It’s been said that youth is often wasted on the young.
Well, don’t tell that to our six 2023 Inno Under 25 recipients, who have already been making great strides in the local entrepreneurial/tech ecosystem in spite of their age.
This year’s class — a combination of both nominations and staff selections — is composed of both founders and those who have been critical to the rise of several well-established startups in the Kentuckiana region. We also have included a student researcher who has been recognized nationally for her efforts.
Note: Recipients are allowed to be as old as 25, but they could not be older than 25 by Sept. 15.
We will have Q&As with each of our winners later in September, but for now, here's a glimpse at who they are:
Mack Blincoe
Age: 25
Why he was chosen: Blincoe works at New Albany, Indiana-based VSimple as a workflow solutions specialist, a role that he created. “He saw a need to help leaders optimize their workflows, so he set out to create tailored solutions in our platform to ensure it creates value on day one and continues to grow in value as they use it,” said Buddy Bockweg, CEO of VSimple.
Savannah Cherry
Age: 25
Why she was chosen: Cherry works as the director of marketing and new business at Louisville-based Slingshot. Wearing several hats at the company, she also has revamped its website, blog and social media platforms. Slingshot President/CEO David Galownia said that she was instrumental in helping Slingshot becoming a Clutch 1000 company, an exclusive list of the top 1000 global service providers created by the leading global marketplace of B2B service providers. In addition, she serves as a co-host of The Founders’ Fables podcast.
David Echeverria
Age: 23
Why he was chosen: Echeverria, who lives in Louisville, founded DSE Solutions, which provides strategic and political consulting services to companies both in Kentucky and New York. His efforts are mainly geared toward increasing political education and engagement among fellow young people. A graduate of the University of Louisville, he was named the school’s first Hispanic Homecoming King in 2021.
Darsh Shah
Age: 16
Why he was chosen: A freshman at North Oldham High School, Shah founded SmartSportsUSA.com in 2023. The company sells a patent-pending trampoline monitoring and notification device. It also has a mobile app to address safety-related concerns. Thus far, Shah has raised $50,000 in seed capital, while also signing a sponsored research contract for proof-of-concept testing with the University of Louisville. In addition, he is working with his technology team to build a second trampoline community app that explores the gamification of trampoline usage.
Devon Spande
Age: 21
Why he was chosen: A native of Bowling Green and a student at the University of Kentucky, Spande has launched a startup called Safety Scoop, which addresses the issue of spilling powdered supplements when scooping and pouring them into a water bottle or container. He is currently working on a prototype of the device, while pursuing a patent. He recently earned $2000 for first place in a bootcamp event held last spring at UK’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship — and another $2000 in the undergraduate division of the PNC Innovation Summit, held at the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
Afi Tagnedji
Age: 23
Why she was chosen: After graduating from the University of Louisville this past spring with a degree in biochemistry, Tagnedji will be taking part in the inaugural Quad Fellowship, as one of 100 chosen out of 3,200 from four countries (U.S., Japan, India and Australia), earning $50,000 for her selection. A graduate of Iroquois High School in Louisville in 2019, Tagnedji was only recipient chosen from a Kentucky university — and only one 25 students from a U.S. institution. She also played a key role in the formation of the latest exhibit at the Kentucky Science Center, "Uniquely Human."
