About Us. What We Do.
We tip the scales in favor of brilliant, hard-working folks looking to create and grow businesses in Northern Kentucky. We serve as the “thread” for the regional business ecosystem by building a close-knit community that connects entrepreneurs to critical resources and reduces barriers to opportunity.
Our mission is to give your ideas time to grow and prosper.
Why Northern KY?
There are plenty of tech accelerators, incubators, and VC funds—but there’s only one Northern Kentucky. We’re the Southern part of the Greater Cincinnati region, where Midwestern hustle meets Southern hospitality and unbridled grit. We love that Northern Kentucky is a place where entrepreneurs who are hands-on, with a little chip-on-their-shoulder ideas find the opportunity to make their mark.
is made of 17 counties:
- Boone County
- Bracken County
- Campbell County
- Carroll County
- Fleming County
- Gallatin County
- Grant County
- Harrison County
- Henry County
- Kenton County
- Lewis County
- Mason County
- Oldham County
- Owen County
- Pendleton County
- Robertson County
- Trimble County
Corridor of Commerce
Digital Commerce
Health Innovation
Local Growth
Our Team
Our people are here to connect your idea to the resources and region that will help make it happen.
Dave Knox
Executive Director
About Dave Knox
Dave Knox is a leading startup advisor, investor, speaker, and marketer who closes the gap between Fortune 500 and entrepreneurship through innovation, marketing, and digital transformation. Dave blends classical brand marketing acumen with entrepreneurial instinct to navigate a changing corporate landscape. As Chief Marketing Officer of Rockfish, Dave helped the company become one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country, going from $8 million in 2010 to $70+ million in revenue in 2016. Simultaneously, Dave co-founded The Brandery, one of the top 10 startup accelerators in the U.S. Combining these two worlds, Dave authored the bestselling book, Predicting the Turn: The High Stakes Game of Business Between Startups and Blue Chips. In his latest endeavor, Dave practiced Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition as he bought and relaunched the natural wellness brand Nature’s Willow. Contact Dave at [email protected].
Reese Watson
Chief of Staff
About Reese Watson
Reese Watson is a passionate advocate for the entrepreneurial community, focused on fostering a thriving ecosystem in Northern Kentucky through collaboration and innovation. A graduate of Northern Kentucky University, she leverages her venture capital investing experience and entrepreneurial mindset to drive growth and innovation across the region. In 2023, Reese spearheaded the Blue North NKU Fellowship program, developing strong connections and initiatives within the NKY and Cincinnati startup communities while uniting entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and support organizations. She is committed to a collaborative approach and community engagement to catalyze transformation throughout the NKY region.
Mitko Karshovski
Operations Manager at SparkHaus
About Mitko Karshovski
Mitko Karshovski is an entrepreneur, community strategist, and media builder who works at the intersection of business, tech, and culture. As Operations Manager of SparkHaus, a 50,000 sq. ft. entrepreneurial hub in Covington, KY, Mitko helps shape and strengthen the region’s founder community. He is also the cofounder of Cincy Scoop, one of Cincinnati’s fastest-growing local media brands. Mitko blends a passion for storytelling with deep expertise in building communities. Prior to SparkHaus, he led community strategy at GrowthCommunity, helped shape content at Hampton, and created That Remote Life, a podcast and newsletter covering the rise of remote work and the digital nomad movement that reached over 20,000 readers worldwide. Combining these experiences, Mitko brings a global perspective to local entrepreneurship, with a focus on startup communities, personal brands, and modern media ecosystems. His journey took him across Europe, Asia, and Mexico, where he studied entrepreneurial communities firsthand — a global perspective he now applies to building a vibrant founder community at SparkHaus.
Partners
