March Madness is here… and thankfully both UofL and UK men’s teams survived to advance. Now the women’s teams take the floor tomorrow. Next week gets a lot more interesting if they’re still playing. 🤞 🏀
Big thanks to the UofL College of Business for hosting their networking event at The Royal Room this week. Great to see the room full of leaders connecting.
The clear local moment this week had to be One Louisville’s inaugural annual meeting. The merger of GLI and LEDA is now official, Trevor Pawl brought the big energy and it was fun seeing Lance Mann involved in half the program.
And I heard security lines at the Louisville airport were no joke this week (see 🎥 here). Hopefully you already have TSA-Pre or Clear… those two and TripIt ‘s mobile app are my travel musts.
Hot job 💼: Sr. Customer Marketing Manager (Events) at Honeywell ($142K–$178K). Lead major customer event strategy at one of Louisville’s largest global technology employers.
📈 Number: 37 is the number of acres suprisingly available for development in Douglass Hills. Plans to bring apartments and a grocery store are out.
As always, I appreciate you reading. 👊
-Todd
One Louisville Is Here. And It Looks a Lot Like What Worked Before.
Wednesday night, 1,200 people gathered for One Louisville's inaugural annual meeting, one of the largest business events of the year in our city.
For those catching up: One Louisville is the newly merged entity combining GLI and LEDA. One organization. One mission. CEO Trevor Pawl said it best: make the Louisville region the best place in America to build a company, a career, and a fulfilling life.
I have a long personal history with GLI. I consulted with them for seven years and eventually incubated a business inside their offices. What I'd add to the story they told Wednesday night: GLI originally housed both the chamber and economic development under one roof. This merger returns to that model, and history shows it worked. The key now is ensuring One Louisville operates as a strong partner to city government while remaining independent.
They also played a video featuring a dozen community leaders reflecting on GLI's history. The story that stopped the room involved the push to build what is now the KFC Yum! Center. David Jones Sr. was against it. Joe Reagan and Bill Samuels of Maker's Mark both tried to bring him around and couldn't get there.
Pawl brings the energy this role has needed. He relocated his family from Detroit just over a year ago and told 1,200 people Wednesday that Louisville is the best bet he's ever made. I'm rooting for him and you should too.
There are three ways to plug in: become a paying member, show up to their events, or join this October's GLIDE trip to Raleigh-Durham with 150 of Louisville's top leaders. We went to Milwaukee last year (and wrote about it here) and it was worth every minute.
⚡ Spark Take
It was great to see so many familiar faces in that room Wednesday night. And the arena story alone made it worth being there. Louisville's biggest wins have always come from someone deciding to stop fighting and start building. One Louisville exists to be that force. We're glad it's back.
It was great to see so many familiar faces in that room Wednesday night. And the arena story alone made it worth being there. Louisville's biggest wins have always come from someone deciding to stop fighting and start building. One Louisville exists to be that force. We're glad it's back.
Presented by: Zach Bryan in Louisville
Zach Bryan is bringing his With Heaven On Tour stop to Louisville this spring for what’s shaping up to be one of the biggest live shows of the year at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
Expect a packed stadium, sing-along moments, and the kind of night fans will be talking about all summer. Grab your tickets before they’re gone.
🗓 Saturday, April 11 | 7:00 PM
📍 L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
📍 L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
⚡️ Spark Take: Stadium shows like this don’t come around often. If you’ve been waiting for a big spring concert night in Louisville, this is it.
🎉 Birthday Cheers
Birthday love for some local standouts.
Christian Miller
Managing Partner at Bluegrass Alpha Partners
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Laura Oatley
Owner/Partner at Keller Williams Collective
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Casey Sokoler
Realtor at simpler.realestate
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Lucy Weaver
Vice President, Private Banking at Central Bank
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🏢 Louisville Spark Job Board
Who’s hiring in Louisville? 5 trending jobs.
ServiceNow Administrator
Farm Credit Mid-America | $82K–$178K
Manage and enhance ServiceNow workflows supporting enterprise technology operations across a major regional financial institution.
Farm Credit Mid-America | $82K–$178K
Manage and enhance ServiceNow workflows supporting enterprise technology operations across a major regional financial institution.
NetSuite Administrator - Finance & Order Operations
Quicksilver Scientific | $120K–$150K
Own NetSuite configuration and support finance and order operations at a fast-growing health sciences company.
Quicksilver Scientific | $120K–$150K
Own NetSuite configuration and support finance and order operations at a fast-growing health sciences company.
Logistics Manager
Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited | $95K–$110K
Lead logistics planning and distribution operations supporting pharmaceutical supply chains across North America.
Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited | $95K–$110K
Lead logistics planning and distribution operations supporting pharmaceutical supply chains across North America.
Culture and Engagement Manager
FBT Gibbons | $105K–$135K
Drive employee engagement strategy and internal culture initiatives inside a nationally recognized construction firm.
FBT Gibbons | $105K–$135K
Drive employee engagement strategy and internal culture initiatives inside a nationally recognized construction firm.
PHP Developer
Galen College of Nursing | $100K–$103K
Build and maintain web applications supporting digital learning infrastructure for one of the region’s fastest-growing nursing colleges.
Galen College of Nursing | $100K–$103K
Build and maintain web applications supporting digital learning infrastructure for one of the region’s fastest-growing nursing colleges.
⚡ Spark Highlights
New Role - Ben Smock joins LPX Group
New Role - Neville Blakemore joins Murphy Mid-South 🔒
New Restaurant - New Italian restaurant coming to the Highlands 🎥
New Concept - James Beard semifinalist opens tasting room
Media Move - WHAS-TV acquired in giant merger 🔒
Staying Put - Akiko's Karaoke Bar now to stay open 🔒
Presented by: The Royal Room
Your team meetings deserve better than a conference room. This week, Farm Credit Mid-America leader Kevin Frey brought his team to The Royal Room for their semi-annual off-site. Learn more here about hosting your important meetings and events.
📆 What’s Sparking This Weekend
We found the fun, so you don’t have to.
Saturday, March 21
🍄 The Art of Mushrooms
2:00 PM @ Ashbourne Farms | $101
A guided culinary and educational experience centered on mushrooms at one of the region's most beautiful farm destinations.
2:00 PM @ Ashbourne Farms | $101
A guided culinary and educational experience centered on mushrooms at one of the region's most beautiful farm destinations.
🎭 Shakespeare in the Libraries: The Tempest • Portland Library
2:00 PM @ Portland Branch Library | Free
Kentucky Shakespeare brings The Tempest to the library for a free community performance of one of the Bard's most magical plays.
2:00 PM @ Portland Branch Library | Free
Kentucky Shakespeare brings The Tempest to the library for a free community performance of one of the Bard's most magical plays.
🎶 Dirtwire
8:00 PM @ Headliners Music Hall | $34
Expect a genre-bending live show blending electronic beats, global folk sounds, and high-energy instrumentation at Headliners.
8:00 PM @ Headliners Music Hall | $34
Expect a genre-bending live show blending electronic beats, global folk sounds, and high-energy instrumentation at Headliners.
Sunday, March 22
👒 Kentucky Derby Museum Hat Show
10:00 AM @ Kentucky Derby Museum | $75
Get a stylish head start on Derby season with a hat-focused experience celebrating one of Louisville's most iconic traditions.
10:00 AM @ Kentucky Derby Museum | $75
Get a stylish head start on Derby season with a hat-focused experience celebrating one of Louisville's most iconic traditions.
🍣 Handroll Sushi With Chef Sunshine
2:00 PM @ Butchertown Brewing | $70
Learn to make handroll sushi in a hands-on cooking class that mixes technique, flavor, and a fun Sunday afternoon out.
2:00 PM @ Butchertown Brewing | $70
Learn to make handroll sushi in a hands-on cooking class that mixes technique, flavor, and a fun Sunday afternoon out.
🎸 moe.
7:30 PM @ Kentucky Center for the Arts | $42
Jam-band favorites moe. bring an improvisational live set packed with musicianship, energy, and plenty of longtime fan appeal.
7:30 PM @ Kentucky Center for the Arts | $42
Jam-band favorites moe. bring an improvisational live set packed with musicianship, energy, and plenty of longtime fan appeal.
🏡 House Hunt Highlights
Two of the best new listings to hit the market. Click the photos to explore.
🌲 Private Log Estate
2212 Ballard School Road, La Grange 40031 | 4,989 square feet | 5 beds, 4 baths | $1,195,000
A custom log estate on 16 private acres with vaulted ceilings, an A-frame wall of windows, handcrafted stonework, and sweeping pasture views. The outdoor setup adds even more appeal with a firepit, grilling area, and stone pizza oven.
Listed by: Keren Benabou, REMAX
✨ Modern Gated Living
2902 Megan Thompson Way, Louisville 40211 | 1,919 square feet | 3 beds, 3 baths | $614,900
Fresh new construction in a gated, maintenance-free community with crisp modern architecture, upscale finishes, a spacious island kitchen, and a first-floor primary suite. Close to St. Matthews, Oxmoor, golf, and plenty of dining options.
Listed by: Cole Thompson, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices, Parks & Weisberg Realtors
🥃 Final Sip
Apologies for sending this a little later than normal tonight. A friend of mine finished last place in our fantasy football league this year, which meant his punishment was performing a 5-minute stand-up comedy set (see 📸 here). It just wrapped up… and honestly it was worth the delay.
Also, quick reminder to do your part this weekend. Louisville has been the #1 television market for watching March Madness 20 of the last 21 years. Let’s keep the streak alive. 🏀📺
