FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Krista Buckel
krista.buckel@cvky.org
859-231-0054 x. 1034
LOUISVILLE, KY. (August 1, 2024) – The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (HOKC) awarded a $5,675 Good Works grant to Louisville kitchen incubator Chef Space to provide building upgrades to assist culinary entrepreneurs in pursuing their business dreams.
“Entrepreneurs starting in the food industry need support and access to equipment and gathering space to be successful,” said Tom Murro, Chef Space President. “We are grateful to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels for this award and their support of culinary entrepreneurs in Louisville.”
Chef Space has contributed to Louisville’s vibrant local food scene by providing affordable commercial kitchen space for rent, enabling culinary entrepreneurs to create quality cuisine.
Membership at Chef Space offers burgeoning business owners access to food preparation stations, capital, storage space, a conference room, commercial packaging equipment, and food industry training opportunities to set them up for success.
Since 2015, the West End incubator has created over 400 jobs, helped entrepreneurs launch over 200 food-related ventures, and graduated 25 businesses to brick-and-mortar locations in Louisville.
Each year, HOKC awards Good Works Program grants to further the efforts of non-profits to benefit their clients. The HOKC funding awarded to Chef Space will upgrade the conference room space for Chef Space members and clients.
HOKC awarded $2.5 million in grants supporting 325 non-profits, impacting more than 3.9 million Kentuckians. Grants are made possible through donations from Kentucky Colonels from throughout the Commonwealth and around the world who chose to exercise the honor of being named a Kentucky Colonel in a meaningful way.
[DRAFT] “2023 / 2024 was a challenging year for fulfilling Grant Requests, with over $5 million in total requests. We were able to distribute $2.5 million through the Good Works Program, including a $5,675 award to Community Ventures’ Louisville kitchen incubator Chef Space,” said HOKC Commanding General Gary Boschert. “We are grateful for the work that Chef Space is doing in Louisville’s West End and are proud to further their efforts.”
To learn more about Chef Space, visit www.chefspace.org. To learn more about HOKC, visit https://www.kycolonels.org.
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About Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels: The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is a 501(c) (3) entity dedicated to supporting charitable activities throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees. The “Kentucky Colonel” commission is an honorary title granted by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Since 1951, the organization has pursued its mission through annual grants totaling $68 million to more than 1,700 nonprofits. Of those Colonels’ contributions, each grant is thoroughly vetted by the trustees and staff. Though the corporate name is The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, most know it by its long-term trademark, KENTUCKY COLONELS. Visit kycolonels.org to learn more.
About Chef Space: Chef Space, operated by Community Ventures, is a nationally recognized and award-winning kitchen incubator in the heart of the Russell Neighborhood in Louisville. The facility is dedicated to supporting food entrepreneurs, fostering economic mobility, and creating job opportunities within the community.
About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. CV is headquartered in Lexington with branch locations in Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Louisville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.