Kris Kimel is President and a founder of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), a non-profit company with an international reputation for designing and implementing a range of innovative initiatives. Over the 21 year life of KSTC dozens of projects have been funded by diverse supporters involving corporations, private foundations, state and federal governments. KSTC funds important R&D and technology commercialization projects at Kentucky universities. It also designed and manages the Kentucky Enterprise Fund (KEF)…an early-stage venture fund which currently holds over 60 equity positions in innovation-driven Kentucky companies. Kimel is a leader behind the vision and implementation of Kentucky Space…a nonprofit enterprise focused on the design, development and application of entrepreneurial and educational space platforms. He is also the founder of the international IdeaFestival® (IF)…a world-class event that attracts leading and highly diverse thinkers from across the nation and around the globe to explore and celebrate innovation, imagination and game-changing ideas.