DIU works with companies to rapidly prototype and scale technologies for national defense and currently operates OnRamp Hubs across the U.S. in Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio and Washington. The addition of OnRamp Hub: Kentucky presents an opportunity for talent and technology companies across the state.

“The University of Louisville is establishing itself as a national leader in defense technology and innovation,” said Senator Mitch McConnell, who supported UofL’s selection for the hub. “Today’s announcement will bring a Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub to Kentucky with UofL as the commonwealth’s delivery partner. I am proud that UofL will create new opportunities for defense companies, researchers and students to contribute directly to our national security.”

Multiple areas of established infrastructure at UofL will contribute to the hub’s mission, including a nationally ranked research enterprise, particularly assets within the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, such as defense-focused facilities in additive manufacturing, robotics, cybersecurity and micro and nano technology. Support mechanisms for innovation commercialization and existing partnerships with regional defense and manufacturing entities also will contribute to the hub’s goals.

“We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to engage the talents and assets at the University of Louisville to strengthen our nation’s security, while elevating manufacturing businesses and innovators across Kentucky,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley.

UofL has demonstrated success in outreach and education for Kentucky’s manufacturing businesses through the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership (KY-MEP), which provides support and networking for Kentucky manufacturers. This expertise will translate directly to OnRamp endeavors, giving UofL a leg up in launching the hub’s collaboration and programming efforts.

“Kentucky has a long and proud history of contributing to America’s security and the launch of this DIU OnRamp Hub builds on that legacy. It will be a game-changer, speeding innovations to our warfighters and providing a dedicated space for innovators to receive mentoring and rapidly deploy tech that strengthens national defense,” said Will Metcalf, UofL associate vice president for research development and strategic partnerships.

William Fortune, a Kentucky native, has been named director of the Kentucky’s Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub, bringing more than two decades of military and civilian leadership experience and a strong background in deploying and operationalizing new technologies.

Kentucky’s Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub, overseen by and supported with funding from the DIU, is located in a dedicated, state-of-the-art collaboration space at 300 East Market St. on UofL’s J.D. Nichols Campus for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Fortune will lead a team of full-time personnel, in offering a suite of comprehensive programming at the hub designed to lower barriers to entry and speed development of new innovations. These services will disseminate the expertise present at UofL for the benefit of Kentucky businesses, building a unified defense innovation ecosystem to support warfighter needs.

_____________

The Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs are a strategic initiative by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) designed to lower barriers to entry for the talent and technology found in academia, startups and commercial companies. Recognizing that the best-of-breed technology can be found across the country, DIU currently has OnRamp Hub locations approved in eight states. These hubs serve as accessible entry points – local “front doors” – for innovators to collaborate directly with the DoW.

With the funding, which comes via a state appropriation, has launched the Catalyst Equipment Match (CEM) program. The program provides an up to 50% match for manufacturers (up to $200,000) for investments in capital equipment and next-generation technologies — for example, automation, robotics and additive manufacturing.

“These investments are critical to powering Kentucky’s manufacturing economy and making it future-proof,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “As someone with a background in manufacturing, I’m proud that we can offer these supports and drive these firms and Kentucky’s economy forward.”

Kentucky is home to more than 4,000 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 250,000. The goal of this new program is to help those companies improve production, expand, enhance customer service and, overall, gain competitive advantage that sets Kentucky firms apart.

Through CEM, firms can apply for funding to update or replace equipment, including those with smart and connected technology such as automation, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It’s part of an overall drive in business and manufacturing known as or Enterprise 4.0., which has the potential to radically transform a number of industries, and the benefits will go to companies that plan ahead.����

“These technologies have the ability to greatly improve operations and expand Kentucky’s economy,” said Scott Broughton, executive director of the KY-MEP. “Through this new CEM program, we can support firms looking to adopt these technologies, building on KY-MEP’s mission of solving manufacturing problems for all Kentuckians and helping firms based here become even more globally competitive.”

KY-MEP, housed at UofL, solves manufacturing problems. The partnership leverages their industry-leading team and resources to help manufacturers affect transformational change management, implement waste-reducing systems and processes, grow revenue streams and customized culture models that support the talent pipeline and a sustainable workforce. In the past 12 months alone, KY-MEP supported more than 600 companies throughout Kentucky and drove more than $131 million in economic impact by way of retained or added jobs, improved efficiency and more.

“KY-MEP is part of an overall push by UofL to support industry and connect them to the resources and talent they need to solve important problems, innovate and grow,” said Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation at UofL. “UofL has significant earned expertise in a number of different disciplines, and we plan to use that expertise to help drive Kentucky’s economy forward.”

The state appropriation was championed by a few key legislators, including Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes and Sen. Julie Raque Adams.

“Our small and mid-sized manufacturing companies are vitally important to Kentucky’s economy,” Nemes said. “Leveraging the expertise at UofL, these grant funds will benefit manufacturers in all different corners of the Commonwealth, strengthening our economy by increasing access to advanced technologies.”

“I was proud to support the state appropriation for Kentucky manufacturers,” Adams said. “This state funding, along with UofL’s innovative team, provides a tremendous opportunity to help our manufacturing businesses grow and thrive in today’s fast-changing tech environment.”

KY-MEP is part of the NIST , a unique public/private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and more than 2,500 trusted advisors and experts at approximately 450 MEP service locations, providing any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

Manufacturing firms can find more information on the CEM program and apply for funding .��

View more photos on from the March 6, 2025��announcement.��

Both will serve as entrepreneurs in residence, or EIRs, through the UofL Office of Research and Innovation. In this role, they will work with inventors to connect UofL technologies to industry and startups.

Phillips is a seasoned health care investor and startup operator, and spent the better part of the last decade building startups and leading early-stage investment and accelerator programs in partnership with some of the world’s leading corporations and international governments. He now is the CEO of Mandos Health Inc., a venture-backed men’s health care startup, where he is focused on scaling the nationwide digital clinic.

“There’s a ton of innovation happening in the health care space,” Phillips said. “I’m excited to leverage my own experience and work with the researchers and innovators at UofL to further new treatments, diagnostics and more that can help people lead healthier lives.”

Gora is a dynamic entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience across industries including medical device manufacturing, retail, education and technology. From scaling innovative startups to leading customer-centric retail ventures, Jeff has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation.��

“I’m so excited and proud to support the work happening here at UofL to launch and grow startups,” Gora said. “This is an opportunity to be part of something that could make a big impact here and across the Commonwealth.”

Gora and Phillips join a class of EIRs that currently includes seasoned founders Tendai Charasika (software) and Bill Dawson (biotech). Charasika joined as an EIR in 2021 and helped lead the reimagining of UofL’s Launchit startup bootcamp, while Dawson joined in 2023.

The EIR program is led by the����team, which focuses on launching startups around research-born tech. The EIR program is in partnership with Amplify, an organization working to grow Louisville’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, with funding from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

“Jeff and Nick bring a lot of knowledge and experience as founders, and we’re excited to have them join the team,” said Will Metcalf, a UofL associate vice president for research and innovation. “They’ll make our already strong team even stronger, and I’m looking forward to partnering with them to advance our technologies and startups to the next level.”

These reports can help them secure grants, justify public services, raise funds or improve public opinion. If a company wants to build a new facility, for example, knowing the economic value of jobs and tax revenue the facility will produce may help them secure building permits or tax incentives.

“If you have a vision and you want to estimate what type of splash something is going to have, whether it’s building a new factory site or it’s a new gaming center, a report like this can help,” Lambert said.

As a faculty member for the College of Business’s Equine Business Program, Lambert has prepared reports on the horse racing industry, the impact of parimutuel wagering, historical horse racing machines and the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs for many years. Taxes on wagering help fund UofL’s Equine Business Program, the equine program at University of Kentucky and other organizations that support Kentucky’s horse industry.

“If you’re showing that the spending and attendance at the tracks are generating enough revenue, then you’re justifying the attention that the equine industry gets because it is one of the signature industries here in Kentucky,” Lambert said.

Lambert’s reports, such as the he recently prepared for Humana Inc., go beyond examining payroll and the business’s spending to document additional jobs, tax revenue, supplier earnings and spending, philanthropy and more.

Laurie Young, director of industry partnerships for the UofL Office of Research and Innovation, has tapped into Lambert’s expertise, connecting him with Humana and other organizations such as Anthem, the metals industry consortium MI2 and the Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF) to provide economic impact reports for those groups.

Lambert’s ability to ferret out less obvious areas of impact adds value to his reports. For example, Humana’s report included the value of volunteer hours and tuition reimbursement spent at local colleges and universities. For KDF, Lambert is calculating money spent by visitors at restaurants and hotels.

With these additional calculations, Lambert’s reports reveal the ripple effects of payroll and spending through the local economy, known as multipliers.

“When a company pays their employees, those employees turn around and spend that money at restaurants and pay their mortgage or rent. So, these other enterprises receive a share of that pay. Then they’re going to turn around and pay their employees, their suppliers, etcetera,” Lambert said.

Understanding this downstream impact can magnify the understanding of the organization’s value substantially.

To calculate these multipliers, Lambert uses the computer modeling program IMPLAN, which is provided to UofL with state funding. Using it in this way returns benefit to the state by helping Kentucky businesses grow and attract talent to the commonwealth.

Facilitating economic impact reports is just one way with UofL for research and other services, from business to engineering and beyond.

“I go out and listen to what the companies need and then I collaborate on campus. We’re trying to grow industry work across campus and highlight all that UofL has to offer businesses,” Young said.

One collaboration can lead to another. In preparing the economic impact study for KDF, it occurred to Young the group also may benefit from marketing consultation, leading to a project by Henrietta Pepper’s marketing class. The students’ presentation impressed KDF, as well as their consulting firm.

“We’re trying to change companies’ perception of UofL,” Young said. “In addition to providing talent, we can do so much more for our community.”

To meet their education needs, the University of Louisville ��recently worked with Beam Suntory to develop “Leading with Spirit,” a professional development program customized to the needs of the company and its employees. The program is built on UofL’s existing distilled spirits business certificate, with content added in project management and leading change. ��Beam Suntory employees will benefit from courses led by industry experts, and a compressed 16-week, non-credit curriculum, which can be completed regardless of previous educational background.

“Our employees are deeply knowledgeable in their specific areas of the business and want to apply their background to the nuances of the spirits industry,” said Nicki Clifton, senior HR director, Supply Chain at Beam Suntory. “We are proud to provide a learning opportunity to them through the UofL College of Business and are appreciative of this partnership which supports our employees and their development goals.”

A pilot cohort for Leading with Spirit was launched in October with 10 Beam Suntory employees. The new certificate program will add industry-specific leadership and strategic management education to the employees’ resumes in just a few months, a much faster and more cost-effective solution than traditional degree programs.

The UofL College of Business has expertise in developing customized, industry-specific programs such as the new certificate for Beam Suntory to meet the needs of Louisville industries.

“With the development of the graduate certificate programs in niche industries in Louisville such as distilled spirits, we can fine-tune the programs to fit the specific needs of the audience and company,” said Jeff Guan, interim dean of the UofL College of Business. “Creating a non-graduate-degree version of a program allows flexibility to meet the need where the need exists. In this case, it’s created a great partnership with Bean Suntory.”

The original is an online certificate offered to graduate students that provides credits toward completion of an MBA. Developed to meet the needs of Kentucky’s important distilled spirits industry, the certificate covers regulations, sales and distribution, operations and supply chain management, sustainability and brand marketing. It is believed to be the only distilled spirits business certificate in the U.S.

Virginia Denny, assistant dean for executive education in UofL’s College of Business, said programs like ��Leading with Spirit are becoming more important for both professionals and corporations.

“We are no longer in a world where we can think about education ending with a bachelor’s, master’s or even a PhD degree. We are living in a world of 60 years of curriculum. Technology is transforming so rapidly, we have to be there for students and companies in a different way,” Denny said. “That’s where the non-credit, executive education programs come into play. That is our future – the ability to play in the space between credit and non-credit and responding to the needs of corporate clients.”

Beam Suntory is a global premium spirits company headquartered in New York. They produce Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons in Kentucky, Hibiki Japanese whisky in Japan and more than 70 other spirits brands around the world. Its 5,700 employees are in more than 90 locations on five continents.

The University of Louisville has hired longtime sales and business development executive Laurie Young to guide industry engagement as part of its Office of Research and Innovation.��

In his role as director of industry partnerships, Calzi will serve as the point of contact for companies looking to engage across the university to find talent, solve problems and innovate. He also will work with each of the university’s schools to launch new strategic alliances and business development initiatives, including corporate training and internship programs and corporate-sponsored research.

“I’m excited to continue to be of service to our community and to get started building strong relationships between UofL and our many industry partners,” Calzi said. “UofL offers a wealth of resources for companies looking to find solutions, innovate and grow, and I look forward to working with them to create meaningful partnerships.”

Calzi’s position at UofL is based in the Office of Research and Innovation and he will report to Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation Kevin Gardner. Gardner’s office works with industry to engage with the university by sponsoring research, licensing innovative campus-born technologies, launching major strategic partnerships and more.

“We are excited to have Dave on board and working with us to further the university’s relationships with industry,” Gardner said. “Orienting the university to better engage regional businesses began the day I started here, in keeping with the vision and priorities of President (Neeli) Bendapudi. UofL has made important changes so we are better aligned to partner with businesses, and we are excited for Dave to help us create, develop and foster these partnerships that are critical for economic development in Louisville and the Commonwealth.”

Calzi has broad experience in business development and leadership, specifically working to create collaboration among higher education, government and a number of industry sectors. He spent nearly four decades in public accounting with two of the world’s largest public accounting firms, including EY. During his tenure there, he served as Louisville office managing partner and led EY’s Government and Public Sector practice, encompassing a 14-state region including Kentucky, prior to his retirement from EY in June 2020.

He also is very involved in the community, currently serving or having served on numerous boards, including the Catholic ����ֱ�� Foundation, Community Foundation of Louisville, Endeavor Louisville, Evolve 502 Scholars Foundation, Greater Louisville Inc., Leadership Louisville, the Muhammad Ali Center and others.

The customer service center, called “Launch,” is staffed by about 50 UofL students from a variety of disciplines, and there are plans to add more. The students get on-the-job experience working alongside those already in the industry.

“We learn by doing things — we teach each other,” said Launch associate, Abdulaziz Arrak. He hopes to join Cardinal Health full-time after he graduates from the UofL College of Business in May.��

Launch started as an idea two years ago. Cindy Adkins, Cardinal Health’s VP of Customer Support Services, said the Dublin, Ohio-based company was looking to expand in Kentucky to support its growing business.

“We knew we needed great talent to round out our team,” she said. “And with a great university in our backyard, we decided to start right there.”

The students perform customer service activities, and collaborate on market research and other strategic and special projects in the space, leased from the University of Louisville Foundation on the third floor of the Cardinal Station building on Central Avenue.

“This partnership is a tremendous benefit for our students,” said UofL President, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi. “Not only does it create flexible, meaningful employment, but it provides our students a great opportunity to work with a leader in the health care industry without leaving our campus.”

Launch is the latest addition to UofL’s industrial partnerships, which include FirstBuild, in collaboration with Haier’s GE Appliances, and ��The goal is to help corporate partners innovate and grow while creating educational and job opportunities for students.

“We continue to work aggressively to secure other collaborative ventures, attracting companies that lease space on our campus, hire students and faculty, and look to further our research,” said Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation, Robert S. Keynton. “So we’re so proud to have another cardinal, Cardinal Health, join us here on the Belknap campus.”

Watch a video on the announcement . Students are encouraged to submit applications online at cardinalhealth.com.

The milk exosome-drug delivery tool, invented by UofL’s Dr. Ramesh Gupta and his team members – Dr. Radha Munagala, Dr. Farrukh Aqil and Jeyaprakash Jeyabalan –��could improve how humans absorb drugs meant to treat disease and relieve pain. Now, two companies – PureTech Health and Roche – are working to advance the technology and get it to market.

“This field is emerging, it’s so new,” said Gupta, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology��and endowed chair of oncological research at the UofL School of Medicine, James Graham Brown Cancer Center. “We want to take this to tens of millions of people.”

Gupta said many drugs are taken orally, but they may not be fully absorbed once they get to the stomach.

This technology could improve the absorption rate by loading the drugs into milk-derived nanoparticles tiny enough to easily move through tissue and cross the blood-brain barrier. Gupta ensures drugs are delivered to the right part of the body (or the right “zipcode,” as he puts it) by “decorating” the nanoparticles with antibodies or folic acid or some other ligand.

This is a platform technology, Gupta said, meaning it could have numerous applications. Just as a computer can run many programs, the milk exosomes can be used to deliver many drugs and treat many diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or cancer.

“This technology has the potential to help a lot of people,” said Dr. Holly Clark, deputy director of UofL’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). “That’s our goal — we want to get the groundbreaking research happening in our labs to market, where it can help people.”

Gupta initially founded a startup company, 3P Biotechnologies, and licensed the technology from the OTT. The office worked closely with��3P Biotechnologies on a commercialization strategy involving a sublicense to clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, PureTech Health, in Boston.

Now, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., a Swiss pharmaceutical giant,��has signed an agreement with PureTech to use the technology for the oral administration of Roche’s antisense oligonucleotide platform.

PureTech is working with Gupta to develop drug delivery applications of the exosome technology, and 3P Biotechnologies is exploring additional applications as far ranging as veterinary medicines, nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals, as well as bulk production of exosomes.

“Universities are doing a lot of great work. They’re the birthplace of a lot of these ideas, and move them forward,” said PureTech senior associate, Dr. Rishab Shyam. “We look forward to building this relationship and taking this technology forward.”