This story is part of our latest super issue about civic engagement and why it’s important to be part of your community. Click here for our full guide to getting involved.
MK Hennigan wasn’t sure how to begin her entrepreneurial journey; she just knew she wanted to pursue her vision of starting her own southern-inspired provisions company.
Luckily for her, she had a wealth of resources at her disposal. Hennigan contacted Aviatra Accelerators, a Covington-based entrepreneurial nonprofit that supports women-owned startups and small businesses, to help her kickstart her business. Jill Morenz, Aviatra’s CEO, recommended that Henngian start with a complimentary one-on-one coaching session.
“It was always in my heart somewhere,” Hennigan told LINK nky. “I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur – it was always part of my DNA, I just didn’t know where to start. We have a bright, vibrant community of folks that can offer help with most every question in business.”
Today, Hennigan leads In the Curious Kitchen, a southern-inspired provisions company she runs from her home in Fort Thomas. Today, her business’ online store sees hundreds of visitors daily, and for all intents and purposes, it has proved successful. Her products are also sold in large grocers such as Publix.
Like Hennigan, other Northern Kentucky-based entrepreneurs have faced similar challenges when starting their businesses. Upon researching, they discover a fully fleshed-out local entrepreneurial community of other founders, accelerators, investors and support organizations. Each of these entities provides different services for founders. More importantly, they provide community and solace to people taking career risks.
There are different types of support organizations for all kinds of startups. Whether someone is founding a technology company looking to be acquired or a small business looking to set up a shop in a city center, Northern Kentucky has the proper institutional resources.
Dave Knox, executive director of Blue North, Northern Kentucky’s primary entrepreneurial resource and advocacy organization, said that to get involved, people must first decide on what they aspire to do.
“Are you looking for what might be defined as a traditional small business, a restaurant, a coffee shop or are you looking for a growth venture that you want to open,” Knox said. “If your goal is to open 20 coffee shops one day, or to launch a tech company, or something of that nature, because the entrepreneurial resources are kind of divided by the growth path that you aspire to.”
Blue North offers a number of services to first-time entrepreneurs, including workshops and training, networking events, pitch competitions, connections to financial resources, workspaces and one-on-one mentorship.
Knox suggested that founders of startups with high-growth goals utilize organizations like Blue North. If they’re more interested in small businesses, like boutique retailers or coffee shops, he recommends seeking resources from the Small Business Association or the Small Business Development Center. Newport-based Incubator Kitchen offers resources, kitchen space and guidance for food-oriented businesses.
Students can utilize resources available through Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Women looking for specific advice for women-owned startups have Aviatra as an option. Each of these organizations can provide entrepreneurs with the proper resources to get off the ground.
“The fact that we all refer each other and work together and we understand what we each do is really great,” Morenz said. “It makes it makes it easy for people. Wherever they enter the ecosystem, they’re going to get to the right place.”
Starting a business is time-consuming and can be isolating. According to a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, 25% of startup founders reported feeling “moderately burned out,” while 3% reported feeling “intensely burned out.”
To mitigate this, various Northern Kentucky-based entrepreneurial organizations offer access to counseling and mental health seminars to help founders stave off burnout and loneliness.
Specifically, Blue North offers Resilience Accelerator – a program that will produce content to assist regional founders with managing stress, helping them cultivate a healthy mindset regarding their work. Blue North partnered with locally-based clinical psychologist Dr. Lina Ehlinger to produce monthly content for the program. Additionally, Blue North will pay for a set number of one-on-one consultations with Ehlinger for founders needing advanced help.
Another way these organizations are helping first-time entrepreneurs looking for the community is by building up access to public communal spaces where founders can meet and foster relationships through sharing their experiences.
SparkHaus, the future home of Blue North, is one of those spaces. In the former Simms Furniture building at 727 Madison Avenue, SparkHaus aims to bring together Northern Kentucky-based startups, investment firms and entrepreneurial support organizations in one centrally located office hub.
“There’s a power of proximity in being around other entrepreneurs that are going through the same thing as you and understand what you’re going through,” Knox said. “They are willing to be that help, so that’s a, I think, a super powerful thing.”
Learn more about the organizations mentioned in this article here:
