Summer Startup Program 2025 Pitchfest Reveals Winners: Two Students from NKY
GSE Summer Startup Program Graduates Largest Class Yet
The Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) Summer Startup Program, a three-week entrepreneurship program for high school students in Kentucky, has graduated its largest class to date. Since its inception in 2013, the program has nurtured 1,258 students from over 100 counties, fostering innovation and preparing them for college scholarships and future business ventures.
The 2025 session, which took place at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics from June 22 to July 13, saw 159 students participate, marking the largest single session in program history.
The program covers a broad range of problem-solving themes, including mental health, lithium-ion battery disposal, and heart failure detection. This year's participants worked tirelessly to create innovative business solutions for these real-world problems.
In the Hollers League, the first-place team, Ever-Safe, developed a safety bracelet to combat exploitation and violence against teenage girls. The second-place team, Li-ON, proposed a solution to improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries by removing them before they go to landfills. The third-place team, Knot a Problem, designed a magnetic jewelry box to prevent tangled jewelry while traveling.
In the Hills League, the second-place team, Good Gear, created a customized AI-powered survey to solve buyer's regret in sports goods. The first-place team, Life Patch, presented an adhesive patch that monitors heart fluid buildup to improve efficiencies in heart failure detection. The third-place team, VIBZ, aimed to solve social isolation in teenagers in rural towns by providing gathering spaces.
The program culminated in a Pitch Fest, expanded into two days to accommodate the largest session in program history. The top three teams in each league were awarded cash prizes: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second, and $500 for third.
The GSE Summer Startup program is part of the broader mission of the University of Kentucky's Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, which supports entrepreneurship education and provides mentoring, investor connections, and resources to help launch startups in Kentucky.
The program has proven to be a valuable initiative, creating connections and confidence among participants that last beyond the program. Many past participants have launched businesses that continue to grow, illustrating the lasting impact of the program on the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The GSE Summer Startup program will be hosted by the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics until 2027, as part of a three-year partnership. The application for the 2026 program will open later this fall at kentuckygse.com.
Notable team members from this year's program include Alisyn Caldwell, Lacey Burnley, Lucia Isenhart, Savannah Dunaway, and James-Anna Soto from Ever-Safe, Nina Zurad from Knot a Problem who attends Larry A. Ryle High School, and the judges for the 2025 Pitch Fest, which included Kezia Ramsey, Marc Schuler, LaDaya Kami Owens, and David Hasler.
- The Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) Summer Startup Program, held at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, focuses on entrepreneurship education, nurturing students and preparing them for college scholarships and future business ventures.
- This year, the program graduated its largest class to date, with 159 students from over 100 counties in Kentucky participating.
- The program covers a broad range of problem-solving themes such as mental health, lithium-ion battery disposal, and heart failure detection, fostering innovation among participants.
- The first-place team in the Hollers League, Ever-Safe, developed a safety bracelet to combat exploitation and violence against teenage girls, demonstrating a focus on personal growth, mindfulness, and career development.
- In the Hills League, the first-place team, Life Patch, presented an adhesive patch that monitors heart fluid buildup to improve efficiencies in heart failure detection, showcasing the intersection of education-and-self-development, healthcare, and technology.
- The GSE Summer Startup program is part of the University of Kentucky's Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, which also offers mentoring, investor connections, and resources for online education, job-search, and lifelong learning.
- The program has proven to be a valuable initiative, not only creating connections and confidence among participants but also fostering a culture of entrepreneurship in Kentucky, contributing to the state's economic growth and development in sports, education, and various fields.
