Let me just start this blog post by declaring that 2014’s Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame was the best Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame yet. Maybe because it was the first one I had been to. All jokes aside, this year’s event, held at the Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center in Louisville, was definitely worthy of praise.

It kicked off with a cocktail hour. Nearly 250 attendees gathered around the space to mingle and chat. Professors rubbed shoulders with entrepreneurs while past Hall of Fame inductees shared stories with the future inductees. The crowd seemed to want cocktail hours instead of a cocktail hour since the mingling was too good.

After taking their seats, MC Bobby Clark introduced Awesome Inc’s very own Brian Raney to give a speech. Brian stood behind the podium and orated like Abe Lincoln in his prime. His speech about resilience definitely resonated with the number of entrepreneurs and successful people in the crowd. The Emerging Entrepreneurs were introduced shortly after Brian’s speech.

Speaking of resiliency, Ankur Gopal, one of the Emerging Entrepreneurs, joked that it only took him five and a half years to be recognized as an Emerging Entrepreneur. Nate Morris and Jennifer Mackin were also introduced as Emerging Entrepreneurs with their ventures in sustainability and consulting, respectively. Hopefully, we’ll see these three names again in the Hall of Fame in the future.

Four entrepreneurial heavyweights were inducted shortly after the Emerging Entrepreneurs delivered their speeches. Every one of these men made positive impacts in their communities.

James Booth was the first of the quartet to be inducted. His story as a young undergraduate working in the coal mines is something that many modern college students would find difficult to emulate. The coal industry was where he got his start. He later moved into nearly every other business in Martin County providing jobs for around 40% of the county.

Junior Bridgeman followed James Booth. As a UK student, I have to admit that it was odd to applaud for a former Louisville basketball player but Mr. Bridgeman’s successes stemmed much further than the basketball court. Kidding aside, Bridgeman’s fruitful endeavors in the restaurant industry made him a surefire inductee in the Hall of Fame. His mix of faith and business savvy pushed him to be the best in his field.

Outback founder, Chris Sullivan, was inducted after Mr. Bridgeman. He reminisced about his fraternity days with his brother, (insert name here). The focus of his speech was on giving back to the men and women working for him. It was definitely something the young entrepreneurs in the building wanted to follow.

John Williams, founder of Computer Services Inc., closed off the event by telling a story of how he started the company. His humility was inspiring especially considering his achievements in the tech industry. As a current accounting student, it was reassuring to see someone with an Accounting degree from the University of Kentucky on the stage.

Every one these entrepreneurs deserved to be recognized not only for their accomplishments but also for their contributions to their community. All entrepreneurs would gain from listening to their stories whether it’s James Booth with Martin County, Junior Bridgeman with his faith, Chris Sullivan’s focus on the people, or John Williams and his humility. The Class of 2014 made this year’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame one of the best ones yet. And it wasn’t because it was my first time going.

Lastly, if you want to see a video recap of the event, it’s currently in the works. I’ll let you know when it’s out. Thanks to everyone who organized this event!