Invest Blue - Lexington Startup Investment & Networking Session
Join us for an engaging angel investing & startup pitch event hosted in collaboration with Invest Blue and The Speakeasy at J Render's.
Featured startup: Essential Innovations (Louisville, KY). Ben Reno-Weber, CEO.
The program will feature a startup pitch, Q&A with the founder, and conversation about the company and investment opportunity. The remainder of the event is dedicated to connecting with fellow attendees, exchanging ideas, and enjoying one-on-one conversations with the presenting founder. A perfect blend of insight, innovation, and networking for anyone interested in startups and venture opportunities.
About Essential Innovations
Essential Innovations Inc. helps employers, workforce nonprofits, and workers access billions of dollars in underutilized workforce funding through AI-driven eligibility, application, and compliance automation.
The company serves 50+ customers, has completed the Techstars, Vogt, and Awesome accelerator programs, and has established partnerships with the KY Chamber Foundation and Goodwill KY.
Led by an experienced cross-sector team, Essential Innovations Inc. targets a market with more than $60 billion in available workforce incentives and generates revenue by sharing in the funds it unlocks for customers.
About J Render's
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar is a locally owned Lexington destination known for its made-from-scratch Southern cuisine, hospitality, and unique private event venue, The Speakeasy. Founded by Gwyn and Ren Everly after launching a successful food truck and catering business, J. Render’s blends great food with community engagement. Gwyn, a University of Kentucky engineering alumna, is active in small business, nonprofit, and women’s leadership initiatives, including Women Who Thrive, UK Fayette County Alumni Board, and other community-focused organizations.
About Invest Blue
Invest Blue is an angel network that connects the global community of Kentucky affiliated innovators and investors. The network brings together a diverse community of investors from all levels of experience to facilitate investments, offer educational support, and remove the complexities associated with early-stage investing.
Invest Blue is a program of UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky.