Meet the 2024 Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards Cohort
The Community Foundation of Louisville’s 24th annual Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards recipients have been selected. Six area early-stage businesses were chosen from a highly dynamic applicant pool. These six will receive non-dilutive grant funding of $25,000 and will participate in a 10-week accelerator program where they will receive coaching, mentorship, strategic introductions and other opportunities to help grow their new business.
Introducing the 2024 Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards Cohort
Credit: Abdul Sharif Photography
Back row (left to right): Sashil Chapagain, PhD, Peter Armstrong, PhD, Jack Manzella, and Blake Martin, PhD with Sofab Inks; Morgan Gao with EchoJobs; Kela Ivonye and Gautam Nain with RiverGuide
Front row (left to right): Amanda Miah with Besti Co.; Ace McGill with Value Buddy; and Anora Morton, JD, with Nori
Besti Co. – A menstrual care brand offering a subscription service with organic menstrual products including pads, tampons and liners, spa self-care items, and healthy snacks to satisfy cravings, enabling customers to prioritize period care with personalized boxes. The founders are Amanda Miah and Evan Payne.
EchoJobs – A job board for software engineers that features high-quality job listings through an easy-to-use interface, aggregating relevant and reliable information to save time and ensure impactful job search results. The founder is Morgan Gao.
Nori – A provider of fresh food through an extensive network of ultra-modern vending machines offering healthy, affordable, locally curated, fresh, and hot meals on demand.
The founder is Anora Morton, JD.
RiverGuide – A platform and network providing student entrepreneurs with personalized guidance and support from both real-life and AI mentors, ensuring access to the resources and encouragement needed to excel academically, professionally, and personally, while building impactful companies. The founders are Kela Ivonye and Gautam Nain.
Sofab Inks – A chemical manufacturer specializing in materials for perovskite solar cells, focused on making solar energy more efficient, stable, and financially viable to help reduce carbon emissions. The founders are Jack Manzella; Blake Martin, PhD; Peter Armstrong, PhD; and Sashil Chapagain, PhD.
Value Buddy – An AI-powered business valuation platform for banks and SBA lenders, designed to speed up the underwriting process for acquisition loans. The founders are Ace McGill and Cameron Long.
The goal of the Vogt Awards is to assist early-stage entrepreneurs to develop their innovative products and ideas into viable and successful enterprises that will bring economic prosperity and job growth opportunities to the Greater Louisville region. The Vogt Awards program offers them an opportunity to elevate their businesses to the next level.
The program is funded by the Vogt Invention and Innovation Fund at the Community Foundation of Louisville, an endowment established in 1999 thanks to businessman and philanthropist Henry Vogt Heuser, Sr. The Fund strengthens Louisville’s economic health by supporting innovative businesses and inspiring entrepreneurship. The Fund’s originating $5 million principal is still intact after distributing 108 grants totaling more than $4.1 million, with 41% of those funds going to women or founders of color. Past recipients have gone on to secure an additional $200 million in follow-on investment.
Not only does this unique program allow founders to retain full ownership of their businesses, but it provides innumerable benefits beyond what traditional accelerators offer. This includes startup coaching from some of Louisville’s most experienced advisors, mentor matching with later-stage entrepreneurs and investors, high-caliber networking with Louisville’s startup community, investor pitch preparation, and opportunities for strategic introductions.
“This year’s Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards recipients are a shining example of innovative founders bringing forth transformative concepts. When Henry Vogt Heuser, Sr. first established the Vogt Awards in 1999, it was his vision to support businesses such as the six represented in this year’s cohort,” said Ron Gallo, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Louisville.
Meet the Selection Committee
This year’s selection committee is led by Maggie Harlow, CEO of Signarama Downtown. Harlow has been a fixture in the Louisville business community for more than 20 years. Her entrepreneurial background, community involvement, and dedication to the Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards program made her the perfect choice to lead this year’s committee. The Vogt Awards committee is made up of leading area entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople, and past Vogt Award recipients.
Back row starting from left: Maggie Harlow, Greg Langdon, Mario Mazzone, Logan Burchett, Nick Phillips, Brett Moreno, Jake Miller, Steve Reid, Dana Cosby, Phoebe Wood, Buddy Bockweg, Chris Weidmar, Erik Steele
Front row starting from left: Julia Regan, Cynthia Brown, Kena Samuels-Stith, Grace Simrall, Haleh Karimi PhD, Pat Carver PhD, Raechele Smalls, Tendai Charasika, Susan Olson PhD, Alli Truttmann. Photo credit: Abdul Sharif Photography.
- Zeeshan Bhatti, Keyhorse Capital
- Natalia Bishop, Story Louisville *
- Buddy Bockweg, Vsimple
- Michael Boone, Pioneer Ventures / yLoft
- Cynthia Brown, Louisville Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship
- Logan Burchett, Forecastr *
- Pat Carver PhD, Bellarmine University
- Tendai Charasika, Saling Wealth Advisors
- Dana Cosby, Legal Solutions Architect
- Kerry DeMuth, SCORE Kentuckiana
- Haleh Karimi PhD, Bellarmine University
- Raffi Kayat, borderless *
- Robert LaMothe, Commonwealth Seed Capital
- Greg Langdon, Startup Advisor & Investor
- Mario Mazzone, Keyhorse Capital
- Jake Miller, Independent Freelance Consultant
- Brett Moreno, Anteriad
- Susan Olson PhD, Action Intel
- Nick Phillips, Nex Cubed
- Julia Regan, RxLightning *
- Steve Reid, GR23 Technology / AuthoFi
- Kena Samuels-Stith, SKS Accounting & Consulting Firm
- Grace Simrall, iGlass Analytics
- Raechele Smalls, Launch Blue Ventures
- Eric Steele, Flywheel Fund
- Akhil Suresh Nair, Xena Intelligence
- Alli Truttmann, Wicked Technologies
- Chris Weidmar, Party Horses
- Phoebe Wood, CompaniesWood
*Past Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards recipient
“The excitement of the selection committee regarding the quality of this year’s cohort was palpable. We’re excited about the business community in Louisville and the outcomes we see possible from these early-stage businesses and their leaders,” said Maggie Harlow, Selection Committee Chair, Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards.
“I’ve been equal parts excited and daunted by the prospect of being the selection chair this year, but thanks to excellent candidates and selection committee members, the Vogt Awards legacy is in good hands. I’m excited to watch these businesses grow! Our community is incredibly lucky to be home to this ground-breaking awards program and its mission to develop our business venture culture,” said Harlow.
Program Culminates with Demo Day
The Vogt Awards program will culminate with the much-anticipated Demo Day on Thursday, October 10, at 5:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Derby Museum. The founders of each early-stage business will present their ideas and share how their businesses are impacting the local, regional, and national business community.
Demo Day is free and open to the public, however, space is limited. To register for Demo Day and learn more about this year’s cohort, visit www.vogtawards.com