Blue North

Congratulations to Ethan Grob, Brett Jewell and the rest of the Another Nine team for closing a new $2M round! Another Nine was one of the first companies to go through our BRINK program, and one of the first teams to commit to calling SparkHaus home. It's been an incredible privilege to have a front row seat to watching them grow. This is an very talented and dedicated team, and we're sure that it won't be the last time we'll be celebrating them!

Your monthly ecosystem event roundup is here. With events spanning from demo nights, free SparkHaus events, and even a conference on how to buy a businesss… The ecosystem has something to offer everyone this month. Don’t miss out - check it out on this month’s newsletter - https://lnkd.in/eMKwNQiZ Subscribe to the newsletter to never miss another event - https://lnkd.in/emDyiypG

Voting for the LINK Media, LLC Reader's Choice Awards closes next week. You can vote every day, that means you can vote 6 more times! (it takes <2 minutes...) Set your alarm each morning and let's close this out strong! Category -> Services -> Coworking Space 📲 - https://lnkd.in/e6BuwVkt

Here are 2 online webinars to add to your radar this week. ⬇️ 1️⃣ Give First, Build Right: A Fireside Chat for Startup Communities is a special conversation with Brad Feld and Eric Ries. Eric has a new book coming out on May 26 called Incorruptible. It's about how to build companies that stay mission-driven over the long term. While The Lean Startup helps entrepreneurs create valuable organizations, Incorruptible explores how and why to protect them. Brad Feld is the author of Startup Communities and co-founder of TechStars. He recently published a new book called Give First: The Power of Mentoring. Brad and Eric will discuss the lessons they’ve learned as founders, investors, and advisors. 🗓️ - April 29 | 1 PM ET 🔗 - https://lnkd.in/eEBqq4qC 2️⃣ Brad Zapp, CFP® with Connetic Ventures is hosting a webinar explaining how Connetic Ventures has changed the access and structural gap between public and private markets. He’ll also be joined by Kyle Hudson, co-founder of Stacklist, one of Connetic’s VCAFX portfolio companies. Kyle will share what the screening process looked like from his side and what it means to have a data-driven investor in your corner. 🗓️ - April 30 | 2 PM ET 🔗- https://lnkd.in/eeex3jJm Bring your questions and curiosity to both sessions this week!

There is a common misconception that entrepreneurship is all about starting a business. That just isn’t true. Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition is the process of buying a pre-existing business, and now is the perfect time thanks to the “Silver Tsunami.” Roughly 6 in 10 Baby Boomer business owners plan to sell by 2030, offering a vast, unprecedented selection of established businesses for sale. Join CincyETA (Entrepreneurship through Acquisition) for the 2026 ETA Conference on May 7th. Attendees will gain practical insights, valuable connections, and tools to pursue business acquisition as a path to entrepreneurship. 🎟️ Get tickets and view at the speaker lineup here - https://lnkd.in/eG7DdQJC

The StartupCincy Award finalists have been announced, and Northern Kentucky is strongly represented this year! Congratulations to the seven finalists making an impact across our region: Ben Wolber, Illume — Emerging Founder Ethan Grob, Another Nine — Emerging Founder Gabrielle Blocher, Sunflower Fuels — Social Impact Award Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD, Narratize — High Growth Startup Rachel Desrochers, The Gratitude Collective — Community Builder Yael Katz, Simbryo Technologies, Inc — Innovator of the Year Dave Knox, Blue North — Community Builder Read more to learn about the work each of these founders is doing in the region! ➡️

A FREE fully remote cohort for busy founders… That is right. Milestone Circles is a free 12‑week entrepreneurship program that helps U.S.-based founders build, scale, and lead with purpose. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Check it out here - https://lnkd.in/efwSfvxM

If you are building a startup in Kentucky you might not know this… There are six innovation hubs that service every county. Instead of competing, they share programs, refer clients across regions, so founders have access to support wherever they live. Read below to learn how this collaborative model works and how the six-hub system is built to support founders at every stage. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/euswfc-J "We have that type of collaboration that I think is really different than a lot of other places where maybe people compete." — Dave Knox, Blue North Executive Director SparkHaus | Awesome Inc | Amplify Startups | Sprocket Innovation | SOAR | CREATEBowlingGreen | Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development | LINK Media, LLC

We're excited to share Blue North's 2025 Impact Report — a look back at a year that meant a lot to this community. 372 startups served. 740 connections facilitated. 46 new businesses launched. 64 new jobs created. $41.5M in capital raised across NKY. SparkHaus opened its doors and is now home to 350 members and 5 VC firms. But the numbers only tell part of the story. What made 2025 special was watching founders choose Northern Kentucky, many for the first time, and build something real here. The BRINK program continued helping early-stage companies find their footing. The NKY Entrepreneur Fund crossed $560K in grants to 43 local businesses. And our founder community told us loud and clear: the ecosystem is stronger than it's ever been. None of this happens without the founders, mentors, investors, sponsors, and partners who make this region what it is. Here's to building on it in 2026. View the full pdf report: https://lnkd.in/eR85Ads9

Your next opportunity closes this Friday… ⏳ The Game Change I-Corps Cohort supports early-stage technologies addressing critical challenges in vast industries. Teams will engage in a customer discover process and connect with industry partners to validate their businesses demand and refine their value proposition. This is a strong fit for teams who are still shaping their value proposition, validating real customer needs or trying to better understand their path to market. Sound Interesting? Check it out and apply here - https://lnkd.in/ePVRNYcx