Commerce Lexington’s Economic Development team works to help network area businesses to the resources they need to grow and expand. From facilitating connections to potential business partners and management team members, to sharing ideas with like minded people and businesses, we work to help connect companies to the resources, people, talent, funding and a myriad of other things they need to get business done. Below are a few of the networks Commerce Lexington is involved in.

Bluegrass Alliance

Kentucky's Bluegrass Alliance was created to promote regional cooperation and enhance economic development efforts in Central Kentucky. Comprised of economic development agencies and utility companies representing the greater Lexington Area, the Bluegrass Alliance includes the communities of Berea, Frankfort, Georgetown, Lexington, Midway, Nicholasville, Paris, Richmond, Versailles, and Winchester. Partners from the utility industry are Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Delta Natural Gas, East Kentucky Power, and E.ON U.S. With a focus on marketing, support, trust and camaraderie between would-be competitors, this cooperative endeavor welcomes the opportunity to share resources and show you why your next expansion should be with the Bluegrass Alliance. www.bluegrassalliance.com

For more information contact:
Gina Greathouse
Senior Vice President, Economic Development
859-226-1623

Bluegrass Bio

Bluegrass Bio is a newly formed network group of biotech companies which meets quarterly. Its purpose is to provide education and networking opportunities for the growing number of biotech companies in the region. With the state’s flagship university, the University of Kentucky, located in Lexington, it’s not surprising to see our community attracting internationally-renowned scientists, faculty and research centers. Also not surprising are the many technologies and ideas that come from them. The Bluegrass Business Development Partnership has a strong focus on nurturing and assisting many of the start-up ventures resulting in the formation of stand-alone biotech entities. Bio Brochure

For more information contact:
Kimberly Solsbury
Senior Project Manager, Economic Development
(859) 226-1627

Bluegrass Business Development Partnership

Formed in 2007, the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership (BBDP) is a one-stop super-service provider that links small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Bluegrass Region with the information they need to be successful. The BBDP is a collaboration among the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG), Commerce Lexington’s (CLX) economic development divisions, and three University of Kentucky (UK) based organizations — the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VAC), the Lexington office of the statewide Innovation & Commercialization Centers (ICC), and the Lexington office of the statewide Small Business Development Centers (SBDC).

Cooperation among all these economic development entities has been in place for years, but the growing number of entrepreneurial and technological companies in central Kentucky enhanced the need for the more formal partnership. To strengthen the partnership, two of the University of Kentucky’s economic develop entities — the Lexington ICC and the local SBDC — co-located with CLX in downtown Lexington. This concentration of services ensures that our small business and entrepreneurial clients receive a full range of business development services in one convenient location. www.thinkbluegrass.com

For more information contact:
Gina Greathouse
Senior Vice President, Economic Development
859-226-1623

Business Education Network

The mission of BEN is to connect today's workplace with tomorrow’s workforce. Through this network, business leaders and employees will be able to easily connect to a classroom, by choosing from a variety of volunteer opportunities in the Fayette County Public Schools. Begin building a relationship with Lexington’s schools and students today!

As a business owner, employee or community volunteer, you realize the value of a versatile and skilled workforce. Finding that workforce can be a challenge. Commerce Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools and Junior Achievement are aware of this challenge and in an effort to aid both you the employer, and your future employees, we are asking for your involvement. BEN was formed to encourage employer involvement in a variety of educational related activities in the Fayette County Public Schools that promote workforce readiness and career awareness. BEN is the result of the belief that businesses must become much more involved in the education and training of future workers.

BEN serves as the connector between businesses and all existing educational partners – striving not to re-create existing services and programs, but rather to encourage and strengthen both communication and opportunities. Through BEN you will be providing valuable information on workplace skills to the region's future workforce - our students - while having access to potential entry-level employees! www.benlexington.com

For more information contact:
Kelly Cain
Project Manager, Existing Business and Workforce Development
859-226-1604

Business Owners Advisory Boards

One of Commerce Lexington’s most effective business assistance efforts is the Business Owners Advisory Board (formerly Business Advisory Groups). These groups allow member business owners to share similar challenges, strategies, and best practices in a confidential, non-competitive environment. Each group is made up of not more than eight members with similar interests and concerns, but who are NOT in direct competition with each other. There is NO CHARGE to participate in this program, which is open only to Commerce Lexington members.

Groups meet on a monthly basis for 2-3 hours per meeting, and each group sets its own meeting dates, times, and location. Groups are formed on the basis of a variety of criteria, such as market or industry segment, number of employees, geographic focus, etc. Each group has its own facilitator, who helps the group remain focused on its objectives, and who acts as a liaison to the Business Owners Advisory Board Steering Committee.

For more information about the Business Owners Advisory Board, or to join the growing list of members participating in one of the groups, contact:
Lynda Bebrowsky
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Member Services
(859) 226-1611

Commerce Lexington Inc. is committed to supporting and connecting local entrepreneurs through various methods. Formed in 2008, In2Lex is an open-source consortium of entrepreneurs and professionals in the creative and technology sectors. Its mission is to promote Lexington as a career, education and lifestyle destination for creative and technical business professionals and to act as catalyst where our technical, entrepreneur, and creative communities coincide. www.in2lex.com

For more information contact:
Gina Greathouse
Senior VP of Economic Development
(859) 226-1623

Lexington Health, Economy And Life Sciences (HEALS) Institute

Mission Statement: The Lexington Health, Economy and Life Sciences (HEALS) Institute is a non-profit organization that promotes Lexington as a healthy place to live, to learn the health sciences, to obtain health services and that encourages and supports research and technology transfer in the life sciences.

Vision: A healthier Lexington through improved quality of life, education, scientific research and economic development.

For more information contact:
Diana Moore
Executive Director
(859) 278-0569

Lexington Venture Club

Founded in 2002, the Lexington Venture Club is proud to be a catalyst by which entrepreneurs, service providers, and investors can work together to develop a strong economy in Lexington. Involvement in the Lexington Venture Club helps to forge a bright future for this community, with the understanding that its success depends on our ability to connect great ideas with interested investors. Successful ventures result from strong personal contacts. Experience has shown that what investors and entrepreneurs need most are each other!

The Lexington Venture Club meets six times to hear two new business “pitches” presented by entrepreneurs interested in obtaining capital or start up support for growth and expansion of their business. A “keynote” speaker discusses venture capital, financing issues, trends affecting the climate for entrepreneurs, or relevant local economic development interests. Networking opportunities are a vital part of every Lexington Venture Club meeting. www.lexingtonventureclub.com

For more information contact:
Gina Greathouse
Senior Vice President, Economic Development
(859) 226-1623

Manufacturer’s Network Group

Many manufacturers call central Kentucky home. From J.M. Smucker’s JIF peanut butter to Toyota’s Avalons, there are well over 400 manufacturing companies in the area. Commerce Lexington’s economic development division offers a quarterly networking opportunity to the area’s manufacturers. This group is comprised of general managers and human resources representatives from Lexington’s manufacturing companies. Made up of all size manufacturing companies, the group gathers to discuss various topics of interest that typical manufacturers face.

For more information contact:
Kelly Cain
Project Manager, Existing Business and Workforce Development
859-226-1604