Committed to advancing the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) community, the SOA is focused on a strategy to build a STEMM workforce that reflects the culturally rich, innovative and diverse talent pool of the United States.

SOA has engaged hundreds of partners to implement STEMM Equity and Excellence 2050: A National Strategy for Progress and Prosperity, with the goal of helping 20 million people from historically excluded and marginalized communities enter, contribute to and thrive within STEMM fields.

For UofL, this is a transformative effort that includes the College of Arts & Sciences, College of 成人直播 & Human Development, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, and School of Medicine in networking with national foundations, companies and the federal government to offer scholarships and expand the opportunity for STEMM careers to more students.

鈥淔or too long, many students have had to swim upstream to pursue careers in STEMM and UofL is joining the vital effort to seek fundamental, systemic change. Complex problems require multifaceted, creative, and innovative solutions, which are best addressed with diverse teams bringing distinct perspectives to achieve scientific excellence,鈥� said James Orlick, director of grant writing and innovation for UofL鈥檚 Office of Institutional Equity. 鈥淓quity and excellence are connected.鈥�

The program is a nine-month training course where students gain hands-on experience creating and testing their ideas in the real world. The curriculum includes opportunities to prototype new designs while participating in workshops and lectures led by faculty at the UofL School of Medicine, College of Business and J.B. Speed School of Engineering.听

鈥淭his is about training the next generation of innovators in health care and medicine,鈥� said In Kim, a professor of pediatric medicine and program lead. 鈥淲ith Bluegrass Biodesign, we hope to equip UofL students with the tools they need to launch technologies that can save lives.鈥�听

Students complete the program in multidisciplinary teams, each blending undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and engineering. The idea is that they each bring insights from their own area of expertise that could help them solve problems and innovate.

鈥淲hat we find is that innovation is a team sport,鈥� said Beth Spurlin, an associate professor and co-director of the program. 鈥淭he best solutions come from different people with different perspectives working together. With Bluegrass Biodesign, we give students the opportunity to experience that before they even leave campus.鈥�

Eight teams 鈥� a total of 58 students 鈥攑articipated in the 2024-2025 cohort.听Logan Davis, an M.D./MBA student, said the experience taught him just how much work goes into developing the innovations his patients will one day rely on. His team worked on a device to help patients who struggle with both urinary control and motor tremor and/or dexterity. The solution for the former is to self-catheterize, which can be difficult without full control of your hands or arms.听

鈥淲e wanted to target this set of problems to give back some comfort and autonomy to these patients,鈥� said Davis, who also was co-president for the 2023-2024 cohort. 鈥淭his is a process I am so thankful to have been a part of, and I plan on using the biodesign process Bluegrass BioDesign is based on for the rest of my career to design/improve care for all of my patients.鈥�

The student teams also complete business training via , the office鈥檚 accelerated entrepreneurial bootcamp that is part of UofL鈥檚 National Science Foundation program, housed in the . In the 2024 cycle, all eight teams received $3,000 in funding, along with mentorship and training, via the I-Corps program.

鈥淲e are thrilled to formalize the collaboration between Bluegrass Biodesign and UofL’s I-Corps program,鈥� said Jessica Sharon, senior director of innovation programs and new ventures, who leads I-Corps and LaunchIt. 鈥淲e are proud of these students’ hard work in the program to identify and validate market needs they are working to solve!鈥�

Applications for the next cycle of Bluegrass Biodesign will be open for submission at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester. Learn more and apply .

Through the Ascending Star Fellowship program, the partners with academic units to accelerate scholarship and promote the national reputation of exceptional mid-career researchers. During the year long program, the fellows work with an external mentor and are coached through an ambitious project that moves their scholarship to the next level of development.听听

This year鈥檚 class 鈥� representing four schools 鈥� includes:

• Faisal Aqlan, , whose work focuses on automation, process improvement, engineering education, and sensor-based virtual reality for manufacturing and healthcare applications.听
• Daniel Bennett, whose work focuses on how environmental change influences entrepreneurship and innovation, and the implications for regional and national economic development.
• Melanie Gast, , whose work focuses on race, class, and gender in higher education.
• Omid Ghasemi Fare, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, whose work focuses on geothermal energy, thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling and characterization of soils, unsaturated soil, heat and mass transport in porous media, transportation geotechnics and geotechnical earthquake engineering.听
• Meg Hancock, , whose work focuses on gender and diversity in sport organizations, career development in sport and sport and social change.听
• Elizabeth Munnich, College of Business, whose work focuses on developing and evaluating strategies for improving health and reducing healthcare spending by more efficiently and effectively utilizing healthcare resources.
• Noppadon Sathitsuksanoh, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, whose work focuses on converting carbon feedstocks from plant biomass, waste plastics and carbon dioxide into advanced fuels, biomaterials and battery components.
• Siobhan Smith-Jones, College of Arts and Sciences, whose work focuses on exploring African American women as interpretive communities and, through the fellowship program, on Black horror television.
• Ian Stansel, College of Arts and Sciences, director of UofL鈥檚 Creative Writing Program and fiction/non-fiction writer.听

鈥淚鈥檓 ecstatic to work with this year鈥檚 cohort and help further their already stellar careers and scholarship,鈥� said M. Cynthia Logsdon,听associate vice president for research and innovation, who leads the fellowship program. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e already 鈥榮tars,鈥� of course, but our goal is to help them shine even brighter.鈥�听

To be considered for the program, faculty must be associate professor rank, must be nominated by their unit and must show a 鈥渃onsistent record of scholarship with the passion and desire to achieve greater national recognition.鈥�听

The board also decided to reopen a . The program, formerly known as the graduate certificate in logistics and distribution, was an 18-credit hour program housed in the J.B. School of Engineering. The program closed in 2016 due to low enrollment. Since then, the Department of Industrial Engineering faculty revised the curriculum to be a nine-credit hour program and relaunched it for the spring 2024 semester. The revised program is available online and addresses the pressing needs for talent in logistics planning and analytics in the current marketplace.

The four-story, 114,000-square-foot building, sitting just behind the complex on Eastern Parkway, will include classrooms, a makerspace, high-tech lab facilities and room for events and student engagement. The $90 million project is supported by $65 million in state funding and $3 million in private donations, with a fundraising campaign on-going to secure the balance.

鈥淯ofL has long led the charge in driving innovation, economic growth and providing students with the education and experience they need to succeed in the real world,鈥� said President Kim Schatzel. 鈥淲ith this new state-of-the-art building, we accelerate those efforts, creating bold new opportunities for our students, researchers and the Commonwealth.鈥�听

The additional space will support UofL efforts to fill Kentucky’s talent pipeline with STEM graduates who are prepared to harness disruptive technologies across a range of industries, including cybersecurity, electric vehicles, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and many more. While the Kentucky鈥檚 production of these critical workers has grown, it still lags behind neighboring states and the national average.听

鈥淓xtending Kentucky鈥檚 record-breaking economic momentum depends on our ability to innovate and strengthen our workforce,鈥� Gov. Andy Beshear said. 鈥淭his new investment and partnership with UofL shows our commitment to being a destination for talented people and businesses looking to succeed in the key industries of the future.鈥�

The building will also house a number of cutting-edge research labs aimed at providing hands-on learning opportunities, developing new technologies and collaborating with industry. That includes , whose work drives discovery, advancements and new products in solar, biofuels and energy storage, efficiency and materials.

鈥淐onn Center forges partnerships and inspires many students to address global energy challenges,鈥� said center Director Mahendra Sunkara. 鈥淲ith this new space, we can accelerate the technology necessary to make Louisville a global leader in energy research, one that positively impacts the regional economy.鈥�

Louisville is a hub for engineering and manufacturing, being with a total workforce of more than 82,500. With this new building, UofL can help maintain that positive momentum by spurring new breakthroughs and generating ready to solve problems and lead.

鈥淟ouisville is poised for enormous growth, and UofL research and graduates are a key part of our ongoing and future success,鈥� said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to support this investment in UofL, Louisville鈥檚 top-tier research university, that will create new opportunities for people and businesses throughout our city.鈥�

Construction is already underway and is expected to be complete in summer 2025, just in time for the Speed School鈥檚 centennial celebration. Founded in 1925, the school has since grown enrollment to more than 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees across eight engineering disciplines.听

鈥淭he Speed School has a well-earned century-long reputation as a place for ideas that will transform and reimagine our world,鈥� said Dean Emmanuel Collins. 鈥淭his new building will be a game changer for student success, our cutting-edge research and more. We鈥檙e both dreamers and doers, and this new facility is a place for both.鈥�听

The facility was designed by Luckett & Farley in collaboration with SmithGroup and Whittenberg Construction is the general contractor. UofL is launching a fundraising campaign to secure remaining capital needed to complete the project. Learn more and donate at听.

Autism is a spectrum of developmental disabilities impacting social skills, language processing, cognition and other functions. The UofL tool has been shown to be 98.5% accurate in diagnosing kids as young as two, which could give doctors more time to intervene with potentially life-changing therapy. Their results were published in the journal .

鈥淭herapy could be the difference between an individual needing full-time care and being independent, holding a job and living a fulfilled life,鈥� said Ayman El-Baz, a co-inventor and professor and chair in the . He developed the technology with Gregory Barnes and Manuel Casanova of the UofL .

shows therapy can have the most impact if done in early childhood, when the brain is more elastic. However, currently, and even fewer are diagnosed by age eight. The problem, the researchers say, is one of supply and demand 鈥� there are too many patients and too few specialists to conduct the interviews and examinations needed for diagnosis.

鈥淎s a result, there鈥檚 an urgent need for a new, objective technology that can help us diagnose kids early,鈥� said Barnes, a professor of neurology and executive director of the . 鈥淲e think our tool can help fill that need, while providing more objectivity over the current interview method.鈥�

With the UofL technology, AI can make the initial diagnosis, which researchers think could reduce specialist workload by as much as 30%. The specialist would meet later with the patient to confirm the diagnosis and talk about next steps.

The UofL technology works by using AI to analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for differences and abnormal connections that may indicate autism. Tested against scans of 226 children between the ages of 24 and 48 months, the technology was able to identify the 120-some children with autism with near perfect accuracy.

By looking at the physical structures of the brain rather than using interviews, researchers believe they can make diagnoses more objective and target the specific parts of the brain that may benefit most from therapy.

鈥淭he idea is that by drawing from both medicine and engineering, we can come up with a better solution that improves lives,鈥� said Mohamed Khudri, a undergraduate student and author on the paper.

The diagnostic technology and intellectual property received support through . That includes the office鈥檚 suite of innovation programs, aimed at developing research-backed inventions for market, including the prestigious national Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program through the National Science Foundation. UofL is one of only a handful of universities nationwide to have each of these programs 鈥� and it鈥檚 the only one to have them all.

The list includes researchers whose work was the most cited 鈥� that is, referenced by another researcher 鈥� in either calendar year 2022 or over the course of their career. The list spans 22 disciplines, from business to engineering to medicine.

鈥淓ach and every day, UofL researchers are breaking ground by discovering new knowledge,鈥� said Jon Klein, UofL鈥檚 interim executive vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淭he citation of a scholar鈥檚 work is essentially a stamp of approval that the work is important and worthwhile. The fact that so many of our researchers are listed among the most cited shows that knowledge is truly groundbreaking and has impact. It shows UofL research is being used to help to improve lives and expand our understanding of the world and our place in it.鈥�

Citations are an important measure of success for academics. Typically, citations mean the researcher made a meaningful and original contribution to the world鈥檚 knowledge 鈥� and that their peers agree.

The 119 current UofL researchers, representing eight UofL schools and colleges, included on list are below.

• Thomas Abell,
• Yousef Abu-Kwaik, School of Medicine
• David Adamkin, School of Medicine
• Manju Ahuja,
• Bahaaldin Alsoufi, School of Medicine
• Farrukh Aqil, School of Medicine
• Richard Baldwin,
• Charles Barr, School of Medicine
• Richard Baumgartner,
• Aruni Bhatnagar, School of Medicine
• Roberto Bolli, School of Medicine
• Douglas Borchman, School of Medicine
• Konrad Bresin, College of Arts & Sciences
• Lu Cai, School of Medicine
• Jeffrey Callen, School of Medicine
• David Casey, School of Medicine
• Matthew Cave, School of Medicine
• William Cheadle, School of Medicine
• Yanyu Chen,
• Jason Chesney, School of Medicine
• Kevin Chou, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Barbara Clark, School of Medicine
• Daniel Conklin, School of Medicine
• Michael Cunningham, College of Arts & Sciences
• Douglas Dean, School of Medicine
• Gill Diamond,
• Lee Dugatkin, College of Arts & Sciences
• John Eaton, School of Medicine
• Ayman El-Baz, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Rif El-Mallakh, School of Medicine
• Ronald Elin, School of Medicine
• Adel Elmaghraby, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Paul Ewald, College of Arts & Sciences
• Mary Fallat, School of Medicine
• Aly Farag, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Wenke Feng, School of Medicine
• James Fiet, College of Business
• Eugene Fletcher, School of Medicine
• Joseph Fowler, School of Medicine
• Per Fredriksson, College of Business
• Robert Friedland, School of Medicine
• Hichem Frigui, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Susan Galandiuk, School of Medicine
• Yury Gerasimenko, School of Medicine
• Mahesh Gupta, College of Business
• Ramesh Gupta, School of Medicine
• Lynne Hall,
• Gerald Hammond, College of Arts & Sciences
• Brian Harbrecht, School of Medicine
• Susan Harkema, School of Medicine
• Peter Hedera, School of Medicine
• David Hein, School of Medicine
• George Higgins, College of Arts & Sciences
• Thomas Higgins, School of Medicine
• Bradford Hill, School of Medicine
• Joshua Hood, School of Medicine
• Suzanne Ildstad, School of Medicine
• Steven Jones, School of Medicine
• Sham Kakar, School of Medicine
• Mehmed Kantardzic, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Carolyn Klinge, School of Medicine
• Charles Kodner, School of Medicine
• Richard Lamont, School of Dentistry
• Gerald Larson, School of Medicine
• Rainer Lenhardt, School of Medicine
• Cheri Levinson, College of Arts & Sciences
• Stanley Levinson, School of Medicine
• Yongsheng Lian, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Mark Linder, School of Medicine
• Bertis Little, School of Public Health and Information Sciences
• Yiyan Liu, School of Medicine
• M. Cynthia Logsdon, School of Nursing
• Frederick Luzzio, College of Arts & Sciences
• Arthur Malkani, School of Medicine
• Gary Marshall, School of Medicine
• Robert Martin, School of Medicine
• Craig McClain, School of Medicine
• Stephen McClave, School of Medicine
• William Paul McKinney, School of Public Health and Information sciences
• Kelly McMasters, School of Medicine
• Madhu Menon, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Michael Merchant, School of Medicine
• Carolyn Mervis, College of Arts & Sciences
• Donald Miller, School of Medicine
• Hiram Polk, School of Medicine
• Jan Potempa, School of Dentistry
• Julio Ramirez, School of Medicine
• Janina Ratajczak, School of Medicine
• Mariusz Ratajczak, School of Medicine
• Brad Rodu, School of Medicine
• William Scarfe, School of Dentistry
• Arnold Schecter, School of Medicine
• Charles Scoggins, School of Medicine
• David Seligson, School of Medicine
• Brad Shuck,
• Leah Siskind, School of Medicine
• Mark Slaughter, School of Medicine
• Joshua Spurgeon, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Thomas Starr, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• J. Christopher States, School of Medicine
• Yi Tan, School of Medicine
• Sucheta Telang, School of Medicine
• Kenneth Thomson, School of Medicine
• Gordon Tobin, School of Medicine
• Suresh Tyagi, School of Medicine
• Neetu Tyagi, School of Medicine
• Roland Valdes, School of Medicine
• Jeffrey Valentine, College of 成人直播 and Human Development
• Banrida Wahlang, School of Medicine
• Hui Wang, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Scott Whittemore, School of Medicine
• Kim Williams, School of Medicine
• Stephen Winters, School of Medicine
• Richard Wittebort, College of Arts & Sciences
• Roman Yampolskiy, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Jun Yan, School of Medicine
• Li Yang, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Pavel Zahorik, School of Medicine
• Jacek Zurada, J.B. Speed School of Engineering

The consortium 鈥� known as REBECCA, short for Regional Energy Business, 成人直播, and Commercialization Convergence Accelerator 鈥� has been selected for a $500,000 Phase 1 planning grant under the U.S. Tech Hubs Program. The program, authorized by the federal CHIPS and Science Act, aims to transform high-potential regions across the country into globally competitive innovation centers.

鈥淯ofL is a top-tier, community-engaged research institution, and we鈥檝e developed a solid track record of partnering with industry to solve important problems,鈥� said Kim Schatzel, president of UofL. 鈥淲ith REBECCA, we are excited to build on UofL鈥檚 already impactful energy research and work with our industry partners to develop Kentucky鈥檚 energy strength.鈥�

At UofL, work on REBECCA will be led by researchers Mahendra Sunkara and Sundar Atre in the . Consortium partners include the , , and , a Haier company.听

Together, they will use the Phase 1 Tech Hubs funding to study the region鈥檚 energy economy and develop a plan for its continued growth, including needed technology, infrastructure and workforce. As a successful Phase 1 applicant, REBECCA also is eligible to compete for up to $75 million in Phase 2 funding to implement their plan.听

鈥淭he UofL REBECCA consortium aligns with Louisville鈥檚 economic development and net-zero energy goals,鈥� said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. 鈥淲e are very eager to see this project bring new green jobs and advance our state鈥檚 investment and leadership in renewable energy technology.鈥�

Energy is a , with more than a third of all energy produced going toward agriculture, the production of food and beverage, manufacturing and other industry. As both the public and private sectors invest in new energy technologies 鈥� such as renewables 鈥� there鈥檚 a need for more innovation, infrastructure and .

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be a part of this project and what the future holds for this region and job growth in the renewable energy space,鈥� said Kevin Nolan, president and CEO of GE Appliances, a Haier company.听 鈥淭his aligns with our focus on net zero energy homes, and how we can innovate products that use less energy and work with renewable energy sources and energy storage solutions.鈥�

Beyond developing a strategy for the energy Tech Hub in Kentucky, the consortium will conduct workforce development programs and partner with UofL researchers on pilot projects related to energy production, use and efficiency. GE Appliances will work on a solar power microgrid, TARC will work to introduce extended-range battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses into the fleet, and Clariant will work on hydrogen storage and delivery.

“We at Clariant are thrilled that UofL will be leading a new Tech Hub focused on the energy transition in Kentucky through the new consortium REBECCA,鈥� said Victor Johnston, head of Clariant鈥檚 Louisville R&D Center.听鈥淲ith our longstanding ties to Louisville, we have had the privilege of partnering with the university for many years on critical research in catalyst development, materials science and cultivating STEM talent. This recognition is well-deserved. We eagerly anticipate continuing our collaboration with REBECCA, which will drive innovations that shape the future of energy.”

UofL has significant expertise in working with industry to innovate in renewable energy and energy efficiency, including through the Speed School鈥檚 Conn Center 鈥� established more than a decade ago in honor of major donors Hank and Rebecca Conn, for whom REBECCA is named. Emmanuel Collins, dean of the Speed School, said partnership with industry is critical to understanding gaps and growing the state鈥檚 capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy these technologies.

鈥淯ofL and the Speed School have a long track-record of success and leadership in energy research and academics,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to working with our partners to build on that success, strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and advancing the state鈥檚 bright energy future.鈥�

LaunchIt, offered twice per year through the , is an intensive eight-week hybrid course focused on , which helps innovators and entrepreneurs test their ideas or products in the real world and see if they have what it takes to stick.

The program, taught by experienced and successful entrepreneurs, includes coaching, mentoring and curriculum including lessons on customer discovery, product validation and other considerations when preparing for market launch. The program is open to anyone in the region working to develop a technology-focused product or company.

Leads for the fourteen teams in the fall 2023 session were:

• Tom Alaimo: LifeStory Connection, software that personalizes the quality of care to their life and experiences, creating a person-centered approach to healthcare.
• Faisal Aqlan (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): A UofL data-driven interactive virtual reality clinic (IVRC) that enhances cognitive function provides an accurate assessment of dementia level to providers.
• Shavonne Bass: Loc鈥檔 Key, offering community driven products focused on sustainable, eco-friendly organic hair care products specifically designed for customers with locs.
• Zachary Fowler (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): A device for wearable continuous monitoring insulin biosensor to help physicians identify patients who are at risk for metabolic disease and Type II diabetes.
• Kelly Gibson and Jason Crist: Crison, an electrical infrastructure app for seamless integration of asset information and test result trending.
• Seokyoung Han (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): A smart device for interpreting dog behaviors combines imaging of the animal’s expressions with biometric data to relay accurate status to the owner.
• Arpan Jain: Jain Energy Co., a biofuel cell that promotes a neutral-carbon-based circular economy and reduces dependency on fossil fuels for electricity generation.
• Young Hoon Kim (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): Building construction materials that consume zero-water used in drought regions.
• Hallie Osborne (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): A device used for improved visualization when removing fluid from around the heart in emergent cardiovascular cases.
• Sumit Paul (J.B. Speed School of Engineering): A novel mechanical interlocking metamaterial that strengthens biomedical implants and increases durability after implantation.
• Farshid Ramezanipour (College of Arts and Sciences): A novel compound that efficiently generates hydrogen from water to provide a cheaper, environmentally friendly energy source.
• Nicolas Tehrani: Lode, a company creating full-flavor fermented non-alcoholic beverages for beer enthusiasts.
• Elton Thomas: Project Story 成人直播, a company using cutting edge biometric technologies to design and provide education, fitness and security solutions.
• Imelda Wright (School of Nursing): An assessment tool used in several high-risk industries by identifying weaknesses in their safety systems.

LaunchIt is offered by the team as part of its National Science Foundation program. All teams in this cohort received training, funding and other support from I-Corps to drive their innovation-backed technologies to market.

鈥淟aunchIt was a window into the world of entrepreneurship,鈥� said Ramezanipour, a UofL faculty member who participated as part of the I-Corps program. 鈥�It was a great experience and very helpful in understanding how to take your innovation to the next stage.鈥�

UofL New Ventures works to launch and grow startups, and is supported in part by Amplify Louisville. LaunchIt coaches include the office鈥檚 Entrepreneurs in Residence, knowledgeable founders with an in-depth understanding of launching and growing a business.听

The next session of LaunchIt, beginning in spring 2024, is now enrolling. More information and registration is available at .

As a first-year student at the University of Louisville鈥檚 , Turner was invited in 2019 to climb aboard , a five-day tech boot camp and startup pitch competition that nurtures would-be entrepreneurs on a road trip/crash course. These 鈥渂uspreneurs鈥� pitch an idea, quickly moving to research, building, testing and ultimately selling the product or service.

That first trip as a StartupBus passenger traveling from Akron to New Orleans led Turner to be recruited as a lead conductor for the competition鈥檚 Advancing Black Entrepreneurs (ABE) bus in July 2022. She functioned as a coach and leader for 30 aspiring Black entrepreneurs as they traveled from her Cincinnati hometown to Austin, Texas. Since that time, she spent a year living in Silicon Valley while doing three internships at tech companies, created her own startup company, . UofL News recently caught up with Turner to hear about her experiences.

UofL News: Your start-up company, RoadPitch, has been called 鈥淎mazing Race Meets Shark Tank.鈥� How would you describe the mission and vision of your company?

Turner: RoadPitch’s mission is to mobilize Black tech founders across the country, facilitating access to capital for their companies. We’re like the Amazing Race for entrepreneurs, with determined founders living out of their suitcases for a week to meet numerous investors, similar to Shark Tank. During our tours, we hold three pitch demos daily in each city, visiting five to six cities in a week. Our intense tours aim to maximize capital opportunities, connecting founders with angel investors, corporate venture arms and venture capitalists.听

UofL News: What are the most significant challenges faced by Black founders in seeking success in entrepreneurial enterprises?

Turner: In 2022, Crunchbase reported that startups with Black founders received only 1.9% of deals and 1.2% of total venture funding in the U.S. One major challenge for Black founders is the mismatch between the abundance of recommended programs and the scarcity of actual capital. Many founders are recommended to take part in various programs like accelerators and workshops, which consume time but often don’t lead to meaningful connections or funding. This gap between programming and capital hinders their startup growth, even when they’ve proven their worth.听

UofL News: How has the University of Louisville and its resources and networks provided opportunities and support for your goals?

Turner: I’m immensely grateful for my undergraduate education in engineering at the University of Louisville. The mandatory were pivotal in shaping RoadPitch, as they allowed me to spend a year in San Francisco, where I attended approximately 100 startup and tech events, forging crucial connections in Silicon Valley in preparation for our west coast tour. Despite my physical absence from the state, the proved invaluable in supplying resources for RoadPitch. Our soft launch during Startup Week Louisville in September 2022 marked a significant milestone, with support from Natalia Bishop, the director of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Louisville, who played a pivotal role in securing funding for our very first pitch competition.
听
UofL News: Which large tech companies did you engage with during the tour?

Turner: We had interactions with four founders who were working on AI and Web3 projects as well as connecting with companies that have procurement departments and venture arms focused on investing in innovative enterprise solutions. Our founders had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to AWS Startups, Accenture Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and the Slack Fund. Our journey also included visits to key tech hubs, such as Amazon headquarters in Seattle, Accenture’s office in Salesforce Tower in San Francisco and Microsoft’s office in Los Angeles.

UofL News: How do you attract investors to attend your pitch demos?

Turner: We conduct extensive research on the local startup ecosystem, focusing on the relevant industry and stage of funding. We reach out to potential investors through LinkedIn and email, offering flexible pitch demo schedules. Our public evening events include mixers, fireside chats featuring local leaders and pitch competitions featuring our traveling founders alongside five local Black tech founders. This comprehensive approach is designed to foster connections between local founders and investors in their own cities, with a specific emphasis on aligning industry and funding stage preferences.

UofL News: What have been the most gratifying or rewarding experiences you鈥檝e encountered since starting RoadPitch?

Turner: RoadPitch has brought about numerous positive outcomes. Our inaugural cohort of founders for the Northeast tour reported raising an impressive $166,000 post-tour, reflecting the tangible impact of our initiative. We鈥檝e also built a strong sense of camaraderie among Black founders who spend a week together in a region where they initially lack connections, leading to ongoing support and promotion of each other’s companies on social media and with investors they meet.

The travel and interaction with strangers’ aspect of RoadPitch is a personal favorite, especially considering the cost-effectiveness and convenience of public transportation for a group of founders. In Las Vegas where we ended our West Coast tour, our team received Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition from Senator Jacky Rosen and Congressman Steven Horsford, highlighting the excitement and recognition our work in the tech and entrepreneurial space has garnered. When startup ecosystems amplify us in their communities and invite us to come back, that feels pretty special and signifies that we’ve added value to their ecosystem.听

UofL News: What are your anticipated plans post-graduation?

Turner: RoadPitch will have completed the Midwest and Down South tours prior to graduation. Post-graduation, I have engineering opportunities available, but my focus is not solely on building a traditional career. Instead,听I’m naturally inclined towards exploring new endeavors and collaborating with creative minds. My priority is to build a life that brings freedom, joy and adventure. Stay tuned!

Click to see a video of Meagan鈥檚 RoadPitch tour.