R. Casey Barach Leadership Award for Entrepreneurship
In 2001, Casey Barach was hired as the first Executive Director of what was then known as the Madison E-Zone. The E-Zone was Northern Kentucky’s first organized effort to support technology-based start-ups. It emerged out of the 1999 LNK Class; more specifically, the idea came from combined Leadership Northern Kentucky and Leadership Cincinnati Economic Development Day city visits to Philadelphia, Austin, Denver, and other cities.
The Board of that young organization placed a major bet on Casey Barach. He delivered. He successfully implemented the E-Zone program and built the physical facility at 6th and Madison in Covington. It became the region’s first Innovation & Commercialization Center under the 2001 Kentucky Innovation Act. Casey envisioned and founded UpTech, an award-winning accelerator for high-growth companies that birthed dozens of start-ups for more than a decade. He inspired, coached, and nurtured the Northern Kentucky Growth Fund, Northern Kentucky’s first angel investment fund. He became a state-wide leader for angel investing, and he personally wrote and continuously lobbied for the Angel Tax Credit legislation that pioneered angel tax credit investing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He raised tens of millions of dollars for program operations and direct company investment over his 20 years of work in this space. Successful entrepreneurs across the region credit Casey for their success, whether it be in the programs he created, the business coaching he provided, or the mentoring and encouragement along the challenging journey.
Nominee criteria that will be considered include:
- Must be a graduate of Leadership Northern Kentucky.
- Actively champions and supports entrepreneurs through mentorship, advocacy, or resource development.
- Has a sustained record of creating opportunities, removing barriers, and fostering innovation within the region.