Awesome Inc exists to help people pursue their definition of “awesome.” Since 2009, they’ve been carrying out this mission through the creation and education of entrepreneurship and technology with a focus on building community.
Awesome Inc is a startup accelerator and venture funding resource for tech startups; an educator for those that want to learn about web development; a connector and celebrator of founders through its 5 Across Pitch Competition and Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame; and a coworking space for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and remote workers.
As one of the six regional KY Innovation Hubs, Awesome Inc serves 28 counties in the Central Kentucky region. The hub was founded in 2009 by Brian Raney, Luke Murray, Nathan Fort and Rachel Cunningham, and is now headquartered in downtown Lexington, Kentucky.
Since day one, Awesome Inc’s four core values have remained at the center of everything they do: Be Good, Be Excellent, Be a Friend and Be You.
Initiatives and Offerings
Awesome Inc seeks to create and educate startups and technology across the state of Kentucky. They do this through a variety of initiatives and offerings designed to serve people at any stage of the entrepreneurial or tech journey. Get a glimpse into each one below.
5 Across Entrepreneur Pitch Competition
At this Shark-Tank-meets-pep-rally pitch competition, Kentucky founders have the opportunity to pitch their startups to the community for a chance to win cash, investment and other prizes. For over a decade, 5 Across has given over 275 founders a new platform and thousands of Kentuckians a fun place to engage with local startups.
Awesome Fellowship
Awesome Inc offers a mentorship program for tech startups in the Kentucky area called the Fellowship. This year-long program helps startups grow and accelerate their business in the tech industry. Each Fellowship cohort is given metrics accountability as well as an array of services, including design, videography, development, legal and accounting. Some notable Fellowship alumni companies include: Hippo Manager, Podchaser, GoodMaps, Forecastr, FreshFry, Cloverleaf, Virtual Peaker, Switcher, Sword and MobileServe.
Awesome Fund
The Awesome Fund is a $5 million pre-seed and seed stage fund that invests in the region’s tech startups. The Awesome Fund exists to provide a source of capital and additional resources to help startups scale to the next level. So far, The Awesome Fund has made investments in eight companies, including: Thynk Health, TitleWise, Kyndly and Neurotone.
Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame is a physical and virtual destination which shares and celebrates the stories of Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs. The Hall of Fame hopes to inspire others to pursue similarly ambitious endeavors. It was started by Awesome Inc in 2010 and has honored over 50 Entrepreneurs from Kentucky.
Workspace
Awesome Inc has a physical space in downtown Lexington built for collaboration and community. It offers coworking memberships, private office space, conference rooms and many other amenities. Awesome Inc Fellowship companies get full access to the space in addition to the other program benefits. The Awesome Inc team, entrepreneurs, tech groups, small businesses, remote workers and many others use the space each day to build their businesses and build community.
Awesome Inc U
Awesome Inc’s education arm, Awesome Inc U, seeks to help people of all ages to code, upskill and break into the tech industry through courses, camps and community events. Offerings include an Intro to Web Development course, a full-time Web Developer Bootcamp and a weeklong summer Code Camp for students.
Awesome Inc is here to be a friend and a resource at any stage of your entrepreneur journey. Did anything above pique your interest? All of the resources mentioned in this article and more can be found on Awesome Inc’s website: https://awesomeinc.org/
Feel free to send any inquiries about services, resources, events and offerings to the Awesome Inc team: info@awesomeinc.org