Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Entrepreneurship Initiative topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kentucky Chamber unveils 'Start Here, Grow Here' research initiative to boost startups
Summary
At a legislative interim committee hearing, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce announced "Start Here, Grow Here," a yearlong research and policy initiative to study entrepreneurship, hold community engagement sessions across the state and recommend policy changes aimed at increasing high-growth firms and job creation.
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce onstage before the interim joint committee on economic development and workforce investment announced a yearlong research and public-policy project called "Start Here, Grow Here," aimed at understanding barriers facing entrepreneurs and recommending legislative and programmatic changes.
"We're very much in learning mode right now," Charles Ault of the Chamber told the committee, describing the effort as a research and policy-development initiative that will move into advocacy later. The Chamber plans data analysis in July'September, community engagement sessions October'November (in partnership with JPMorgan Chase), synthesis work December'May and a final report targeted for June next year.
Ault cited state-by-state comparisons showing Kentucky lagging on several entrepreneurship measures: a relatively low core startup rate (around 45th nationally), modest growth in new firms (roughly 39th) and under 9% of workers employed at very young firms. He said the state needs to translate high rates of company formation into more direct job creation and more high-growth firms.
Ault emphasized that direct jobs matter to incentive design but urged attention to indirect impacts and wealth creation that entrepreneurship can produce. "Every dollar counts for entrepreneurs," he said, noting the role of tax reform and recent statutory modernization in improving the landscape for small firms.
The Chamber said the initiative will combine quantitative analysis with listening sessions across urban and rural Kentucky to surface region-specific barriers and opportunities. Ault asked legislators to help by participating in community sessions and sharing local experience.
The committee did not vote on any legislation during the meeting; members asked questions about program linkages, funding sources and how to connect university programs and innovation hubs to young entrepreneurs. Ault said the Chamber will return with recommendations once the research and engagement phases are complete.
