Better Together: Diversity in Northern Kentucky Shines

The region’s spirit of inclusion and variety of programs enhance quality of life for all.

By Teree Caruthers on March 18, 2024

Nathan Lambrecht

Diversity in Northern Kentucky offers a vibrant fabric of togetherness, as its population blends a variety of ethnicities, races and socioeconomic backgrounds. Florence, for example, is home to a vibrant Somali population, and Northern Kentucky as a whole is home to growing Hispanic and Asian communities. 

Encouraging Empowerment 

“There are a lot of things that make Northern Kentucky a welcoming and inclusive community,” says Brandon Rudd, director of the Center for Research & Data at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. “I think it is important to note that immigrant groups helped establish and grow the Northern Kentucky region in the 19th and 20th centuries, and still to this day, immigrants are our primary source of population growth.” 

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has a robust DEI initiative, which includes the Investing in Equity Summit, an annual event that focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion and advancement in the NKY metro business community. Additionally, the chamber’s Encounter NKY welcomes newcomers and gives them a sense of place, while its Leadership Northern Kentucky and Regional Youth Leadership programs help build leaders of all ages. 

“Northern Kentucky is a beautiful international region, and we aim to celebrate and include all races and cultures in our community,” says Ashleigh DuBois, the chamber’s director of DEI. 

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber sponsors programs, such as the annual Diversity Leadership Symposium and WE Ascend, a leadership development program designed to motivate BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) women to overcome challenges and break the glass ceiling while moving into new leadership roles within organizations and the community. 

“If we are not empowering people from all walks of life to be a part of the business community and reach their full potential, then we are missing out on so much talent and innovation,” Rudd says. 

DuBois adds, “Our communities are changing right before our eyes. In one school district, we have over 74 dialects of language spoken. One day, these students will enter the workforce, and we need to be prepared.” 

Andrew Higley/University of Cincinnati

Attracting the Best and Brightest 

Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, a regional economic development company, says a diverse population makes the region more competitive, attracting new businesses and ultimately leading to better job opportunities for residents. 

“If you’re not open to diverse ideas, perspectives and backgrounds, you’re really going to suffer as a community as a result of that,” he says. 

Crume says his organization’s support of diversity begins with a targeted study to identify businesses that will flourish in the community and follows with being intentional about recruiting those companies from across the globe. 

“We’re calling on Canadian companies and European companies and Japanese companies and Korean companies,” he says. “By being intentional about trying to recruit a diverse set of business types, you’re naturally getting a diverse group of people just by where those companies come from.” 

The region is also home to several universities, including the University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Thomas More University and Xavier University, which attract students from all over the world, thus helping diversify the region’s talent pool. 

NKU’s Center for Global Engagement and International Affairs, for example, focuses on international student recruitment, retention and involvement. Over the past few years, NKU has attracted students from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Nepal and other countries. 

“The international student market is remarkably competitive,” says Francois Le Roy, NKU’s executive director of global engagement and international affairs. “International students have thousands of options from which to choose when deciding on which college or university to attend, not only in the United States but the world over.” 

The university has developed a variety of strategies to increase diversity across the region – among them a commitment to attract and retain international talent. 

“These efforts help further diversify the international population within our community because of the regions of the world from which NKU recruits,” Le Roy says. 

Rich German Heritage

Statistics show that about half of Kenton County’s population is of German descent, and many of those residents live in Covington. Numerous German immigrants arrived in Covington from Europe during the 19th century, and today, the city celebrates its longstanding heritage by hosting an annual Oktoberfest and Maifest, both of which take place in the popular Mainstrasse Village neighborhood. 

This German-style village was developed in Covington during the 1970s and features several points of interest relating to German tradition, like a German Gothic glockenspiel clock in Goebel Park and the German Gothic style St. John the Evangelist Church and Mother of God Church/ Mutter Gottes Kirche. 

Influence can also be seen in the area’s dining and drink scene. For example, the village is home to themed dining spots like Strasse Haus and Wunderbar, which serve bier, potato pancakes, schnitzel and other Deutschland delights. 

– Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.