Why Northern Kentucky Is a Great Place to do Business
Meet Narratize, a tech firm in Covington with a futuristic product, global aspirations and a female executive team, and 4 Mile Wine Co., a husband-and-wife operation in Camp Springs crafting mead that is largely marketed to the local community. While different in a lot of ways, these Northern Kentucky businesses actually have a lot in common, from their Kentucky roots and infectious enthusiasm to their preparation and resourcefulness.
Quick to Launch
In May 2023, Catherine O’Shea and Katie Trauth Taylor launched Narratize, an AI company that helps businesses generate technical content.
“We sell to science, technology and medical industry companies that are working through complex innovation,” O’Shea says. “We’re also gaining traction in aviation, energy and consumer packaged goods.”
In a nutshell, Narratize organizes everything a client knows about its product and turns the information into a compelling story.
“Narratize is a reverse bot experience,” O’Shea says. “Your product insights are pulled out. It’s as if you’re sitting next to the best writer.”
This unique Northern Kentucky business offers a critical service to its clients, as writing is often a skill missing from research and development.
Sweet Success
Ben Studer, owner of 4 Mile Wine Co., offers a product that is straightforward and old school, as he turns honey, water and yeast into delicious mead.
“It’s the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage,” Studer says.
By using various kinds of honey, such as wildflower, clover and orange blossom, he creates different flavors. Studer also incorporates fresh fruit. Like Narratize, his Northern Kentucky business fills a niche. 4 Mile Wine Co. is the region’s first winery that only makes mead. Studer’s honey wines are available online and at several local bars, restaurants, and liquor and grocery stores.
“With mead, we’re not really stepping on anyone’s toes,” he says. “It’s another unique product these places can offer.”
Studer has been making mead since 2015, but 4 Mile Wine Co. doesn’t have a tasting room, and the production facility isn’t open to the public. Instead, Studer and his wife, Holly, work closely with neighboring Camp Springs Tavern to cosponsor events, like mead release parties and a music series.
“These three different businesses – tavern, meadery and artistry – all benefit from working together,” Studer says. “Seeing it evolve, that’s what’s so cool. There’s so much opportunity to grow and help other small businesses. This year alone, we’ve gotten into eight different retail outlets.”
Road to Achievement
Speaking of growth, the future also looks bright for Narratize. Like the Studers, O’Shea and Taylor are Northern Kentucky business owners who love being headquartered in their home state.
“The Midwest gets a bad rap with innovation,” O’Shea says. “We’re helping to change the narrative. We have exciting innovation here, and the state has been phenomenal in supporting startups.”
Like all new businesses, Narratize and 4 Mile Wine Co. share many of the same struggles and concerns, but both have taken advantage of resources. Studer, for example, worked with the Northern Kentucky University Chase Small Business and Nonprofit Clinic, where graduate students research projects for new businesses.
“A law student formulated a road map for me to start a winery,” Studer says.
As for Narratize, entering a pitch competition hosted by HearstLab made a huge difference. HearstLab is headquartered in New York City, but it hosts pitch competitions in different cities each quarter. Narratize traveled to Los Angeles to participate.
“It is a venture arm that invests in female-founded companies,” O’Shea says of HearstLab. “We won, and that helped turn the tide. Once you get one fund, then the dominoes start to fall. It’s really finding those champions that’s very helpful.”
Both companies also found a champion in Blue North, a nonprofit supporting entrepreneurs, creators and builders in Northern Kentucky.
“They have a lot of resources and educational materials, and they’ve been phenomenal at connecting us with investors and clients,” O’Shea says.
Studer has had a similar experience. Blue North introduced him to everything from grants to bookkeepers.
“It was just an eye-opener,” he says. “There are so many resources. I’ve met lots of other entrepreneurs through workshops and networking.”
Sparking Success
In downtown Covington, a vacant 47,000-square-foot furniture store is being transformed into a state-of-the-art hub for Northern Kentucky startups.
“SparkHaus will be a place for entrepreneurs, funders and support systems,” says Kris Knochelmann, who serves as Kenton County’s judge/executive, meaning he is essentially the county’s mayor.
Knochelmann is also a business owner, so he understands the importance of nurturing new companies.
“It gives entrepreneurs an advantage toward success,” he says. “They can see an idea come to fruition sooner.”
And by being closer to potential investors, SparkHaus will help entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, which Knochelmann says is the No. 1 issue after the entrepreneurial idea.
The $16 million development will offer office space and individual desks as well as rooms for meetings, classes and presentations. Additionally, SparkHaus expects up to 300 people a day to use its facility.
Blue North, a local nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs, will hold SparkHaus’ master lease.
“We just need more physical space to gather, and this fills a niche that’s not being met today,” says Knochelmann. “SparkHaus is intended to be shorter for businesses that need flexible rates and lease terms. It will be a home for them to grow from.”
Get to Know Northern Kentucky
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