Lisa Bajorinas

Lisa Bajorinas is a passionate startup and community builder advising innovation-driven, technology-based companies using lean startup methodologies and assisting with their business model, customer acquisition, capital access, and strategic introductions.  Through the Community Foundation of Louisville, Lisa serves as Vogt Invention and Innovation Awards Program Director, working with the accelerator program to provide grant funding, coaching, mentorship, and business programs to an annual cohort of early-stage businesses with the ability to scale quickly. Lisa and members of her team led the program’s transformation in 2009 towards its current accelerator format, and in 2020, she was contracted with the Foundation to continue championing innovation and supporting Louisville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Vogt Awards.

Within her full-time role at KSTC, Lisa is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Innovation Hubs, a collaboration of six regional centers across the state with the purpose of driving economic development through entrepreneurship and innovation.  Serving as each region’s front door for entrepreneurial support services, Lisa leads the Hubs in their provision of coaching, connections, and accountability for entrepreneurs with the objective of increasing the number of high-growth, knowledge-based businesses started in Kentucky that can obtain investment, develop, and scale.

Previously Lisa led Louisville-based EnterpriseCorp, an entrepreneurial support organization.  She directed the Louisville region of the Kentucky Innovation Network and co-founded the Louisville Enterprise Angels, adding to the culture of Louisville’s vibrant startup community.

Lisa’s career began in the travel tech industry in Miami through successive positions in technology, software project management, and marketing, and eventually led her to a product marketing role in Silicon Valley with BroadVision while managing a global team of software developers located in Nice, France. She holds a BA in organizational psychology and an MBA, both from the University of Miami (FL).