News

Bootcamp Alum Camron Brown Helps Veterans with Grind Goods

A University of Kentucky alum is using the skills he learned in the classroom to give back to veterans. Camron Brown, a first-generation college graduate, graduated from UK in 2020 and is quickly making a name for himself in the professional world. In 2021 Brown was named to Forbes’ Next 1,000 list which shines a light on up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

​​​​​​​Lunch & Learn: From Student to Successful Entrepreneur

The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship in the Gatton College of Business & Economics is excited to partner with the College of Communication and Information for this informative lunch and learn event. Our featured guest speaker is University of Kentucky graduate and entrepreneur, Meryum Siddiqi.

PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition

The PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 in the Gatton College of Business & Economics. This full day competition will allow student teams to pitch a business plan in their division, undergraduate or graduate, to compete for a spot in the final round. Perform your best pitch for a panel of prestigious judges for a chance to win seed money. $20,000 is up for grabs. Contact Warren Nash for all questions and application forms: warren.nash@uky.edu 

Open to All UK Students

Gatton Welcomes Leading Social Innovators to 2023 PNC Innovation Summit

The Gatton College of Business and Economics is pleased to announce its continued collaboration with PNC Bank to host the 2023 PNC Innovation Summit, a two-day event that includes the PNC Innovation Conference and PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition, April 21-22, 2023.

2023 CCTS Spring Conference: VACE Poster Pitch!

March 2023 (Lexington, Ky) - The 18th Annual CCTS Spring Conference will be held on March 27, 2023 in the Gatton Student Center (in-person).  The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship hosts its 6th annual poster pitch competition during the conference. Full conference agenda and registration details are forthcoming.  For questions, contact CCTS staff member, April Bridenbecker, at april.bridenbecker@uky.edu.

CCTS/VACE Poster Pitch Event Overview

Webinar: How to Start a Nonprofit: Creating Your Organizational Checklist

Are you inspired to help your community or a cause near and dear to your heart? Often the motivation in starting a nonprofit comes out of identifying a need. However, is launching your own nonprofit organization right for you, and really, how do you do it? The concept is exciting but it goes hand-in-hand with a lot of challenges and hard work in figuring out how to achieve your goals. Starting a nonprofit begins with building a strong vision for what it will do and how it will be accomplished.

2023 CCTS Spring Conference: VACE Poster Pitch!

March 2023 (Lexington, Ky) - The 18th Annual CCTS Spring Conference will be held on March 27, 2023 in the Gatton Student Center (in-person).  The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship hosts its 6th annual poster pitch competition during the conference. Full conference agenda and registration details are forthcoming.  For questions, contact CCTS staff member, April Bridenbecker, at april.bridenbecker@uky.edu.

Fall 2022 Winners of Bootcamp 1.0!

December 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - Congratulations to the Fall 2022 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp 1.0 teams! The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE), in the Gatton College of Business & Economics, is proud to announce the top 10 early-stage companies that will be receiving startup capital and moving on to Bootcamp 2.0 in the Spring 2023 semester. These awards are generously sponsored by The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise.

Partnership with Keyhorse Capital

September 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship is excited to partner with Keyhorse Capital in identifying new deal flow for The Kentucky Angel Investors Network.

Entrepreneur Bootcamp 1.0 and 2.0 Spring 2022 Winning Teams

May 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - The Spring 2022 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp 1.0 program finished the Monday section on April 25, 2022.  Fifteen teams pitched their final presentations to a panel of judges, and the top 5 teams received $1,000 each.  The Bootcamp 2.0 teams also finished strong with the top 5 teams receiving $2,000 each in startup funding. The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise generously sponsored portions of the prize money for Bootcamp 1.0 and 2.0.

PNC Business Innovation Summit

April 2022 (Lexington, KY) - The PNC Business Innovation Summit is a time for the bright minds of the campus and community to learn valuable life lessons from industry leaders.

VACE Winners Announced! 5th Annual CCTS "60-second Poster Pitch" Competition

April 2022 (Lexington, KY) - The 17th Annual CCTS Spring Conference was held in conjunction with the College of Dentistry Research Day, College of Nursing Scholarship Showcase, College of Public Health Research Day and the College of Health Sciences Research Day.  The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship was excited to be part of the conference, hosting the 5th Annual "60-second Poster Pitch" Competition on April 5th, 2022. These awards were generously sponsored by the

Law Firm Dentons Sponsors Prize Money for Entrepreneurs

April 2022 (Lexington, KY) - The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship is proud to announce that Dentons Bingham Greenebaum will provide two $500 awards to two standout Entrepreneur Bootcamp 2.0 graduating teams.  The “Dentons Choice Award” recognizes the importance of early stage funding to help validate a startup’s proof of concept stage, while encouraging entrepreneurs to press forward. 

About Dentons

UK Students Shine in Mental Health Hack-A-Thon

LEXINGTON, Ky (March 11, 2022) — COVID-19 brought to the forefront the challenges of mental health around the world. During the Feb. 26, 2022 Global Mental Health Hack-A-Thon, University of Kentucky students and the Kentucky community proposed solutions to this global health challenge.

Entrepreneurship Now: Why Communities in a Virtual Economy is Essential

March 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - When we look at building a business online, we look at the software needed, the algorithms that will help us collect data, the design elements for the website, the integration of different apps, and how to run the business online. The world wide web connected the world to make it much easier for people to get information, share, and communicate with one another. But when it comes down to business, the human aspect is being summarized as whether the website or application is user-friendly or not.

Spring 2022 Virtual "Mental Health" Hack-A-Thon

February 2022 (Lexington, Ky) The University of Kentucky Global Health Initiatives and The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship in the Gatton College of Business & Economics, will be partnering to host a virtual Hack-A-Thon event on Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  A total cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the top “hacking” teams. 

2022 CCTS Spring Conference: Von Allmen Center Poster Pitch!

April 2022 (Lexington, Ky) - The 17th Annual CCTS Spring Conference will be held on April 5, 2022 in the Gatton Student Center (in-person).  This event is held in conjunction with the College of Dentistry Research Day,  College of Nursing Scholarship Showcase, College of Public Health Research Day and the College of Health Sciences Research Day.  The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship hosts its 5th annual poster pitch competition during the conference.

2021 Fall Bootcamp 1.0 Winning Teams Announced!

December 2021 (Lexington, KY) – Congratulations to the Fall 2021 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp 1.0 winning teams! The University of Kentucky’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) proudly announces the winning teams in both the Monday and Thursday sections from the fall semester.  Early-stage startup capital is generously sponsored by The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise, led by Dr.

Congratulations to Christine Wildes! New Associate Director of Innovation Training for UK Innovate!

December 2021 (Lexington, KY) - The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship is happy to announce that Christine Wildes has been named the Associate Director of Innovation Training for UK Innovate! Team VACE is grateful to have worked with Christine in the Gatton College of Business & Economics over the last three years supporting the Entrepreneurs Bootcamp, developing the Salesforce Club, and teaching entrepreneurship as an adjunct faculty member under the Department of Management.

Celebrating 2021: A Successful Workshop Series!

December 2021 (Lexington, KY) - The University of Kentucky’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) celebrates the end of 2021 with a series of successful workshops dedicated to inspire and connect aspiring entrepreneurs.