Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) is headquartered in Pikeville, Kentucky and serves as the KY Innovation Hub for 29 of Kentucky’s 54 Appalachian counties.
While the SOAR team is based in Eastern Kentucky, they work closely with the other five innovation hubs across the state to facilitate a collaborative environment for all Kentucky startups. Each innovation hub has a unique perspective on their own region, as well as unique expertise from their team members. It truly is a “Kentucky for Kentucky” mentality committed to supporting entrepreneurs and startups across all 120 counties.
SOAR helps founders start, grow and scale their company through education, strategic partnerships and business strategy initiatives. They also facilitate products and resources that are typically hard for bootstrapped startup companies to come by.
SOAR’s ideal clients are tech-enabled and innovation-driven. This includes manufacturing startups with an innovative focus (think proprietary in nature). It also includes startups who are interested in staying in Eastern Kentucky and contributing to the local economy. Startups that are highly scalable and ready to grow are a great fit to work with SOAR!
SOAR supports founders and companies at all stages of development, and there is no single “right stage” to begin working with the SOAR team. Overall, SOAR is committed to creating and building a greater capacity around the narrative that ideas can start, grow and scale right here in Eastern Kentucky. The Eastern Kentucky region is resource-rich, and SOAR is supported by an expansive network of Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) partners that are dedicated to supporting the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
For SOAR, Eastern Kentucky is not a dataset to be solved, but rather new solutions to be discovered. The people of Eastern Kentucky find a way and possess a high degree of ingenuity and intuitiveness, and this mindset lends itself to the entrepreneurship and innovation that SOAR and the other innovation hubs seek to foster.
SOAR partners with organizations like the Kentucky APEX Accelerator and Kentucky Commercialization Ventures (KCV), among many others, to help clients secure government contracts, federal grants and other means of expanding their market reach. SOAR also collaborates with universities, corporations and investors to strengthen the local entrepreneurial system.
“SOAR and the Kentucky APEX Accelerator share a strong partnership rooted in a shared mission to empower entrepreneurs and small businesses across Eastern Kentucky,” said SOAR Executive Director Colby Hall. “By working together, we provide businesses with the tools, resources and guidance they need to navigate government contracting, secure new opportunities and drive economic growth in our region. This collaboration continues to create real impact—helping businesses expand, create jobs and build a stronger future for Eastern Kentucky.”
When potential clients reach out to SOAR for support, they will receive an initial consultation to assess their fit with SOAR’s program and services. Based on that consultation, they will either enter SOAR’s pipeline of support or be referred to a resource partner who is better equipped to meet their needs. Sometimes, new clients will receive both support from SOAR and an external referral to a resource partner, as entrepreneurship is not a linear pathway but a collaborative effort.
Founders and companies interested in working with SOAR can reach out to Brittney Smith, SOAR’s startup support specialist, by email at: brittneyy@soar-ky.org
You can also learn more about SOAR by visiting their website at: https://soar-ky.org/soar-innovation/