Introducing Startup Lex

Earlier this year, the Commerce Lexington Economic Development blog, “Guide to the Bluegrass”, published a series exploring Lexington’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. A few of the highlights include:

• The Lexington-Fayette Metro is the state leader in innovation capacity according to the StatsAmerica Innovation Index 2.0.
• Lexington-Fayette’s innovation is largely driven by access to human capital and knowledge creation, reporting an index nearly 30 points higher than the national average.
• Locating in Lexington increases the purchasing power of every dollar a company raises by over 50% compared to capital spent in San Francisco.
• Kentucky provides a nationally recognized program providing up to a dollar-for-dollar match for SBIR/STTR grant-funded companies locating in the state.

Startups and entrepreneurs located in Lexington also receive a number of advantages from the support of a cohesive and vibrant ecosystem of support organizations and community assets. A strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is composed of many players offering support services including business and marketing training programs, mentoring programs connecting experienced entrepreneurs and emerging innovators, accelerators and incubators, youth education initiatives, peer networking events, and connections to fundraising resources and information. With so many different players and services, it can be difficult for aspiring innovators and new startups to find the best entrance into the city’s entrepreneurial community. In Lexington, a new organization and community tool has been developed to address this need for an on-ramp and one-stop shop for new and existing startups and entrepreneurs.

In early June, Lexington’s entrepreneurial community launched Startup Lexington (Startup Lex), an online one-stop shop for entrepreneurial resources in Lexington. Startup Lex is an entrepreneurial-focused and supporter-driven organization aimed at encouraging growth, education, and giving within the city’s ecosystem. Any startup-minded individuals or organizations are invited to join in and grow the city’s entrepreneurial momentum.

Developed as an on-ramp for anyone interested in entering the Lexington entrepreneurial ecosystem, Startup Lex provides information on upcoming events, a weekly newsletter, a community guidebook (in-progress), and other ways to get involved. The website also invites community members to collaborate and engage through the Startup Lex Slack Workspace and the Entrep Network, on which participants are encouraged to make introductions, post jobs, form relationships, and share entrepreneurial insights. For those interested in becoming entrepreneurs, growing as entrepreneurs, networking with entrepreneurs, or finding support for entrepreneurs, Startup Lex is the first stop on the road to success.

For more information on, visit the Startup Lex website at www.startuplexington.org.