Southeast Shoutouts | UK Innovate teaming up with Lockheed Martin to drive innovation
NorthMark Strategies announces $2.8 billion investment in Spartanburg County, SC.
From the University of Kentucky:
The University of Kentucky, through UK Innovate, is teaming up with Lockheed Martin to leverage cutting-edge expertise to drive innovation in advancing engineering, materials, energy, and manufacturing technology.
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. With 121,000 employees worldwide and more than 70,000 engineers, scientists, and technologists, the company seeks to increase access to engineering and manufacturing education opportunities to help fill the need for technologists of the future.
Lockheed Martin has more than 1,500 employees in Kentucky, to meet key global security customer needs and support their missions around the world. The company has worked with the State of Kentucky for more than 15 years. This has helped some of the nation’s most important missions across air, land, space, and sea.
In 2024, four of Kentucky’s top exports were related to materials and manufacturing: aerospace products and parts ($13.3 billion), motor vehicles ($3.7 billion), motor vehicle parts ($1.7 billion), and basic chemicals ($1.3 billion).
From Spartanburg, SC:
NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, has announced that the company selected Spartanburg County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The $2.8 billion investment, via its subsidiary Valara Holdings, will create at least 27 new jobs and is expected to utilize regional businesses and suppliers for regular maintenance and operations support.
NorthMark provides strategic advice, asset management, and value-added services to privately owned companies around the world. The Spartanburg facility will be the company’s fifth U.S. operation. It will be located in a former Kohler manufacturing plant and will serve as a state-of-the-art, high-performance computing center designed to support a portfolio of businesses in the engineering and technology sectors. Once operational, the facility will generate its own power on-site, ensuring minimal impact on the power grid.
Initial operations are expected to be online in the third quarter of 2026 with further development phases to follow.
From Winter Garden, FL:
Orlando Inno reports that winning a $100,000 prize at the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command’s annual Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) challenge in October led to an even bigger prize for Winter Garden-based Axiom AI.
An affiliate of the Business Incubation Program at the University of Central Florida left quite an impression at the competition in San Diego. In March, Axiom AI husband-and-wife Co-Founders Richard and Whitney Threlkeld were awarded a two-year, $1.4 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop high-powered artificial intelligence agents.
The contract has enabled the company, which launched in 2022, to grow its workforce to more than 10 employees over the past two months. Axiom AI has hired six new employees and interns at a salary range of $58,000 to $140,000.
From the Commonwealth of Virginia:
Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced the departure of Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick and the appointment of Chief Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura as Secretary.
“When I nominated Caren to be Secretary of Commerce and Trade, I sought a key partner to help us jumpstart Virginia’s economic engine. Since then, more Virginians are working than ever before and more than $100 billion in capital commitments from companies wanting to build their future in Virginia. Her leadership and vision have been instrumental to Virginia’s success,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “As Chief Deputy Secretary, Juan Pablo Segura is the right person to lead the Commerce and Trade team moving forward. His extensive private sector experience and his proven track record within the Commerce and Trade Secretariat will ensure we continue to drive forward, keeping Virginia the very best place to do business.”
From West Palm Beach, FL:
West Palm Beach has officially opened a new co-working space, 1909, which aims to support local entrepreneurs.
Located in the historic Comeau Building, this 9,000 square-foot facility provides a collaborative environment, featuring private offices, conference rooms, and various amenities. With memberships starting at $199 per month, 1909 seeks to alleviate the high costs of doing business in South Florida. Already home to 240 members, the space hopes to foster innovation and creativity among local start-ups, creating a vibrant ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the area.
The facility will host a grand opening on May 10.
From Miami, FL:
In a bold move to close the equity gap in entrepreneurship, Black Ambition, the national initiative founded by Pharrell Williams, is launching a high-impact, 10-week virtual program to fuel the growth of entrepreneurs across Florida.
Backed by a $1 million investment from an anonymous donor, the Fundable Founders Learning Lab is part of a two-year statewide initiative to support 500 Florida-based entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentorship, expert training, and a powerful network—at a time when many support systems for small business owners are disappearing.
The program is open to all entrepreneurs, with a strong emphasis on ensuring founders from underrepresented communities are equipped to build fundable, sustainable ventures. Florida is home to over 1.38 million minority-owned businesses, yet the path to capital and scale remains steep. The Fundable Founders Learning Lab aims to change that narrative—providing tactical training, national exposure, and an on-ramp to the kind of support that turns bold ideas into breakthrough businesses.
“Entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented challenges—from shrinking access to capital to dwindling community resources,” says Felecia Hatcher, Chief Executive Officer of Black Ambition. “This $1 million donation is more than just funding—it’s fuel for a new generation of fundable founders building bold, innovative solutions right here in Florida.”
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