizabethtown operation: the meeting room inside the new Center of Kentucky Entrepreneurship — or COKE as it is also known as.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 6, 2023
Although the company runs remotely, Eezy has maintained an office space in the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus for several years. Before Covid, the company had approximately 20 employees working out of the office. These days, a handful of employees go to the office regularly, which Rubel said has become more of a “meeting/hangout spot.” The company currently has a headcount of 90 employees.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | July 6, 2023
The Louisville conference will commemorate the one-year anniversary of MI2, a nonprofit based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) Innovation Campus. It was started by eight founding member companies that have large presences in Kentucky as a means of attracting and promoting sustainability, commercialization, advanced research and talent development within the state’s metals industry.
The Lane Report | June 16, 2023
Canopy Founder & CEO Scott Koloms presented Logan Aluminum with the inaugural Kentucky Top Impact Company Award. Logan Aluminum was selected for this award based on its non-profit support, sponsorship of cultural events in the region, and significant involvement in the launch of two new statewide nonprofit organizations headquartered at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus.
WNKY | June 16, 2023
Logan Aluminum was selected for this award based on its nonprofit support, sponsorship of cultural events in the region and high level of involvement in the launch of two new statewide nonprofit organizations headquartered at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus.
Jake Moore | Bowling Green Daily News | June 2, 2023
Good things come in pairs for Leitchfield’s Jeremy Jacobs. Two of the entrepreneur’s companies were acquired by communication software company Transmission in late May; LobbyFox and Industrial Communications. Jacobs and his work have deep ties to WKU’s Innovation Campus, formerly known as the Center for Research and Development.
Buddy Steen | Bowling Green and South Central Kentucky 2023-2024 Magazine | June 2023
Especially pivotal for building our region’s focus on growing the emerging technology and storytelling ecosystem North of Nashville is the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s deep partnership with the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus and the economic development entity based at the Innovation Campus’ HQ at 2413 Nashville Road in Bowling Green in what was once a 285,000-square-foot shopping mall: the Centrl Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, or CREATE.
Buddy Steen | Metals Innovation Initiative | June 2023
For our offices in Bowling Green at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus Headquarters and in Elizabethtown at the Center for Kentucky Entrepreneurship, the CRICC didn’t capture the innovation ecosystem support that lies at the center of our mission. So, last year, we rebranded ourselves as the “Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship,” or CREATE.
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | May 23, 2023
This series’ final podcast episode features a conversation with director, writer, producer, AND teacher Evelyn Pollard of Louisville, Kentucky. Evelyn works with diverse student groups to capture their stories and experiences through filmmaking. She has also been working a documentary highlighting the Cleveland Buckeyes – a Negro League baseball team who took home the championship in 1945. Join us as we speak with Evelyn about her work and experience as a creative storyteller on the cusp of Appalachia. This is part of a series on our Civic Imagination Incubator.
Jim DeCesare | The Decesare Group Podcast | May 22, 2023
The Innovation Campus at WKU is a thriving ecosystem that cultivates innovation, fosters collaboration, and prepares students for success in the rapidly evolving world.
Michael Ridgeway | WNKY | May 17, 2023
At the WKU Innovation Campus on Nashville Road, Tyson Foods will be showing the community they care.
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | May 16, 2023
Have you ever thought about what a superhero from Appalachia would look like? Coder and developer Justin Hall blends his love of art and storytelling with tech to create interactive comic book characters that retell the story of coal mining counties. This is part of a series on our Civic Imagination Incubator.
WKU News | May 11, 2023
Buddy Steen, CEO of the WKU Innovation Campus and the second co-investigator on the GAME Change grant indicated, “This project clearly shows the spirit of collaboration between all of the stakeholders in our rapidly developing innovation ecosystem.”
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | May 9, 2023
Madison Whittle, a senior at Western Kentucky University, shares her work in User Experience and design this week as part of continuing miniseries on creatives in Appalachia as part of the Civic Imagination Incubator.
Gina Clear | The News-Enterprise | May 4, 2023
In a nod to the former use of the building, the Center of Kentucky Entrepreneurship, or COKE, popped the top Wednesday on a collaborative project in Elizabethtown meant to support rising entrepreneurs. Lisa Williams, regional director for Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology and Entrepreneurship, or CREATE, for the Kentucky Innovation Network, said the project was a long time coming. Pointing to a similar concept in Bowling Green, Williams said COKE is “not reinventing the wheel.”
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | May 2, 2023
Our next installment in the Civic Imagination mini series features Assistant Professor of Broadcasting at WKU, Ryan Dearbone. Ryan is active in his community as a leader in DEI practices. He shares his current project with us, which is examining the impact of covid and post-pandemic trends on regional churches in and around Appalachia. This is part of a series on our Civic Imagination Incubator.
William Battle | WBKO | April 25, 2023
Currently, they are offering four week-long sessions throughout the month of June with 12 seats available in each session. Classes will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Friday at WKU’s Innovation Campus on 2413 Nashville Road.
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | April 18, 2023
We are continuing our mini series on the Civic Imagination Incubator! Join us as we sit down with sci-fi author and storyteller Clinton W. Waters. They share with us their vision for a utopic Kentucky known as the Commonwealth. This is part of a series on our Civic Imagination Incubator.
Sarah Michels | Bowling Green Daily News | April 14, 2023
MyXR, which creates platforms on which these kinds of technologies can be used, will be the newest addition to Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus.
Leslie Witty | South Central Workforce Development Board | April 12, 2023
Meet Workforce Participation Lead Josh Zaczek (aka “JZ”), learn more about his job role, and get insider info on South Central Workforce Development Board’s Workforce Collective events. Zaczek oversees the Workforce Participation Innovation Lab at the WKU Innovation Campus.
Brandon Mattingly | Cabinet for Economic Development | April 12, 2023
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced augmented reality and engagement software company MyXR Inc. has committed to locate its new regional headquarters at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green and will create 60 full-time positions.
Will Whaley | WBKO | April 11, 2023
The company will initially occupy a 1,200-square-foot space at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus HQ, projecting to create over 60 new jobs in the region.
Timothy C. Caboni | WKU News | April 4, 2023
As an important link between WKU and regional businesses, the Innovation Campus continues its work to develop a talent pipeline for the region’s growing technology, manufacturing, automotive and logistics industries while reinforcing Bowling Green’s position as the connective tissue between Louisville and Nashville.
Kami Ahrens | Foxfire It Still Lives | April 4, 2023
We’re joined this month by the leaders of the Civic Imagination Project, an initiative started by a small team at the University of Southern California. We’ll be talking about how imagination and storytelling can bring communities together in our region. This is part of a series on our Civic Imagination Incubator.
Lexi Schweinert | WNKY | March 22, 2023
Jacobs splits his time between the coasts, but keeps his businesses headquartered in Bowling Green at the WKU Innovation Campus because of its resources.
MIT Open Documentary Lab | March 13, 2023
The MIT Open Documentary Lab is excited to announce Lamont “Jack” Pearley as the inaugural recipient of a new fellowship offered in partnership with the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Innovation Campus. This fellowship will connect a Kentucky-based creator to the Lab’s online community of innovative storytellers, technologists and scholars while WKU provides additional mentoring and physical resources on campus.
Jake Moore | Bowling Green Daily News | March 10, 2023
Lamont is an inductee in the New York Blues Hall of Fame and a collaborator with WKU’s Innovation Campus. He was selected for the fellowship in order to amplify the folk history of roots music and communities of color, both his areas of work. The fellowship was established thanks to a collaborative partnership between AcelerateKY, a non-profit housed within WKU’s Innovation Campus, and MIT.
WKU News | March 2, 2023
Lamont “Jack” Pearley, a graduate student in the WKU folklore studies program and a collaborator with the WKU Innovation Campus, has been named the first recipient of the prestigious MIT OpenDocLab Kentucky-based fellowship. Here in Kentucky, the WKU Innovation Campus provides Pearley with space, advising and other resources for building his projects and his company.
KET Kentucky Edition | March 1, 2023
(23:34) An organization is expanding that shares the stories of impressive Kentuckians. Kentucky to the World, based in Louisville, has now opened a new space in Bowling Green at the WKU Innovation Campus.
Larry Gildersleeve | BG Home & Lifestyle | Spring 2023
North of Nashville is beginning to take on an exciting meaning filled with promise, thanks in part to the good folks at the WKU Innovation Campus under the leadership of CEO Buddy Steen.
Jennifer Brislin | Building Kentucky | Feb. 13, 2023
The story of how and why this New York native picked up and moved his family to Bowling Green, Kentucky to hone his craft – eventually securing a partnership with MIT and the WKU Innovation Campus to share the tales with the world – is the stuff of folklore in its own right.
Tom Ballard | Teknovation | Feb. 1, 2023
What was once a shopping mall is now a thriving facility for entrepreneurs and innovators in Bowling Green, KY.“We are really good at leveraging things,” explains Buddy Steen, President of the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Research Foundation, Programs Director for the Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE), and Chief Executive Officer at The Innovation Campus at WKU.
Derek Parham | WBKO | Feb. 1, 2023
Researchers at Western Kentucky University have partnered with Adelphi Technology, a company based in California, to create a portable electronic “sniffer” to accurately detect gases in the air. Both groups say that the device has a wide array of uses, ranging from agricultural innovation to bomb detection. The current prototype for the device was made possible from a recent Kentucky Small Business Innovation Grant, which makes the device applicable to agricultural purposes.
Metals Innovation Initiative | February 2023
By the beginning of summer 2021, KY Innovation Executive Director Anthony Ellis and Vijay Kamineni began discussing the idea of a metals industry cluster group in detail, with the support of the Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CREATE), the KY Innovation hub headquartered at the Innovation Campus at WKU…Western Kentucky University offered to host MI2’s launch strategy session, and the organization’s offices were founded at the WKU Innovation Campus headquarters in Bowling Green.
Hayley Robb | Building Kentucky | Jan. 30, 2023
It was the old mall, then the Center for Research and Development, now WKU has made it the headquarters of the WKU Innovation Campus and one key component is the CO/CREATE Talent Database.
Amy Bingham | WBKO | Jan. 13, 2023
It’s been more than two decades since WKU took ownership of Bowling Green’s first shopping mall. Now called WKU’s Innovation Campus, it’s taking resources for economic development to the next level. To that end, the recently launched CO/CREATE Talent Database, allows professionals from anywhere in the world to confidentially add their name and resume to a secure database.
Will Whaley | WBKO | Jan. 13, 2023
Adelphi, a Bowling Green tech start up company, was awarded part of a state matching grant. The $889,427 in grants are part of the commonwealth’s nationally recognized Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) matching funds program. The funds, in part, will match $3.15 million the businesses will collectively receive in federal grants.
Stephen P. Schmidt | KY Inno | Jan. 5, 2023
And that, in essence, is why Tinius recently launched BumptUp, a startup that is producing an evidence-based app that helps women improve physical activity and health outcomes both through the pregnancy and postpartum stages…In addition to being the founder and CEO of BumptUp, Tinius also serves as an associate professor of exercise science at Western Kentucky University.
Lexi Schweinert | WNKY | Jan. 5, 2023
Kentucky to the World is expanding to Bowling Green. “Bowling Green is where it’s all happening,” said Zegart, who is also the President and CEO. The organization’s new office is in the WKU Innovation Campus’ Collab Smart Space.
Derek Parham | WBKO | Dec. 21, 2022
Kentucky to the World, a nonprofit originating out of Louisville, has taken up residence in the shared SmartSpace at Western Kentucky University. The nonprofit’s mission is to demonstrate and enhance Kentucky’s intellectual and cultural reputation using the stories of exceptional people with Kentucky roots.
Jordan Grantz | Spectrum News 1 | Dec. 8, 2022
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Dec. 7, 2022
It’s home to creative companies and organizations like the technology-heavy Eyeconic and the Metals Innovation Initiative, and yet the cutting-edge work at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus on Nashville Road is largely going unnoticed by locals. That could soon be changing.
WKU News | Dec. 1, 2022
The Louisville-based KTW was recruited to be one of the Collaborative SmartSpace’s initial tenants, to live and create alongside several other revolutionary and exciting partnerships with entities like the MIT Open Documentary Lab and the USC Civic Imagination Project, sharing the region’s innovations with the world.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Nov. 10, 2022
Joshua Zaczek cut his teeth on data analysis while studying political science, economics and legal studies at Western Kentucky University. Now the 2021 magna cum laude graduate will get to apply those research skills in a role that is more than academic. Zaczek was announced Tuesday as the choice to fill the new workforce participation lead position that was created as a partnership between WKU’s Innovation Campus and the South Central Workforce Development Board.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Nov. 2, 2022
The Metals Innovation Initiative, launched in September and housed at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus at Nashville Road and Campbell Lane, has brought together industry leaders, educators and government officials who share the goal of rebranding Kentucky into the preeminent destination for metals innovation.
Sam Ford | WKU Spirit | Fall 2022
WKU News | Oct. 26, 2022
MI2’s offices are based at the headquarters for the Innovation Campus at WKU, located at the intersection of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane in Bowling Green. Vijay Kamineni, CEO of the Metals Innovation Initiative, says that the Innovation Campus headquarters provides an ideal setting for this collaborative organization.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Oct. 14, 2022
Already heavily invested in addressing the issue of workforce participation, Warren Fiscal Court and the city of Bowling Green are anteing up again, with help from the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus. Warren Fiscal Court approved on Monday spending $20,000 in Local Government Economic Assistance funds from the state, with the money going toward funding a new workforce participation lead position to be housed at the Innovation Campus on Nashville Road.
Sarah Michels | Bowling Green Daily News | Sept. 16, 2022
A museum curator, a former multi-media journalist, a web developer, a cinematography and video production editor, a comics writer and a WKU user experience major from the region will collaborate in a series of mostly-virtual meetups over the next eight months to develop cross-medium story worlds and media projects.
Sarah Foote | MIT News | Sept. 8, 2022
“I had the pleasure of seeing the MIT Spokes team working up close through the learning festival they held in Bowling Green at the Innovation Campus at Western Kentucky University,” says Sam Ford SM ’07. (Also published at MIT Student Life)
WKU News | Aug. 15, 2022
A number of research initiatives are underway at WKU’s Innovation Campus, including collaborative work with Holley Performance Products, Louisville-based non-profit Kentucky to the World, and the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2), which provides collaborative and sustainable executive leadership to attract and promote advanced research, commercialization, and talent development in Kentucky’s metals industry.
Timothy C. Caboni | WKU | Aug. 15, 2022
I’d like to remind you of one of the initiatives I announced during my investiture four years ago – transforming our Center for Research and Development on Nashville Road into a true Innovation Campus. And we’ve had remarkable success during the past two years. Our two-hundred-eighty-five thousand (285,000) square-foot Innovation Campus headquarters now provides resources, attracts talent and nurtures intellectual capital in the communities we serve and provides a home for modern laboratory space, a collaborative smart space and new facilities to support technological advancements.
Michael Phillips | Kentucky to the World | July 25, 2022
“And there’s one more piece of the puzzle for the Innovation Campus 2.0,” he stated. “It’s about developing the culture in the community to support all of the things we’re trying to do.” In other words, Buddy and the WKU Innovation Campus recognizes that economic growth isn’t enough to stimulate a local community alone.
Kentucky to the World | July 15, 2022
On June 29, Kentucky to the World’s board of directors took its first road trip to Bowling Green for an event-filled day, hosted in partnership with the WKU Innovation Campus.
Simone Lassar | MIT Spokes | June 24, 2022
Day 22: News Travels Fast and Day 23: We Travel 13.0 mph
A group of MIT students cycling across the country reflect on their free MIT Spokes Learning Festival in Bowling Green at the WKU Innovation Campus: “The Learning Festival was excellent. It was in the WKU Innovation campus, which is this space that used to be a shopping mall, but it now houses and churns out start ups.”
A group of seven MIT students are bicycling 3,000 miles across the United States to host workshops for middle school students, with Bowling Green as one of their stops. It is open to incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in the region and will include modules on 3D printing, material science, electrical engineering, and the physics of music. AccelerateKY, a nonprofit organization based at WKU’s Innovation Campus, supported the MIT Spokes’ initiative.
Jake Moore | Bowling Green Daily News | June 1, 2022
Western Kentucky University’s Potter College of Arts and Letters and the university’s Innovation Campus will team up with the University of Southern California for a “Civic Imagination Incubator.” The program which launches in September of 2022, will tap into the “civic imagination” to conceptualize what a better world could look like. The eight-month program will take participants through the processes of planning, prototyping, devising participatory strategies, and exploring funding possibilities for their projects. In 2017, a Civic Imagination Project workshop came to Bowling Green, challenging participants to imagine what Kentucky may look like in the year 2040.
Makaio Smith | WKU College Heights Herald | May 31, 2022
WKU’s Potter College of Arts and Letters and the Innovation Campus are working with the University of Southern California to launch a new civic imagination incubator at the collaborative smart space on the Innovation Campus. WKU’s Innovation Campus, at Nashville Road and Campbell Lane, has a new 30,000 square-foot collaborative smart space to host meetings and provide work space throughout the program. By allowing “creatives”, or people who are working professionally as storytellers and content creators, to develop impactful story worlds and media projects, creatives are able to focus on world-building, storytelling, and civic imagination.
The Lane Report | May 23, 2022
entucky Commercialization Ventures is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural KCV IMPACT (Innovative Mobile, Public Health, And Community-Oriented Technologies) Competition. 1st place–$25,000 each: Dr. Rachel Tinius, WKU; Dr. Daniel Boamah, WKU.
This program hopes to promote social change and civic agency through connection and collaboration. During the span of the program, five creatives will move through the collaborative process of ideating, planning, prototyping, devising participatory strategies, and exploring funding possibilities for their projects through monthly meetings and sessions with creative guests and advisors. Meeting areas and workspaces for fellows will be available at the Innovation Campus’ new 30,000 square-foot Collaborative SmartSpace.
The Civic Imagination Incubator is an 8-month program that combines worldbuilding, storytelling, and the civic imagination to help creatives develop impactful story worlds and media projects that engage participatory practices. This first place-based Incubator class will be open to nominations of fellows that draw from states that follow the Central and Southern Appalachian trail (although folks themselves may not necessarily be from Appalachian portions of those states): West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Gina Clear | The News-Enterprise | March 12, 2022
Likening it to a Mammoth Cave of potential, Lisa Williams shared a plan for part of the expansive 105,000-square-foot former Coca-Cola bottling plant…Crabtree and McQueen have dubbed the space COKE, which stands for the Center for Kentucky Entrepreneurship.
Michael Phillips | Kentucky to the World | April 14, 2022
The nature of work in Kentucky is going through another major transition. From the rise of remote work to the decline of the coal industry, the state is beginning to embrace an innovation that could affect practically every industry and field: robotics and automation. In October of 2021 Dr. Rus presented at AccelerateKY’s “Connect. Inform. Inspire.” Conference at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus about how she has begun to work with Kentucky based entrepreneurs through her robotics-focused research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Taylor Cochran | Taylor Cochran | Jan. 31, 2022
“Because their moral compass helps steer their wallet, millennials view business differently than previous generations. According to a 2019 Deloitte Millennial Survey, 40% of those under 35 believe that the goal of business should be to improve society, and a similar study by The Intelligence Group found that 64% want to make the world a better place. This shift in demand for companies to be better isn’t just a fad, and businesses are recognizing the benefits of engaging in social entrepreneurship,” Koloms told us in an interview following his talk at AccelerateKY’s Connect. Inform. Inspire conference at WKU Innovation Campus in October 2021.
Rhonda Miller | WKU Public Radio | Jan. 10, 2022
Many businesses across south central Kentucky that were damaged or destroyed by the December tornadoes have an option for a temporary, or permanent, new home. Western Kentucky University’s 30,000-square-foot workspace in the old Bowling Green Mall is welcoming displaced businesses. The expansive open area is meant to encourage people and businesses with a variety of skills and expertise to share their talents. The collaborative space is at one end of the WKU Small Business Accelerator, where companies continue to settle in at individual office spaces.
Kendra Scott | Hardin County Chamber of Commerce | Oct. 27, 2021
A day of entrepreneurial training, motivation, inspiration, mentoring, networking, and more on November 10th, 2021 with the Summit of the South. Hosted by the Innovation and Commercialization Center, KY Innovation, the WKU Small Business Accelerator, and the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce.
Aaron Mudd | Bowling Green Daily News | Oct. 17, 2021
Local nonprofit AccelerateKY – which seeks to unleash the creative potential of Kentucky’s innovators and entrepreneurs – held its first key event Friday at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus. Throughout the day, attendees shared their stories and ideas for moving the state’s economy into a new age, with the future of work as a key focus. AccelerateKY was born out of founder Sam Ford’s relationship with leaders at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology REAP initiative, or Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. Drawing on those connections with MIT, Ford was able to make Kentucky the first U.S. site for MIT’s REAP initiative in 2018.
Haley Cawthon | KY Inno | Oct. 8, 2021
“I just offhandedly said something like, ‘well, it’s hard to be excited about the future if you don’t think you’re in it,’” Ford recalled. “If you’re in a place like Boston, people are excited about the future of work because they imagine it will happen there. The narrative that often exists is that if you’re in a place like Kentucky, it won’t happen here” The conversation eventually led to the founding of AccelerateKY, which is on a mission to connect, inform, and inspire. The nonprofit organization looks to unleash the potential of Kentucky’s innovators and entrepreneurs through generating new stories, relationships, and initiatives and, in turn, creating new wealth.
Andrew Critchelow | The Hardin County News-Enterprise | Oct. 5, 2021
The Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center, which is headquartered in Bowling Green and includes an Elizabethtown office, is set to host a free entrepreneurial summit next month at the Western Kentucky University Small Business Accelerator in Bowling Green. The Summit of the South will include a day of entrepreneurial training, motivation, inspiration, mentoring, and networking. The event was held in correlation with Global Entrepreneurship Week. “I think if folks go down there and see what we have in Bowling Green, they’ll really be excited to think we can get something like that here,” Williams said.
Site Selection | 2021
KY Innovation helps startups scale and become industry leaders. The organization aims to be the central hub for small business support, connecting founders, investors, innovators, and small business owners to “the right sources of connections, collaborators, and capital to help companies imagine, launch, grow and scale. CRICC operates the Western Kentucky University business accelerator and provides its entrepreneur support experience and resources within Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and the surrounding region. The hub launched a Virtual Management Organization to help startups and scalable access intellectual capital.
Josh Shortt | WNKY | May 20, 2021
For anyone looking to get their business up and running, a new local workshop experience is on its way. It’s called the Startup Garden, and it’s a networking event for the local entrepreneurial community. The event will feature guest speakers including investors, community leaders and service providers. The first guest speaker will be Buddy Steen, the CEO of WKU innovation campus.
Katey Cook | WBKO | Feb. 25, 2021
If you ever wanted to start your own business or grow an existing one, the resources to do so are around the corner in the Small Business Accelerator section of WKU’s Center for Research and Development. “These programs are designed to help technology-based companies start, grow, and then we try to recruit and retain those companies here,” Steen explained. Steen serves as the Executive in Residence at the WKU Center for Research and Development and is also the programs director at the Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center (CRICC) within the Small Business Accelerator.
Kendra Scott | Hardin County Chamber of Commerce | Nov. 23, 2020
The Building Brilliance through Black Businesses-Local Success Stories Founded in the Sub-Metro Region of Kentucky was a grand success thanks to the hard work and collaboration of the Central Region Innovation & Commercialization Center, Elizabethtown Community & Technical College and the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. Over 50 participants registered for the November 18th Zoom summit, coming from near and far. Participants joined the event from as far away as Austin, Texas and Great Britain. The participants were treated to three dynamic speakers who shared their business philosophies and experience.
Timothy C. Caboni | WKU News | Nov. 5, 2020
Our strategic plan, Climbing to Greater Heights, set as a goal for our institution to serve as a regional lighthouse that provides resources, attracts talent and nurtures intellectual capital in the communities we serve. One of the key strategies to achieve this goal is the transformation of the WKU Center for Research and Development (CRD) into a true innovation campus that engages corporations in collaborative research, incubates faculty, staff and student ideas, cultivates and grows local businesses and provides a hub for entrepreneurial growth and investment.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | Oct. 23, 2020
Started in 2018 by three Western Kentucky University students in cramped quarters at the WKU Small Business Accelerator on Nashville Road, Spartan Garage is doing some accelerating of its own. Launching as Spartan 4×4 by partners Robert Bowden, Andrew Clark, and Hunter Lee, the business that specialized in custom builds of trucks and off-road vehicles has gained traction even during the coronavirus pandemic and is ready to move to some of Bowling Green’s high-profile real estate. From its beginning in the Small Business Accelerator, Spartan 4×4 moved to the NCM Motorsports Park on National Corvette Museum property and then to its current 6,000-square-foot headquarters on Chester Court off Scottsville Road.
WNKY | July 22, 2020
WNKY, July 22, 2020: Business coaches available to support local business growth Kentucky Small Business Development Center – a statewide organization designed to support Kentucky’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. WKU remains committed to elevating its communities by deepening and broadening its collaboration with economic development organizations across the region. We’re thrilled to provide office space for the KSBDC to operate inside our Small Business Accelerator on Nashville Road. Just as importantly, we will collaborate with the KSBDC to improve the entrepreneurial support ecosystem in our region as we work to accelerate the growth of companies in our region and create opportunities and jobs,” said WKU President Tim Caboni.
Don Sergent | Bowling Green Daily News | July 17, 20202
As the coronavirus continues to take a toll on the nation’s economy, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is pumping money into a new initiative aimed at supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. KY Innovation – the CED’s office for entrepreneurial and small business support – has authorized $2.6 million in funding to six public-private partnerships throughout the state, including one in Bowling Green. The Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center, which is housed in Western Kentucky University’s Center for Research and Development on Nashville Road, is one of the six partnerships being funded through the Regional Innovation for Startups and Entrepreneurs program.
Zirconia Alleyne | Kentucky New Era | Nov. 2, 2019
A Nashville native turned Hopkinsville transplant has designed a product to clean lint out of dryer vents. Lowell “Sully” Sullivan calls it “The Dryer Buddy,” an automated dryer and dryer vent cleaning system that he believes will prevent thousands of annual dryer fires once it goes into market. He has been working with the Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center in Bowling Green to connect with investors and mentors.
Mary Alford | Hardin County News-Enterprise | Nov. 18, 2018
Local entrepreneurs were recognized Thursday night during the third Hardin County Entrepreneurial Awards banquet. Director of the Central Region Innovation & Commercialization Center Lisa Boone said the banquet, which was at Boundary Oak distillery in Radcliff, is a way to celebrate the entrepreneurship spirit, from young startups to established, successful companies. The event, which was hosted by the Central Region Innovation & Commercialization Center and the Small Business Development Center with the help of several sponsors, took place during Global Entrepreneurship Week and recognized several local business people for their ventures.
Lane Report | Nov. 12, 2018
Western Kentucky University faculty, staff, and student entrepreneurs attended the Glasgow-Barren County Industrial Development and Economic Authority Board of Directors meeting Nov. 9 to share opportunities WKU offers to student entrepreneurs, including the new Student Business Accelerator at WKU in Glasgow. The WKU Student Business Accelerator (SBA) in Glasgow is a free program for WKU students which supports new ideas, offers practical resources and promotes mentorship from business leaders to create opportunities for students as they explore starting their own businesses. Representatives from the WKU Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and WKU Small Business Accelerator, as well as two student entrepreneurs, spoke about the success of current student incubator programs in other communities.
HRD Strategies | Feb. 23, 2017
The offices of HRD Strategies, Inc. and Millstone Labs, LLC are both located in the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Small Business Accelerator. “The Accelerator serves as a collaborative community where the entrepreneurial spirit and professional services are intertwined. We encourage collaboration among our clients in an effort to foster new ideas and innovation,” explained Jeff Hook, Director of the WKU Center for Research and Development and Executive Director of the Central Region Office of the Kentucky Innovation Network. “This strategic partnership was created as the result of being under the same roof at the WKU Small Business Accelerator, a great example of the power of networking and collaboration,” agreed Michael Lovett.
Kentucky Career Center Lincoln Trail | July 5, 2018
The new Lincoln Trail Youth Academy is offering a summer job like no other. It’s an opportunity for young adults to explore local careers in high-demand fields, gain work experience and learn the job search and soft skills they need for long-term success. An initiative of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, in partnership with the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board and Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail, this leadership and employment program will meet from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday for six weeks.
Leigh Ann Tipton | Bowling Green Living | June 18, 2018
Thousands of commuters blow past a nondescript building on Nashville Road daily, most likely oblivious to the innovative business ideas growing inside. The building, known to long-time residents as the “old mall”, has for the last 13 years found new life as the Western Kentucky University Small Business Accelerator. The Small Business Accelerator serves as an incubator – nurturing new and small businesses by helping them survive and grow through the difficult and vulnerable early stages of development. Twenty-three Businesses are housed in the facility, and others have graduated and moved into their own facilities since the Accelerator opened.
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Report | 2017
This powerful partnership between the Chamber, Bowling Green office of the Kentucky Innovation Network and Western Kentucky University’s Small Business Accelerator and Small Business Development Center is a one-stop-shop for financial and technical assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The partnership establishes a system of volunteers to enhance the creation and growth of local small businesses.
Kerrick Bachert | Oct. 24, 2016
The Western Kentucky University Research Foundation has launched a new website. The website serves as a cross-campus research showcase dedicated to the advancement of research initiatives and the publication of information about research initiatives and the publication of information about research and scholarly project outcomes and their impact. The WKU Research Foundation is composed of board members with expertise in various areas of science, technology, entrepreneurship, business development, economic development, and fundraising.
Diane Dyer | Beech Tree News | Oct. 30, 2015
Vector Horizon Technologies, LLC – Located in the WKU Small Business Accelerator, Vector Horizon Technologies LLC is focused on Clean Energy Technologies. At present 20 engineers and technical resources are designing, developing, and producing Advanced Mechatronic Devices for Emission Control & Power Generation in the On-highway and Off-highway Commercial Vehicles, Industrial Automation, Life Sciences, and the Oil & Gas industries.
WKU News | Oct. 16, 2015
The newest client of the WKU Small Business Accelerator creates innovative, multilingual digital content and products for interpreters, translators, and other language professionals. In an increasingly mobile world, Code Switch Media’s goal is to enhance communication by enabling all language professionals to have the latest, most accurate translations available. The Bowling Green office of the Kentucky Innovation Network and the WKU Small Business Accelerator has been working with Code Switch Media to increase their value proposition to its customers and preparing them for the Pitch Competition.
Kim Phelps | South Central Kentucky | Feb. 26, 2015
Eyeconic.TV, the industry leader in point of sale media today celebrated the opening of their first showroom in the WKU Small Business Accelerator housed in the WKU Center for Research and Development. Eyeconic.tv controls digital media in thousands of businesses all over the world, and operates multiple divisions specific to a variety of industries by employing professionals with specific knowledge of that industry. The new showroom features their digital sign, menu, and touch screen kiosk options and is open to the public.
Leah Brown | WKU College Heights Herald | May 1, 2014
Between majoring in journalism and playing on WKU’s tennis team, Monta Reinfelde manages her own magazine. In order to help promote her publication, MAG, and to help a good cause, Reinfelde will be hosting a consignment sale on campus. At the event, MAG will be collaborating with Hope Scarves, a nonprofit organization from Louisville that partners with cancer surviving women. Reinfelde is also involved with the Small Business Accelerator on campus. She is trying to create a business out of the magazine and collaborate with other companies. Many people have told her the project has huge potential, she said.
Healthcare Facilities Today | Nov. 19, 2013
“WKUHS has a history of seeking out and utilizing cutting edge technology in the field of clinical healthcare. We are proud to be continuing that tradition through this collaboration with HyGreen,” said Kieth Lancaster, Manager, Healthcare Information Systems at WKU Health Services. “Their product will allow us to provide higher quality care for our patients and better protect our employees, while supplying valuable product development information to the HyGreen team. We see it as an added bonus that we will be able to partner with a member of the WKU Small Business Accelerator.”
Bowling Green & South Central Kentucky | 2013
Manufacturers, distributors, R&D facilities and corporate headquarters call South Central Kentucky home because of the assets, amenities and benefits available here. EWA Government Systems, Inc., one of the premier cyber security and cyber defense companies in the United States, has an operations office at the Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center at the WKU Center for Research & Development.
Rep. Brett Guthrie | July 24, 2009
“I am very pleased to secure these funds for WKU,” Guthrie said. “As we work to restore economic growth and create more jobs, it is important to make sure that WKU has the necessary resources to continue being an educational leader and economic driver for our region.” The WKU Small Business Accelerator will receive $250,000 to provide more services and technology resources for small businesses. “Because of Congressman Gutherie’s support, our Business accelerator will be able to expand into the last available space at the WKU Center for Research and Development ” Buddy Steen, Director of the WKU Center for Research and Development, said.
Allen County/Scottsville Industrial Development Authority | Sept. 24, 2009
It’s responsible for nearly 700 jobs in Bowling Green, and a Western Kentucky University facility will soon expand to Scottsville. WKU recently landed a $100,000 endowment to open a small business accelerator in Scottsville. The accelerator helps start-up businesses get off the ground, giving them materials, tips, and business space. “Now you have the opportunity for companies to start and grow and stay,” said Buddy Steen, executive director of the small business accelerator at WKU’s Center for Research and Development.
Doug Waters | Bowling Green Daily News | Dec. 10, 2006
A 45-year-old Simpson County inventor says he’s on the verge of hitting the entrepreneurial jackpot. After nearly three years of hard work, Randy Herrington’s invention of a cover for outside air conditioning and heat pump units is set for production in spring 2007. Fulks and Herrington praised Western Kentucky University’s Central Region Innovation & Commercialization Center for free consulting and introducing them to industry contacts, including their full-time marketing manager. The innovation center helped Herrington receive two $25,000 state grants for the cover and recruit multiple investors.
Simone Lassar | MIT Spokes | June 24, 2022
A group of MIT students cycling across the country reflect on their free MIT Spokes Learning Festival in Bowling Green at the WKU Innovation Campus: “The Learning Festival was excellent. It was in the WKU Innovation campus, which is this space that used to be a shopping mall, but it now houses and churns out start ups.”