Who We Are
Our Mission
Launch Blue’s mission is to support promising technology startup founders and university innovators in Kentucky and beyond.
Launch Blue Team
Laura Russell Halligan
Executive Director
Lead Instructor & Coach
Eric Hartman
Program Advisor
Instructor & Coach
Erin Shea
I-Corps Program Manager
Kenzie Dickens
Operations Coordinator
Victoria Hamilton
Launch Blue Manager - Program & Communications
Laura Triplett
Project Manager
Jake Miller
Entrepreneur in Residence
Lauren Balla
Launch Blue Communications Ambassador
Harper Propst
Launch Blue Communications Ambassador
Makenzie Purdom
Launch Blue Communications Ambassador
Daniel Walters
Launch Blue Communications Ambassador
Abby Manning
Launch Blue Communications Ambassador
Launch Blue Ventures Team
Eric Hartman
Interim Director
Katie Hoch
Launch Blue Ventures Ambassador
Advisory Board
Taunya Phillips (Chair)
Director of the University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization
Stephen Bird
Director of Marketing,
Bullard
Adam Taylor Brown
Brand Strategy + Design Consultant,
Marrow
Gina Greathouse
Executive Vice President for Economic Development, Commerce Lexington, Inc.
Kristina Joyce
State Director,
Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC)
Brian Luftman
Fund Manager, Bluegrass Angels, Inc.
Founder & President, American Farm Investors
Ian McClure
Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact for UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky
Kyle Murray
Vice President - Hardware Delivery at Lexmark
Terry Samuel
President,
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation
Randall Stevens
Owner & Operator, BaseHere
CEO, AVAIL
Emily Wehrle
Director of Operations, Awesome Inc.