Greeting Pioneers,

HackKenctucky is so much fun. You guys are gonna have so much fun this weekend. Intro complete.

HackKentucky is this weekend!

Join 100+ hackers for the fall edition of HackKentucky @ Cinderblock this Friday Nov 7th and Nov 8th.

AI tools have come a long way since our February hackathon, which is why this time around we look forward to seeing what you can build in just 24 hours! Judging starts at 5pm. Come participate, mentor, volunteer or just check out the community!

To register for the event here
To Volunteer or Mentor register here
To Submit a Project bounty here

To find out more about the event here. For logistics and other info here.

Thank you to our sponsors: Citation Labs, DataVue, Papa Johns. Signarama Downtown, Elixir Kombucha, Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub, Sedrino Labs, Swell, PayFwds, UofL Speed School of Engineering, Blue North, Code: Louisville, Cintrifuse and Sparkhaus.

Supporting the Next Generation of Founders

Hey Hackathoners and KYX Community,

We're thrilled to announce significant partnerships that will directly impact our hackathon participants: Citation Labs has returned as the title sponsor for HackKentucky, with DataVue and Papa Johns joining us as key sponsors as well!

For a startup, traction and discoverability matter. Citation Labs specializes in link-building and authoritatively positioning pages in search and AI-driven visibility. That means if your startup is looking to scale audience, get found, and build brand authority early, they’re the team for you.

DataVue is a platform built by founders, for founders. Their CEO, Tim Wolter, is a committed advocate for the local ecosystem, serving as an EIR with Amplify and a part of Leadership Hardin County.

Their all-in-one platform helps pre-seed and seed founders transition from a promising idea into a fundable company by giving them secure, professional spaces for their pitch deck, financials, and legal contracts.

Why These Partnerships Matters to You

As our title sponsor, Citation Labs is integral to making HackKentuky happen.
Plus, they aren’t just another digital agency - they’re Louisville-based and their founders have invested over $1.5 million into more than 30 Kentucky startups. That shows they’re serious about the local ecosystem, which can translate into real relationships, credibility and resources for startups in the region.

DataVue is fueling the winners' success by contributing to the prize pot and giving the top team a tool they can immediately use to start fundraising:

• Cash Contribution: DataVue is adding to the winner's prize pot!

• The Pro Toolkit: The winning team will receive a full year of DataVue's premium Business plan (an $800 value). This access grants them:

  • Advanced Analytics: See who is viewing your pitch deck and for how long.

  • Custom Branding: Instantly look professional to VCs and clients.

  • Future Advantage: Access to powerful upcoming features, including the highly anticipated AI Investor Memo tool, designed to speed up your due diligence prep.

Even if you don't take the grand prize, DataVue is giving all hackathon participants an exclusive advantage:

• 50% Discount: Every single attendee will receive a special, limited-time 50% discount code to upgrade to the premium DataVue Business plan when they are ready.

And of course, no hackathon is complete without fuel. Huge thanks to Papa Johns, who’s keeping our hackers powered with pizza all weekend long. Once a Louisville startup themselves, Papa Johns has been a long-time supporter of KYX. Their sponsorship helps create the kind of collaborative, late-night energy that every great hackathon thrives on - because building the next big startup takes more than code, it takes community (and carbs).

We're excited to have Citation Labs, Papa Johns, and DataVue's support, and we thank Garrett French and Tim Wolter for their generous commitment to our community.

Velocity Updates

We just finished week 7 of 12 for Velocity. Register for the Finale December 4th @ Cinderblock here. Here’s a quick update on the cohort:

DueGooder launched v2 Beta. Their v2 launch is schedule for Jan 2026, right in time for next semester. Launch party @ Cinderblock TBD!

BottleEpisodes - Last Friday hit a big milestone by getting to see playtesters make each other laugh while playing her unfinished game. Let’s get some sales!

MoneyBot - got their first revenue check from Bowling Green Independent School. Congrats Kahlil on the paid pilot.

Jokester - finalized a pivot from a platform + production services model to a platform-only model. This allowed us to garner legitimate interest from much larger comedians, including one who has decided to decline his offer from Hulu and release his special with Jokester instead - stay tuned! 🤙 

Proper Pilots - also got their first revenue deal.

Leapfrog - is taking customer feedback and iterating on how to monetize their 15K subscribers for revenue. Let’s keep iterating!

With 5 weeks to go, let’s see what our Velocity companies can do! Find out who the winner is on December 4th! Register here.

Note’s on The Distill’s co-EICs: Jack Crowdis & Rachel Edenfield

Jack runs the newsletter, helps run KYX. He’s a career startup kid, past founder, and current operator. Weekly contributor. Always editor.

Rachel’s the Founder/CEO of venture-backed Swell, and a driver of KYX. Routinely delivers the city’s sharpest long-form startup advice. Always re-edits Jack’s edits (including this bio).

Know someone who should read this? Forward it, or send them this link.

That’s a wrap 🎬
Keep showing up 👊 
Keep shipping 🚢 
Peace, Pioneers ✌️