Stoking Fire of Entrepreneurship in Louisville: Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards

Written by Chelsea VanHook and Lexi Locke-Vincent

Supportive. Vibrant. Energetic. These are the words we often hear used to describe Louisville’s entrepreneurs. The Louisville startup community nurtures a culture of growth, innovation, and perseverance. The Vogt Invention and Innovations Awards (Vogt Awards), now in its 25^th year, stands as a testament to that culture, and the legacy it has developed grew from an inventor and a company beginning almost 150 years ago.

Pictured: Henry Vogt, Founder of Henry Vogt Machine Co.	Pictured: Advertisement for Henry Vogt Machine Co.	Pictured: Women at work at Henry Vogt Machine Co.

In 1880, Henry Vogt opened Henry Vogt Machine Company, a small machine shop on Main Street. Through his vision and resilience, that shop grew into a 42-acre plant whose ice machines, valves, and boilers powered industries across the nation. Decades later, his grandson, Henry V. Heuser Sr., carried forward this spirit of ingenuity, leading the company and championing innovation in both business and community.

Pictured: An advertisement for the Henry Vogt Machine Company placed in the Louisville Anzeiger (in publication between 1849 and 1909).

Henry Vogt Heuser Sr., grew up to become an engineer and headed the company for decades to come. Henry Sr. was a tinkerer – he loved solving challenges, encouraging patent development, and supporting the growth of new businesses. When he wasn’t involved at work or serving the community through philanthropy, he was in his workshop on a Sunday tinkering with new ideas. That’s a legacy he felt important to continue.

Pictured: Henry Heuser Vogt Sr. at the Henry Vogt Machine Company.

Recognizing the power of investing in others, Henry V. Heuser Sr. established the Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards in 1999 through the Community Foundation of Louisville in honor of his grandfather’s legacy and to support local entrepreneurs for generations to come. The fund began with $5 million and has grown to $6 million, issuing 114 grants totaling more than $4.3 million. Forty percent of these grants have gone to women or founders of color, and past recipients have attracted over $207 million in follow-on investment.

The Vogt Awards has evolved from a grantmaking program into a dynamic accelerator. Each year, selected early-stage companies receive a $25,000 non-dilutive grant and join a 10-week program filled with mentorship, coaching, connections, and public recognition of their products and services. While the funding is great, the program’s true impact lies not just in funding, but in the relationships it fosters. Founders stay connected to a vibrant network of mentors, volunteers, and alumni who share their expertise and encouragement.

Pictured: Vogt Awards selection committee and coaches at work on Selection Day.

The Foundation’s 30-person selection committee spends hours reviewing applications and an entire day quizzing founders on their business models before naming the cohort.  Organizations like Amplify help finalists sharpen their pitches. Coaches and mentors guide founders through challenges and triumphs. Story Louisville, started by Vogt Awards alumna Natalia Bishop, hosts the cohort, creating a space curated for founders by founders. Countless alumni return to give back, ensuring the cycle of support continues.

The Community Foundation’s Vogt Awards intentionally invests in early-stage businesses because we are investing in the future legacies of these founders – founders who are the current and future contributors to our success as a city. We can each recall a time when someone took a chance to invest in us, sharing their expertise, wisdom, and time, which profoundly contributed to our own growth and success. At the Community Foundation of Louisville, we believe that when we invest in people, Louisville has its best chance to be a thriving city where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Pictured: Vogt Awards recipients sharing about their companies.

The Community Foundation of Louisville has been proud to host the Vogt Awards program for more than half of the Foundation’s existence. The Vogt Awards has been a spark that ignites dreams, a bridge connecting generations of innovators, and a cornerstone of Louisville’s entrepreneurial community. The program’s legacy is visible in the businesses that remain rooted in Louisville, the founders who pay it forward, and the community that rallies behind each new cohort.

Interested in learning more about the Vogt Awards? Join the Community Foundation of Louisville for Demo Day at the Kentucky Derby Museum on November 13^th from 5:30 -8:30 p.m. to meet the founders, learn about this year’s early-stage businesses, and meet this amazing network of people chasing their dreams and supporting one another in the process. And if you are a successful founder looking for ways to contribute back into this community that has helped you on your path to success, we encourage you to think about how the Community Foundation of Louisville can help establish your legacy in much the same way Henry V. Heuser Sr. did in creating the Vogt Awards.

Chelsea VanHook is Executive Director of Impact Investing and Lexi Locke-Vincent is Manager of Marketing & Communications at the Community Foundation of Louisville.