The University of Kentucky’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) at the Gatton College of Business & Economics have joined forces with Lindsey Wilson College, located in Columbia, KY, to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in students seeking to start businesses in the Bluegrass. This collaboration began in 2021, combining the expertise of both institutions to assist and educate future founders across the state through the Entrepreneurs Bootcamp Online Accelerator, offered through VACE.
(Nashville, TN) - The 2025 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business while attending college or university. Nominees compete against their peers from around the world in a series of local and national competitions in the hope of qualifying for the Global Finals.
(Nashville, TN) - This year’s competition is being held in Nashville, Tennessee at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center on January 23r and 24th respectively. The University of Kentucky will be represented by three student teams that have been led and coached by The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) in the Gatton College of Business & Economics. Each of these teams are graduates of VACE’s online Bootcamp Accelerator, where they won top awards and early-stage capital for their startups. Below is a summary of the teams and their founders. The 2025
Ever wondered what happens after completing the Entrepreneurs Bootcamp? The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship is excited to continue our series, "Bootcamp Accelerator Startups: Where are They Now?" The Spring 2025 webinar series showcases alumni founders who have gone on to achieve significant milestones, including competing in pitch competitions and securing funding for their ventures. Join us to hear their inspiring stories and gain valuable insights. Open to students, staff, faculty, and community entrepreneurs.
Lexington, KY (Jan. 2025) - Warren and Janet Nash, longtime residents of Danville, Kentucky, have generously donated over $20,000 to the University of Kentucky’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship in the Gatton College of Business & Economics.
The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) is proud to announce the top winning startups of the Fall 2024 Bootcamp 1.0 online Business Accelerator! Founders in the Monday and Thursday sections of the accelerator are represented by entrepreneurs from colleges across The University of Kentucky, local entrepreneurs in the community, as well as faculty, staff, and students throughout the Bluegrass. Bootcamp is made available to any Kentucky entrepreneur seeking to start a business for the first time in a virtual learning environment that provides an entire semester of entrepre
On Nov. 7, 2024, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the University of Mississippi hosted the “Servin’ the South” Business Model Competition. CIE empowers students to create innovative businesses through top-tier education, experiential learning, and renowned research. Offering major and minor entrepreneurship programs, CIE has supported over 65 student ventures, advised more than 838 students, and seen 535 student teams participate in business competitions since 2018.
The University of Kentucky Entrepreneurship Club hosted their Startup Pitch Competition on Thursday, November 14th at 5PM in Woodward Hall, Gatton College of Business & Economics. The event featured 6 participants with 5 judges compiled of local entrepreneurs and leaders. A prize pool of $1,000 was awarded by the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) to fund 3 winners.
Lexington, KY – On October 18, 2024, Destin George Bell appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank Season 16 premiere to pitch his company, Card.io. Destin is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and graduate from the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky (UK). He received his undergraduate degree in marketing and pursued an entrepreneurial pathway as soon as he could.
The Entrepreneurship Club (aka eClub) is thrilled to announce their upcoming event: a pitch competition where entrepreneurs at The University of Kentucky can showcase their businesses and compete for a cash prize. This pitch competition will take place at the Gatton College of Business & Economics on November 14th at 5pm. This competition is generously sponsored by The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship.
Knoxville, TN - The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, host the 2024 SEC Student Pitch Competition on October 17, 2024.
Knoxville, TN - The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, host the 2024 SEC Student Pitch Competition on October 17, 2024.
The Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) Summer Startup program is now accepting applications for summer 2025. Deadline for submission is Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Through its Collegiate Pitch competition, The Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) encourages innovation and entrepreneurship by engaging students from Kentucky’s colleges and universities with an opportunity to develop and pursue their business ideas. The competition rewards Business Models judged by an independent panel as the most innovative and complete, and the most likely to result in successful ventures that create new jobs for Kentuckians.
Fall 2024 Webinar Series featuring “Bootcamp Accelerator Startups: Where Are They Now” - This fall semester, The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is hosting four webinars featuring startups that completed the Entrepreneurs Bootcamp online business accelerator. The series will highlight each founder’s journey, how they overcame various challenges, the realities of raising capital, and where they are now. RSVP to save your spot and join us during your lunch break!
July 2024 (Lexington, KY) - GSE Summer Startup Program concluded our 11th year, and what a terrific ride it’s been! This summer, we not only celebrated another fantastic season but also hit a major milestone—1,000 graduates! That’s right, with this summer’s amazing groups, our GSE Summer Startup family has grown to more than 1,000 innovative and resilient Es, and we couldn’t be more proud.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 1, 2024) — When Ethan Jackson decided to pursue the Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking (iNET) certificate, he didn’t know the long-term impact that the program would have on his professional development.
The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE), in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is excited to announce the Spring 2024 winning startups! Each winning team received prize money to move their ideas forward and help build further momentum into the next phase of their entrepreneurial journeys. Congratulations to all the founders that represent the University of Kentucky and surrounding counties across the state!
Spring 2024 – Monday Section Bootcamp 1.0 Winning Startups
Lexington, KY - On April 20, PNC Bank and the Gatton College of Business and Economics’ Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship presented the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition, during which University of Kentucky graduate and undergraduate students competed for cash prizes totaling $20,000. This event gave students the opportunity to build their entrepreneurial skills and share ideas for ground-breaking products and services.
April 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - The Spring 2022 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp 2.0 program wrapped up the semester with five teams winning $2,000 each in startup capital. In addition, two teams received $500 each as a special award called the "Dentons Choice Award" made possible by law firm Dentons Bingham Greenebaum. Other sources of funding are generously provided by The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise.
