Ambitious UK students turning ideas into real businesses — through bi-weekly meetings, speakers, workshops, and the annual Pitch Competition.
The UK Entrepreneurship Club (eClub) is the central hub for entrepreneurial-minded students at the University of Kentucky. We're a community of doers — students who want to build companies, launch side projects, and figure out how the real business world actually works.
We meet every other Wednesday evening for speaker events, hands-on workshops, pitch challenges, and networking with founders, investors, and Lexington's startup scene. Membership is free and open to every major, class year, and background.
Whether you already have an idea, a running business, or just curiosity — you belong here.
High-energy kickoff to set the tone for the semester. Meet the eClub team, learn what we do, and jump into a hands-on 'Solve Problems, Make Profit' exercise with other students. First-time attendees welcome.
Monthly pitch night hosted by our partner Awesome Inc. Five founders each get five minutes to pitch, five judges give feedback, and the crowd votes. Great first exposure to Kentucky's startup community.
How to start small with limited money and space. Business models overview, real examples from VACE and eClub founders, and refining ideas into repeatable models.
A practical execution challenge. Members go test a simple business idea in the real world — pricing, customers, marketing, profit. Learn by doing.
Panel with VC, startup finance, and investor voices (5across, Keyhorse, LaunchBlue, VACE). Understand how funding works and what investors actually look for.
Founder talk on real-world entrepreneurial experience — execution, risk, failure, and growth. Practical advice for student founders ahead of the pitch comp.
Another round of 5 Across at The Mane on Main. Bring an idea to pitch or come to watch, network, and connect with Lexington founders and investors.
Pitch your business idea to judges and the crowd. Pre-revenue and revenue tracks, fast-paced format, prizes for the top ideas. Bring your best concept.
The 2026 Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame induction dinner, hosted by Awesome Inc. A celebration of the founders shaping Kentucky's economy — one of the biggest nights on the state's startup calendar.
Casual, conversational founder talk followed by open Q&A and networking. Build real connections and walk out with mentorship or follow-up opportunities.
End-of-semester showcase and collab event. Details coming soon — stay tuned via Instagram and GroupMe.
The 5 Across year-end finals pitch competition at the historic Kentucky Theatre. Winners from every 5 Across of the year face off for the annual title.
Student-founded ventures, officer-run companies, pitch competition winners, and startups from the broader UK community.
A safety-focused hardware startup developing intelligent storage devices that unlock only after the user passes a breathalyzer test and, optionally, a secondary authentication method such as a passcode. Designed to help prevent impaired access to car keys, firearms, medications, and other valuables — advancing from prototype toward commercialization.
A smart parking startup reimagining how drivers find and reserve parking. Through a mobile platform and its autonomous LOTBOT concept, users can pre-book parking spaces before arriving — reducing congestion and eliminating the uncertainty of the search. Founded during Awesome Inc.'s Startup Weekend in 2025, LOTWAYS went on to take first place at the UK Entrepreneurship Club Pitch Competition.
Households waste over $1,500 of food a year because nobody knows what's actually in their kitchen. KAI fixes that — computer vision and weight sensors in each cabinet track everything automatically, then generate meal plans, grocery lists, and auto-orders before you run out. Add an AI assistant that teaches you to cook, and your kitchen basically runs itself.
The student officers and advisor keeping eClub moving. Reach out to anyone — we actually want to hear from you.
Per our constitution, the President is elected yearly by club members and the rest of the executive board is selected each spring. Officers maintain good academic standing and a 2.0+ GPA.
For event management & room logistics, reach out to Jack Gatlin or Sean Short.
We team up with the organizations moving the Bluegrass startup ecosystem forward.
A multi-year partnership backing the club through programming, mentorship, and startup resources.
We're always looking for Lexington-area companies and investors who want to support the next generation of Wildcat founders.
Get in touch →Can't find your answer? Email ukyentrepreneurshipclub@gmail.com and a real officer will get back to you.
No. The club is open to students of any major — engineering, arts, sciences, whatever.
Slide into our DMs, drop into the GroupMe, or just shoot us an email. All of it goes to a real student officer.
Fill this out and we'll open your mail client pre-addressed to the club inbox.
Membership is free for all UK students. Apply once, stay forever. Drop your info and we'll send you the next event invite.
Open to all UK students, faculty, and staff. Attend events, vote on club matters, and run for officer roles.
Open to the broader Lexington community. Attend events and join the conversation (non-voting).
Active status = attend at least three meetings per semester and participate when you can.
We manage our roster through UK's official student org platform. Hit the button below, sign in with your linkblue, and you're in — takes about 30 seconds.
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