Community Foundation of Louisville announces 2025 Vogt Invention & Innovation Awards cohort
- Janelle Jones BSN, RN
- Sep 12
- 4 min read
Posted Under: Vogt Awards
Back row (left to right): Derrick Simpson and Timothy Tweet with Proper Pilots; Darius Pettway with KidVestors; Ben Reno-Weber with Essential Innovations; Ethan Havertape with Due Gooder
Front row (left to right): Courtney Pettway with KidVestors; Ahmadou Diop and Sada Wane with Nongo; Janelle Jones, RN, with Revitalized Solutions; Finn McCormack and Nate Royal, Due Gooder
Not pictured: Mamadou Soko with Nongo
The Community Foundation of Louisville is proud to announce that the 25th Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards recipients have been selected. Six early-stage businesses were chosen from a highly dynamic and competitive applicant pool. These six will receive non-dilutive grant funding of $25,000 and will participate in a 10-week accelerator program where they will receive coaching, mentorship, strategic introductions, and other valuable resources to grow their new businesses. They may also qualify for $25,000 in additional capital from a participating program partner.
Introducing the 2025 Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards Cohort
Due Gooder – A web-based, AI-powered academic productivity platform designed to streamline how students manage their often overwhelming task of staying on top of coursework and deadlines. Founders are Nate Royal, Finn McCormack, and Ethan Havertape.
Essential Innovations – A platform that streamlines complex processes, like workforce programs, government subsidies, and hiring pipelines, helping companies and nonprofits tap into underutilized talent and strengthen the workforce they need. Founder is Ben Reno-Weber.
KidVestors – A gamified financial education and investment platform where students earn real cash and stock rewards to improve financial literacy. Founders are Courtney Pettway and Darius Pettway.
Nongo – A developer of an interactive AI troubleshooting assistant designed to support industrial maintenance teams through a platform that learns from every supporting task, document, and repair, enabling technicians to streamline processes and improve machine reliability. Founders are Ahmadou Diop, Mamadou Soko, and Sada Wane.
Proper Pilots – A mobile app that connects aircraft and flight instructors to students, streamlining the flight training experience and allowing users to schedule flights easily, browse available instructors, and manage their training sessions. Founders are Derrick Simpson and Timothy Tweet.
Revitalized Solutions – A healthcare company that delivers scalable virtual nursing and hospital-at-home solutions to help hospitals improve patient care, reduce staff burnout, and address critical staffing shortages. Founder is Janelle Jones, RN.
The goal of the Vogt Awards is to assist early-stage entrepreneurs to develop their innovative products and ideas into viable and successful enterprises that will bring economic prosperity and job growth opportunities to the Greater Louisville region. The Vogt Awards program offers them an opportunity to elevate their businesses to the next level.
The program is funded by the Vogt Invention and Innovation Fund at the Community Foundation of Louisville, an endowment established in 1999 thanks to businessman and philanthropist Henry Vogt Heuser, Sr. The Fund strengthens Louisville’s economic health by supporting innovative businesses and inspiring entrepreneurship. The Fund has issued 114 grants totaling more than $4.35 million, with 40% of those funds going to women or founders of color. Past recipients have gone on to secure an additional $207 million in follow-on investment.
This unique program provides innumerable benefits beyond what traditional accelerators offer. This includes startup coaching from some of Louisville’s most experienced advisors, mentor matching with later-stage entrepreneurs and investors, high-caliber networking with Louisville’s startup community, investor pitch preparation, and opportunities for strategic introductions.
“The Community Foundation of Louisville congratulates all 114 businesses which represent Vogt Invention and Innovation Award recipients over the past 25 years. The 2025 cohort is a true testament to the growth and inventive spirit that inspired the creation of the Vogt Awards. We are proud to execute the vision of Mr. Henry Heuser, Sr. and are committed to advancing his remarkable legacy for many years to come”, said Ron Gallo, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Louisville.
Back row (left to right): Chris Weidmar, Jack Manzella, Eric Steele, Maggie Harlow (chair), Michale Boone, Steve Reid, Brian Nutt, and Jeremiah Chapman
Front row (left to right): Raechele Smalls; Susan Olson, PhD; Greg Langdon; Tendai Charasika; Julia Regan; Kena Samuels-Stith; Sharon Kerrick, PhD; Patricia Carver, PhD; Haleh Karimi, PhD; Grace Simrall; and Cynthia Brown
For the second year, the selection committee is led by Maggie Harlow, CEO of Signarama Downtown. Harlow has been a fixture in the Louisville business community for more than 20 years. Her entrepreneurial background, community involvement, and dedication to the Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards program make her the perfect choice to lead this year’s committee. The Vogt Awards committee is made up of leading area entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople, and past Vogt Award recipients.
Chris Bailey, MRI Analytics*
Zeeshan Bhatti, Solyco Capital
Natalia Bishop, Story Louisville*
Stevens Bonhomme, Feedcoyote*
Michael Boone, Pioneer Ventures/yLoft
Cynthia Brown, Louisville Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship
Pat Carver PhD, Bellarmine University
Jeremiah Chapman, FreshFry*
Tendai Charasika, Saling Wealth Advisors
Jeff Cummins, Immersive Hearing Technologies*
Chris Good, Climavision
Haleh Karimi PhD, Bellarmine University
Raffi Kayat, borderless*
Sharon Kerrick PhD, University of Louisville
Greg Langdon, Startup Advisor & Investor
Jack Manzella, SoFab Inks*
Brian Nutt, Adificial
Susan Olson PhD, Action Intel
Julia Regan, RxLightning*
Steve Reid, GR23 Technology/AuthoFi
Kena Samuels-Stith, SKS Accounting & Consulting Firm
Grace Simrall, Lumos Fiber
Raechele Smalls, Invest Blue
Eric Steele, Flywheel Fund
Chris Weidmar, Hogshead
Susan Weiss, Net Tango
*Past Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards recipient
“It’s an honor and great responsibility to chair the Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards for its 25th Anniversary. Louisville is profoundly blessed to have a program such as this to foster early-stage businesses. This program has left an indelible mark on our community and its economy with the continued promise for years of economic growth and leadership development ahead,” said Maggie Harlow, Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards Selection Committee Chair.
Program Culminates with Demo Day
The Vogt Awards program will culminate with the much-anticipated Demo Day on Thursday, November 13, at 5:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Derby Museum. The founders of each early-stage business will present their ideas and share how their businesses are impacting the local, regional, and national business community.
Demo Day is free and open to the public, however, space is limited. To register for Demo Day and learn more about this year’s cohort, visit www.vogtawards.com
Comments