Latest / Kentucky Business News / 9.25.25

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9.25.25 · Kentucky Business News

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Speaker 1: Hello. Today, I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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and Louisville, including The Lane Report and others from around
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the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or who have other disabilities that make it difficult
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to read printed material. Our first article comes from the
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September twenty three, twenty twenty five edition of The Lane
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Report and is titled UK Health Team promotes Wellness with
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comic book series. Thursday is National Comic Book Day, a
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day to appreciate the vibrant world of comics and the
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stories that captivate our imaginations. This year, the UK College
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of Nursing and the Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living
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and Learning bh WELL Research Teams are celebrating a collection
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of comics that does more than entertain. It empowers, educates
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and uplifts those facing some of life's most difficult challenges.
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Those two partners are transforming conversations about mental and behavioral health.
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This innovative group of researchers and practitioners has created The Dimensions,
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a comic book series that shines a spotlight on real
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life mental health challenges. Each comic book represents one of
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the sam HSA endorsed eight dimensions of wellness. The eight
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dimensions of Wellness, various aspects that contribute to one's overall
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well being are environmental, financial, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, emotional,
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and occupational. The bh WEL comic books feature eight unique superheroes,
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each navigating a different mental or behavioral health challenge. Environmental
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dimension Eric Ripple aka Captain Calm tackles tobacco used disorder.
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Financial dimension Lucy Stretch aka Elastic Bi lives with attention
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deficit hyperactivity disorder. Physical dimension Leo Lowe aka Thundering Tornado
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experiences post traumatic stress disorder PTSD. Intellectual dimension Einstein al
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kN aka Agent Replacement experiences memory loss and challenges with
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social interaction. Social dimension Nova Powe aka Magnetic Shock immersed
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in polysubstance use. Spiritual dimension Raha aka Divine Queen experiences
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hoarding tendencies. Emotional dimension Hope Ripple aka The Healer experiences
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compassion fatigue. Occupational dimension sr al Mar aka Gentle Chameleon
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lives with depression. Each issue focuses on one superhero's journey,
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detail their struggles, highlighting their resilience and providing hopeful steps
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towards recovery. The stories are built on peer reviewed research
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primarily conducted by bh well team members, ensuring that readers
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not only connect emotionally with the characters, but also walk
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away with credible, evidence based information. The comic book showcase
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graphics by Dottie Berryman, a local artist. A core mission
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of beh Well is simple, but powerful, promote wellness among
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individuals facing mental and behavioral health challenges. The bh well
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team strives to make research accessible and usable. Rather than
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keeping knowledge locked in academic journals, they translate complex behavioral
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health concepts into stories that anyone can understand and relate to,
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especially young adults, community partners, and those living with mental
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and behavioral health challenges. To reach more communities, bh Well
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partnered with George Souer, PhD and Juan Canido, DHS faculty
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members at UK to translate the series into French and Spanish.
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The bh well team also translated the comics into Chinese
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and Arabic. These efforts make the comics series accessible to
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broader audiences across the US and beyond. All comic books
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are free to read and download on the bh Well website,
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making them a valuable resource for educators, counselors, healthcare workers,
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and anyone curious about mental health. Mental and behavioral health
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challenges can often feel isolating, but bh Well wants readers
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to know that recovery is real and it starts with hope, support,
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and information. Comic books are an entertaining and impactful way
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to share real life struggles and evidence based solutions for
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people who care about those living with or experiencing mental
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and behavioral health challenges. If you or someone you love
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is living with a mental or behavior real health challenge,
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treatment and recovery are within reach. Living with these challenges
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takes courage, and with the right treatment and support, your
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inner superhero can help you face what comes next. The
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next article from the Lane Report is titled Reparna Joins
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Green Operations Network adopting sustainability practices. Rep Aerna at Central
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Bank Center, managed by oak View Group, has joined Goal
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Green Operations and Advanced Leadership, a sustainability driven membership network
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for sports, entertainment and live event venues. This step further
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reinforces Reperena's commitment to advancing environmental responsibility and building a
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sustainable future for live entertainment. Goal provides venues with powerful
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tools to track, measure, and accelerate sustainable efforts, utilizing Salesforce
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net zero cloud for carbon accounting and visualization. The network
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supports venues with sustainable energy, environmental data analysis, and action planning.
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Membership also connects Rapperina with more than forty venues across
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the United States, Canada and the UK, fostering collaboration and
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the sharing of best practices across the industry. Environmental and
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social sustainability is a lifelong commitment, and joining goal is
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the next step in our journey, said Brian Sipe, general Manager.
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As the first arena in Kentucky to join this movement,
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we're proud to set the standard for sustainable practices in
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our state. While we've already made significant progress, we recognize
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that we're stronger as an industry when we share resources
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and collaborate to do better for our planet. Raperena in
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the Central Bank Center have already taken significant steps to
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reduce their environmental footprint, including energy efficiency, transitioning the LED
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lighting throughout the complex, and investing in upgraded HVAC systems
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to significantly reduce overall energy consumption, waste production, implementing back
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of house and front of house recycling programs to divert
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waste from landfills, water conservation, Installing low flow fixtures across
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the facility to minimize water use low impact, Partnering with
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Lexington based and regional vendors to prioritize local sourcing and
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reduce transportation related emissions. Aluminum cups, Introducing recyclable aluminum cups
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throughout the arena as a sustainable alternative to single use plastics,
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giving fans an eco friendly option. First ever green basketball game.
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In partnership with the University of Kentucky, JMI Sports and
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Coca Cola, Rupparna hosted the first zero Waste Kentucky men's
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basketball game. The initiative focused on recycling and fanagecation to
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divert waste from landfills. By joining Goal Raparina will gain
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access to additional tools, resources, and a powerful network to
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help accelerate progress toward reducing its carbon footprint and achieving
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long term sustainability goals. The next article from the Lane
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Report is titled Keeping Promises to expand access to affordable
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college helps entire regions, written by Presidents Milton Moorland and
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Lori white across the country, higher education is under intense scrutiny.
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As the presidents of two small colleges in the Heartland,
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we welcome the opportunity to share not only how colleges
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transform the lives of our students and their families, but
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also contribute to our communities. As institutions of higher learning,
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our goals are to expand access to an excellent education
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for talented students, reduce financial barriers, and prepare the next
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generation of leaders. Bachelor's degree holders aren't approximately one point
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two million dollars more over their lifetime than high school graduates.
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According to the Center on Education in the Workforce at
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Georgetown University. This is money that bolsters the economy across
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the region through consumer spending, tax revenue, and expanded career opportunities.
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Research also shows the non monetary benefits associated with the
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college degree, including longer life expectancy, lower rates of disease,
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lower levels of incarceration, and higher levels of civic participation.
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By expanding access to a college degree, small colleges like
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ours help make this possible. At both Center and DePaul,
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twenty two percent of our incoming class of twenty twenty
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nine will be the first in their families to attend college,
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and twenty six percent are PELL eligible. Both of us
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recently launched transformative new financial aid programs. The Center Promise
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guarantees that every student's demonstrated financial need will be met,
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streamlining aid and creating affordability for families. Beginning in twenty
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twenty six, the DePaul Promise will meet one hundred percent
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of every incoming student's calculated financial need. As well. Thanks
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to our endowments, which are effectively endorsements from generations of
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alumni who credit their success to the college experience, as
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well as other generous donors, we can fund programs, scholarships,
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and aid ensuring all students have access to our incredible education.
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The results of such initiatives are transformative. One of DePaul's
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first generation students described their aid as impactful. To be
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going to school and not having that burden of excess
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debt has had a really big impact on me. I
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could see my future beyond just making it. I could
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see myself thriving. That kind of freedom is liberating at Center.
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A PEL eligible student recently shared that this Center Promise
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will make it possible for him to pursue a career
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in nonprofits and contribute to his community without the fear
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of crushing student loans. These examples also reflect the broader
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economic impact of America's small colleges and universities. De Paul
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contributes more than one hundred fourteen million dollars annually to
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the Indiana community, supporting one out of every seventeen jobs
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in Putnam County. Center contributes more than one hundred forty
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two point nine million dollars annually to Kentucky's economy, supporting
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more than eleven hundred jobs. But equally important is how
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our alumni fuel growth in critical sectors. Healthcare, Center and
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de Paul graduates serve in hospitals and clinics across Kentucky
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and Indiana, addressing physician and nursing shortages. Manufacturing and energy
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alumni from our stem and economics programs lead in Kentucky's
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manufacturing hubs in Indiana's energy sector, helping adapt to a
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changing economy. Technology and entrepreneurship. Our institutions are launching graduates
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into startups, data analytics, and tech companies that keep the
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region competitive nationally. Education and community leadership as teachers, nonprofit leaders,
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and civic officials. Our alumni strengthen the very communities that
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invested in them. Endowments make this possible by fueling scholarships, internships,
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and career preparation that ripple outward, supporting student success and
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measurable economic benefits for Indiana and Kentucky. As presidents, we
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are optimistic about the future because we see every day
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how smart financial management of an endowments transforms vision into progress.
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For our communities. Endowments connected to mission are doing much
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more than just sustaining our colleges and universities. With careful stewardship,
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these funds will continue expanding access and opportunity for generations
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of students and families. Our next article comes from the
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September twenty first, twenty twenty five edition of Here Lexington
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and is titled University of Kentucky invests over thirty one
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million dollars in local farms. The University of Kentucky's Food
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Connection has announced an impressive milestone, revealing that more than
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thirty one million dollars has been invested in local farms
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and food businesses since the inception of its local Procurement
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initiative in twenty fourteen. This significant investment aligns with the
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university's commitment to supporting Kentucky's agricultural economy and fulfilling its
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land grant mission. The report, now in its twelfth year,
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evaluates UK Dining's local food purchasing practices and measures them
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against benchmarks established in partnerships with the food service provider Aramark.
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The initiative was launched in direct response to feedback from
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stakeholders regarding the university's role and impact on the state's
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agriculture and food system. UK Dining is contractually obligated to
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meet the annual purchasing requirements for the Kentucky Farm and
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Food Business Impact KYFBBI. For the fiscal year twenty twenty five,
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UK Dining needs to ensure that at least twenty percent
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of its total food and beverage purchases come from local sources. However,
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it has remarkably surpassed this target. UK Dining reported a
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total of seven million, thirty three thousand, two hundred ninety
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dollars in KYFBBI purchasing, which constitutes forty three percent of
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the total spending, more than double the requirement investment details
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In fiscal year twenty twenty five alone, UK Dining allocated
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one million, five hundred thirty six thousand, two hundred fifty
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eight dollars, specifically for Kentucky Farm Impact purchases. This concerted
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effort to provide local food not only supports the economy,
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but also enriches the university community with fresh, locally sourced products.
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As part of its mission, the Food Connection, located within
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the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Cafe
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at the University of Kentucky, aims to connect local farmers
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with the university a model for local procurement. This partnership
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is recognized nationally as a model for institutional local procurement efforts,
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emphasizing the positive impact universities can have on their local economies.
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The initiative underlines a broader trend in which universities and
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institutions are increasingly prioritizing local food sourcing as part of
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their operational strategies, partly driven by growing consumer demand for fresh,
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locally sourced products background information. Since its launch in twenty fourteen,
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the Local Food Procurement Initiative has evolved in response to
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the increasing awareness of the benefits of supporting local agriculture
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and food systems. The program was implemented to address stakeholder
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concerns and to foster sustainable practices within the university's dining services.
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By committing to local sourcing, the University of Kentucky not
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only complies with the contract obligations, but also actively contributes
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to the sustainability and viability of Kentucky's agricultural landscape as
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the initiative progresses. The collaboration between the Food Connection and
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UK Dining exemplifies the potential for educational institutions to drive
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economic growth in their regions while promoting healthier food options
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for their communities. Conclusion, the University of Kentucky's significant investment
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in local farms and food business illustrates a robust commitment
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to supporting Kentucky's agricultural economy. As educational institutions continue to
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play a pivotal role in local procurement, the model established
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by UK Dining and the Food Connection can inspire others
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to prioritize local sourcing in their operations. The next article
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from here Lexington is titled New Bourbon Club and Microdistillery
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opening in Lexington. Lexington is set to welcome a new
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member's only bourbon club and micro distillery as new Araw
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Whisky and Spirits expands its operations. The new facility will
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be located in a historic building at three three three
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East Short Street, which was previously one of Lexington's earliest hospitals.
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Co founder Zane Brammel aims to have the venue open
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by November, pending final city approval. The new establishment will
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feature a micro distillery that not only produces premium bourbon,
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but also gin and vodka. This unique distillation process is
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expected to include aging spirits in used barrels obtained from
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local distillers, adding a local touch to the offerings. A
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tasting room and a gift shop will accompany the micro distillery,
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enhancing the visitor experience. To provide convenience for club members,
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a connecting doorway will be installed between the distillery and
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the bourbon club Members will receive exclusive releases of new
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Eras bourbon on a monthly basis or even more frequently.
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All bourbon released by New Era will be at least
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eight years old, so worsd from premium distillers and released
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at cask strength to ensure a robust flavor. The design
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of New Era's labels is inspired by newspaper headlines, aligning
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with the brand's abbreviation NEWS. Some of their recent bourbon
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releases include names like Nature's Crossing and Natural Bridge, Dark
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Wonders at Mammoth Cave, and Magic Mombo at Cumberland Falls,
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all of which have generated significant interests and sold out quickly,
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illustrating New Era's growing reputation in the bourbon community. Memberships
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for the New Bourbon Club are set to start at
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two hundred ninety nine dollars per month, which will grant
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members access to exclusive New Era releases. Additionally, club members
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will have the opportunity to reserve the space for private
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events and will have access to personalized bourbon lockers within
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the club. This set up is designed to create an
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intimate and exclusive environment for bourbon officiaos. Interestingly, New Era
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Whiskey and Spirits is not the only distillery making waves
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in the area. Never Say Die Bourbon is also planning
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to open a new distillery next year, further enriching the
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local distilling landscape and offering more options for bourbon enthusiasts
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in Lexington. As New Era Whisky and Spirits prepares for
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its launch, the combination of their unique offerings, premium spirits
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and exclusive memberships reflects a distinct approach to bourbon enjoyment
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in Lexington. The anticipated opening of this bourbon club in
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Microdistillery is expected to attract both local and out of
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town visitors eager to be a part of this exciting
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new venture. The next article comes from the September twenty fourth,
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twenty twenty five edition of Louisville Business First. In this
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time idled sixteen million dollars, Spark Costs Entrepreneurial Hub opens
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in Covington. Spark Costs is ready for its spotlight. The
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sixteen million dollar coworking and entrepreneurial hub, housed in a
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renovated former furniture store that sat vacant for years along
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Covington's busy Madison Avenue, officially opens its stores to the
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public on Monday, September twenty second, part of a staggered
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launch that started earlier this month. More than three hundred
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people are expected to attend this morning's festivities, marking the
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occasion a debut that's been years in the making. The
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end goal to offer a home for both startup founders
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and venture funders alike, and to give high growth companies
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a better place from which to launch. Spark House fills
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a gap in the region. Northern Kentucky leaders say it's
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anticipated between two hundred and three hundred people will use
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the space daily. When we set out to create spark House,
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we were confident entrepreneurs would be energized by this space,
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Dave Knox, Blue North executive director said in a news release,
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because ultimately we're not just filling offices. We're building a vibrant,
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connected community of innovators and professionals who want to be
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part of something bigger. Spark House offers thirty four private offices,
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the bulk of which are already booked, plus dozens of
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dedicated coworking desks across its fifty thousand square feet. The
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first floor is open to the public. The centerpiece a
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better blend cafe which serves a variety of smoothies as
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sigeh Bowles and more. Knox said the location will pull
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people in without competing with existing businesses nearby. Blue North,
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a Northern Kentucky focused entrepreneurship support group, partnered with Kenton
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County and the Northern Kentucky Port Authority to launch spark House.
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It maintains open offices in the mezzanine, while local investment
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from e Gateway Capital fresh off a ninety four million
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dollar rais is considered the building's largest office tenant. E
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Gateway signed a ten year lease. In total, five venture
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capital firms will call spark House home, including key Horse Capital,
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fire Road Ventures, Commonwealth Seed Capital in the Kentucky Angel Collective.
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Connectic Ventures, located just across the street from Sparkhouse, will
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also have a regular presence. Startup tenants include build or Backed,
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Sunflower Fuels, Narratie and Beyond Will Office tenants moved in
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starting September eighth. Many of the tenants are new to Covington.
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There are several meeting spaces throughout, from event space, conference rooms,
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and phone booths with adjustable lighting. The signature Board room
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on the second floor is named after the Comington Industrial Club,
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formed in the early twentieth century and once housed on
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the site. Its design draws in both modern and historic elements.
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It's for meetings you need extra ambiance for when you
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have investors in town or are hosting a board meeting.
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That's what this room is designed for. On the basement level,
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there's a podcast studio, classrooms, a gym, and storage. A
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new addition to the plans. The next article from Louisville
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Business First is titled Inside Cinderblock, Louisville's Newest Startup Hub,
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written by Stephen Schmidt. To win the naming rights for
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Louisville's newest venture studio, Dan Rossley had to sweat for it. Literally.
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Ross Lee, one of three co founders of Cinderblock, agreed
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to perform daily Cinderblock curls for a year to convince
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fellow founder Rachel Edenfield the name was worth it. Now
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the name of Space, a twenty five hundred square foot
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suite in Butchertown Point where actual cinder block serves as
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the benches and supports, and more importantly, it's become home
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to eleven startups and nearly twenty founders. That's how we
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negotiate as a trio, said Edenfield, referring to the third
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co founder of cinder Block, Jack Crowdus, who also is
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head of growth for the Louisville payroll startup pay Forward.
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Edenfield is founder and CEO of Swell Health, one of
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our twenty twenty five Kentucky Ino startups to watch as
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the story goes. Edenfield was working out of Story Louisville
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several days a week, but had started working out of
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a different space at Butchertown Point last September, before sharing
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it with sed Reno Labs, an AI based code developer
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startup whose founder Michael Francis is based at Cinderblock. She,
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along with Rossi Lee and Crowdis, helped get what is
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now known as the Kyx platform off the ground in
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late twenty twenty four. We were trying to get founders together,
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and then we eventually realized we wanted a space, Edenfield
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said of her aspirations with Kyx, which have featured numerous
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networking events for founders. We needed a space where we
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could have some segmentation for offices, but also a bullpen
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area so that everybody can kind of feed off the
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energy together. The space opened on September first. As of
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recent date, there are nineteen people working in the space,
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representing a total of eleven startups, some of which were
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a part of Center Block's inaugural Velocity accelerator. Swell has
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four people based in the space. This is a shared
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office space for people dedicated to startups, said Rossi Lee,
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who is the president of Kyx and the vice president
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of product development for ion water A shared Etho's expectation
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a spot in Cinderblock, which has four openings, is by
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invitation only. To be eligible, a candidate must be a
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founder builder who can work full time for his or
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her Louisville based startup while also adding surplus value to
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the group. Edenfield said. In addition, members have the aspiration
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of reaching one million dollars in annual recurring revenue aarr
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each within twelve months of being there. Such an arrangement,
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what rossie Lee called a shared ethos of expectation, is
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quite common in startup hotbeds like Silicon Valley. Rossie Lee
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first wanted to name the venue Cinderblock after being inspired
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by the Brickyard, which was founded in twenty twenty one
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in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The cinder Block is located at twelve
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oh five East Washingtington Street. This concludes the reading of
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the most recent business news in Lexington, Louisville and around
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the state. Your reader today has been Julia Shane. If
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you have any questions or comments about this program, please
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give our Lexington Studios a call at eight five nine
28:17
four two two six three nine zero. Thanks for listening,
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and now please stay tuned for readings from the Kentucky
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series here on Radio i