Described as the “engine for entrepreneurship in Northern Kentucky,” SparkHaus opened its doors last fall. Even before opening, the long-anticipated home for area entrepreneurs and technology innovators had attracted interest. Several founders, as well as businesses that support and serve startups, had already signed up for space in the historic building in downtown Covington.
Blue North, the region’s innovation hub, leads the project and handles the day-to-day operations at SparkHaus. Its offices are located in the central mezzanine of the building. Charged with connecting entrepreneurs in Northern Kentucky with the resources they need to grow, SparkHaus is an embodiment of that effort.
Designed for connection
The space is designed specifically to foster connections both between members and between the members and the broader business community. Once a Montgomery Ward department store and later the Sims Furniture showroom, its large windows bring in the light and bustle of Covington’s downtown business district. The first floor invites the community in with a Better Blend public cafe offering healthy smoothies and other treats as well as coffee.
Members and guests of SparkHaus enter from Better Blend into a bright open lounge space, the central gathering area for all. The layout of the entire facility with its natural light, comfortable lounges, small intimate spaces and larger meeting rooms is designed to foster connections. Careful curation of activities and opportunities, not only brings members together, but also brings the broader community in to learn and explore.
Jon Monahan is co-founder, along with Alex Von Rosenberg and Lucas Consoli, of Empath EQ, which has developed an AI-powered, video-based simulation training platform to help teach nurses and healthcare professionals vital soft skills. Empath EQ was one of the early tenants in SparkHaus.
“I first met Dave Knox [Blue North executive director] two or three years ago, long before SparkHaus opened up, and he described this place and what it was meant to do. He described it as, ‘we want to create a place where the people that are making things happen economically in Northern Kentucky just run into each other.’ And that happens here,” Monahan said.
“That’s been my experience. I come down here on a regular basis, and I run into people all the time. It’s turned into great networking conversations. It’s turned into potential vendors that we could use; it’s turned into a lot of the things that he was envisioning could happen,” Monahan said.
Von Rosenberg added, “There’s a multitude of aspects of the entire startup ecosystem all under one roof. So even with just a water cooler conversation or a lunchroom conversation with somebody you hadn’t met before, there’s a good chance there’s something to talk about. You’re both trying to build a company or you support companies that are trying to be built.”
Organic growth
Sara Stuckey is the senior account manager for Micromerch, a small promotional products company founded by Gary Darna, focused on meeting the promotional needs of small technology businesses. They curate branded merchandise with full-service sourcing, warehousing and distribution.
Stuckey maintains an office at the company’s warehouse location in Milford and a dedicated desk at SparkHaus. Involvement in SparkHaus has provided a natural way for Stuckey to work with her existing clients and meet and build connections with new ones.
“They are building a really special community here, and one that’s exciting to be a part of. From our business perspective, this is facilitating exactly how we hoped it would. We can service our existing clients and also grow our business. I feel like other people are growing their businesses in the same way, finding the partnerships that could exist, finding new opportunities. Overall, I think SparkHaus hit the nail on the head.”
Ben Wolber is the founder of Illume, an AI-powered data analytics platform targeted to small healthcare service businesses such as med spas and aesthetics practices. The platform integrates data gathered through all of a company’s tools to provide analysis and identify trends, performance indicators and potential areas of growth.
He started with a dedicated desk space in SparkHaus but, like the industry his company serves, his business has grown exponentially since he started. In fact, the company has moved into one of the office spaces and now includes four staff members and one software engineering intern.
“I’ve met just so many different founders in all different aspects of business…We’re seeing how we can help each other out. It’s an extremely collaborative space, which I’ve really leaned into…I just want to be as involved as possible in that ecosystem, and the Cincinnati ecosystem in general. It was really a no brainer to move into SparkHaus,” Wolber said.
“I like the camaraderie with the other founders in the space. There’s some little networking groups that are forming. It’s not just Blue North directing, getting people together. People are taking it into their own hands, forming these groups and really getting involved in the space,” he added.
Community connections
Founders and those who support them have been making connections at SparkHaus since day one. Blue North hosts a number of meetings and events designed to encourage community conversations, discussion and learning within the space.
SparkHaus holds networking meet ups and workshops and hosts public happy hour events at New Riff Distillery and other nearby venues. The broader business community also is invited in with access to a large auditorium on the first floor, as well as classrooms and meeting rooms of all configurations for internal and outwardly focused events.
For members, the monthly SparkHaus Town Hall meetings keep them up-to-date on what’s happening in the space, upcoming events and opportunities. A weekly Coffee and Cowork event is open to members and nonmembers who are interested in learning more. Several speaking and workshop events are open to both members and the public as well, and bring in successful founders, authors and others as guest speakers.
Wolber said he is excited about Startup University, a semester-long educational speaker series aimed at students. Each session focuses on a different aspect of the entrepreneurial journey. Sessions are held weekly and live-streamed to area colleges and universities.
“Looking back when I was in undergrad…I was always interested in running my own business. To some degree, I just never knew where to go, truthfully. And now, SparkHaus is here for local colleges, UC, NKU, Thomas More. There’s an actual gathering place for those students to go to,” he said.
He’s since met and spoken with several students and has hired his first intern. He said he especially likes the opportunity to share his experiences and build a community that is welcoming the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Many ways to plug into the SparkHaus community
SparkHaus provides a wide variety of options for members from general coworking memberships to designated desk space to offices. Intimate enclaves, larger meeting rooms, classrooms, a podcast and video room, as well as a gym, kitchenettes, Better Blend and a library facilitate networking and partnerships throughout the building. Members are finding mentors and forming friendships.
For the broader community, it’s a place to gather and learn about entrepreneurship and innovation in Northern Kentucky. Businesses can rent meeting and workshop spaces in a wide range of configurations and set ups. Guest speakers and networking events offer local businesses, students and others an array of opportunities to connect and help build the SparkHaus community.
Wolber said connecting to SparkHaus would be a good first step for those who might be thinking about starting a business.
“Don’t be afraid to start. You can come around to the networking events…Just lean into the ecosystem. Everyone’s willing to help…It’s just so easy to get involved,” he said.
For more about the SparkHaus community, see the SparkHaus website at sparkhaus.co to connect or to schedule a tour.
