Kentucky’s growth depends on businesses leading solutions that create opportunities, strengthen communities, and drive the state forward. With its next chapter, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation is expanding its impact across the Commonwealth, guided by its strengthened purpose: unlock the power of business, accelerate solutions, and build opportunity in Kentucky.
“This next chapter marks a defining moment in our work, demonstrating the growing impact of business-led solutions across Kentucky. We are proud of what we have accomplished alongside our partners and Chamber members, and this reintroduction builds on that foundation. When employers engage with the Foundation, they help unlock solutions that extend beyond individual companies and create a thriving future for the entire Commonwealth and its people,” said Kentucky Chamber Foundation Senior Vice President Beth Davisson.
The Foundation advances this purpose through three core areas:
- Driving Collaborative, Business-Led Solutions: Uniting employers and partners to solve Kentucky’s most pressing challenges.
- Expanding Opportunity by Strengthening Communities: Creating pathways for Kentuckians to learn, work, and thrive by addressing barriers to prosperity through employer-driven action.
- Building for Tomorrow: Focusing on future trends, bold ideas, and long-term strategies that shape Kentucky’s next chapter.
Delivering Solutions
Since 2017, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation has worked to strengthen Kentucky’s workforce, education, and communities through employer-led solutions that expand opportunity and drive economic growth. Through its workforce initiatives, the Foundation has trained 358 employers, connected 1,743 Kentuckians to jobs, and partnered with more than 650 employers across 70 industries to grow their workforce. Through its education initiatives, the Foundation has engaged 1,055 educators and impacted 52,845 students statewide, helping connect classrooms with careers and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. It has also created 600 post-high-school workforce placements in partnership with businesses across the state. Here are a few examples of impact:
- Opening Pathways for Students – When Kentucky students step off the school bus and into a business, their future starts to come into focus. With support from AT&T and Toyota, Bus to Business® gave thousands of students a behind-the-scenes look at careers in tech, manufacturing, health care, and more. Through initiatives like this, the Foundation is aligning education with workforce needs and building Kentucky’s talent pipeline.
- Investing in Health Care Talent – Kentucky’s health care system depends on a steady pipeline of skilled workers. In 2025, Baptist Health and UK HealthCare – King’s Daughters played a central role in the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Health Care Accelerator, aligning education with workforce needs across the Commonwealth. This work, in partnership with the Kentucky Hospital Association, strengthens critical industries and ensures Kentuckians have access to the care they need.
- Expanding Second Chances – Kentucky businesses are breaking down barriers to employment and building second chances. In 2025, employers like Goodwill Kentucky, Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), and Fifth Third Bank joined the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Fair Chance Academy to learn how to recruit and retain justice-involved Kentuckians. By expanding opportunity for workers, the Foundation is helping employers meet demand and communities grow stronger.
- Strengthening the Veteran Workforce – Businesses are finding mission-ready talent in Kentucky’s military community. Through the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Military Hiring Academy, employers like Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and UPS have learned how to translate military experience, improve retention, and build veteran-friendly workplaces. This work connects skilled veterans to careers in Kentucky while helping businesses strengthen their workforce.
- Empowering School Leaders to Strengthen Student Success – Businesses across Kentucky are making critical investments to strengthen school leadership and build stronger communities. Through the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Institute for School Principals Program, in partnership with Truist Leadership Institute, the business community has invested more than $4.4 million to train over 600 principals across 112 counties. In Henderson County, 18 principals have participated in the program, leading to notable gains in student achievement and two schools earning National Blue Ribbon distinctions. This investment helps ensure students are set up for future success.
To learn more about the Foundation’s next chapter and its impact across the Commonwealth, visit www.kychamberfoundation.org or watch the below video:
