Hey all,
I’m Kenton Hornbeck — the business editor at Middle Tech/LINK Media. Welcome to The Build.
In partnership with LINK Media in Northern Kentucky, we're expanding beyond our flagship podcast to bring you original reporting on Kentucky's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our new newsletter will bring our audience the latest news from the Bluegrass’s entrepreneurship community. I'll be leading our newsletter coverage.
Each edition will feature founder profiles, company news, venture capital investments, emerging technologies and insights into the trends shaping Kentucky's business community.
Our mission is to tell the stories of the people, companies and ideas driving innovation across the Commonwealth.
Kentucky's entrepreneurial story is still being written, and we're excited to bring you along for the ride!
My three takeaways from StartupCincy Week 2026
I spent four days hearing from founders about the challenges of building businesses, lessons learned from failure and the future of entrepreneurship in Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati at the 10th anniversary of StartupCincy Week.
Read my biggest takeaways from StartupCincy Week 2026, from Kentucky’s growing startup support network to why founders remain determined to keep building despite setbacks.
Louisville-based startup Sofab Inks is developing technology that could help make next-generation solar panels more efficient and durable.
Middle Tech co-founder and Mission Critical host Logan Jones sat down with Sofab Inks CEO Blake Martin and COO Jack Manzella at the company's Louisville laboratory to discuss its technology.
Listen to the full conversation to learn how Martin and Manzella are working to bring their technology from the laboratory to the global renewable energy industry.
NKY startup, Beltways, debuts highly anticipated modular people mover
Brothers John and Matine Yuksel want to change how people move through airports, convention centers and, eventually, entire cities.
I attended the public debut of their company's M5 Accelerator at the First Financial Center in downtown Cincinnati, where the Hebron-based startup Beltways unveiled its next-generation moving walkway.
Read my full story to learn how the Yuksel brothers are working to bring their technology to market.
Why biotech founders are now betting on Kentucky
After spending much of her life on the East Coast, Clareo Biosciences co-founder Melissa Smith believes Kentucky offers something that more established startup ecosystems can't always provide: the opportunity to help shape an emerging industry.
I attended Smith's discussion with LifeSciKY Executive Director Christin Godale at StartupCincy Week.
Read my full story to learn why Smith is betting on Kentucky's life sciences industry and what challenges remain as the state works to attract more biotechnology companies.
COMING UP
📅 ON THE CALENDAR
Lexington: Oct. 15 | 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Louisville: Oct. 15 | 5–7 p.m.
Louisville: Oct. 22 | 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Lexington: Oct. 22 | 9–10:30 a.m.
Eastern Kentucky: (Virtual) Oct. 22 | Noon–1:30 p.m.
Thanks for reading! - Kenton
