COVINGTON, Ky. — A new entrepreneurial hub is taking shape in Covington, and those building it said it'll be a huge step forward for northern Kentucky's business community. 

Dave Knox, who said he likes to take a hands-on approach, spent Friday looking at blueprints for SparkHaus. 

“We’re the front door to help startups and entrepreneurs in the 17 counties of northern Kentucky,” said Knox, executive director for Blue North, northern Kentucky's innovation hub. 

SparkHaus is the physical manifestation of that mission. Set to open in summer 2025, it will bring together mentors, investors and other resources to help high-growth entrepreneurs reach their potential.

“We've had a lot of entrepreneurs, for instance, that have moved here locally, and they haven’t known where to start and where to go,” Knox said.

The first tenant announced was eGateway Capital. The $125 million venture capital fund is one the largest new venture funds in Kentucky. The recently announced second tenant will be Better Blend, which will run an open-to-the-public cafe serving protein blends and acai bowls.

“One of the things that I’ve seen that’s the most successful is entrepreneurs helping out other entrepreneurs," Knox said. "Every entrepreneur has scars from going through the journey of building their business."

"It's not to build an office building. The world doesn’t need any more of those. But they need places where people can come together and build businesses together and help each other out.”

Knox said they’re focused on high-growth entrepreneurs who can create jobs and have the potential to grow 20 to 30% year over year for an extended period. What may look like a blank slate right now has the potential to propel the region forward. He said more tenant announcements will come soon. 

Interested entrepreneurs can reach Knox at dave@bluenorthky.com. SparkHaus will offer three different membership levels.