The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inducted its 2024 class on this week during its annual induction ceremony.
2024 Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Inductees:
• Cedric Francois, MD, PhD, co-founder, CEO/President, Apellis Pharmaceuticals
• Breck Jones, founder and CEO, US WorldMeds
• Mike Scanlon, CEO/founder, Thomas and King, Inc.
• Scott Smith & Sean Smith, co-founders – Castellan Group, Zelis, and HealthLink Dimensions
The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame (KEHOF) is a physical and virtual destination that shares and celebrates the stories of Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs.
The induction celebration also honored 2024’s Emerging Entrepreneurs, Mentor of the Year, Investor of the Year, and Executive of the Year award recipients.
Emerging Entrepreneurs:
• Buddy Bockweg, co-founder & CEO, Vsimple
• Andy Eastes, CEO & co-founder, SkuVault
Investor of the Year:
• Phoebe A. Wood, principal, CompaniesWood
Mentor of the Year:
• Dave Knox, executive director, Blue North
Executive of the Year:
• Ann B. Bakhaus, chair, Kentucky Eagle Inc.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Entrepreneurs generate jobs, create diverse neighborhoods and are vital to prosperous cities,” said Paul Costel, Region Manager for JPMorgan Chase in Kentucky and this year’s presenting sponsor. “It’s an honor to celebrate the innovation and drive behind these successful leaders. It’s imperative they have our support in order to unlock the full potential of the Bluegrass state.”
Know a Kentucky entrepreneur you feel deserves to be recognized? Nominations for the 2025 class are open. The deadline to submit is May 3. Please nominate them at entrepreneurhof.com/nominate.
For more information about the initiative or to learn more about past honorees, visit entrepreneurhof.com/Inductees.
Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame