Fondly called the “NKY thrives revival” by our stakeholders, NKY thrives’ origin story began in fall of 2011 as a custom recruitment publication that provided quality of life info for newly relocated companies while counteracting a sometimes negative portrayal from traditional media about life on the south side of the river.
After a robust start — and then a bit of a sputter — a redesigned NKY thrives resumed mid-2015 with support from Vision 2015, which became Skyward that year. The publication provided strong communication messaging to make “Northern Kentucky thrive” by connecting education, wellness, business, and culture in innovative, inclusive, and productive ways.
In the two years since Skyward’s director Bill Scheyer's retirement, a new organizational ecosystem has taken hold in NKY. Seasoned and emerging talent alike are rejuvenating economic and community development in NKY, providing countless stories of transformation. Which is where we come [back] in.
NKY thrives will explore the people who are working to better the region by leading the path to a new economy; the entrepreneurs starting and growing businesses here, and the innovators and the problems-solvers who are catalysts for change.
NKY thrives is available online at www.nkythrives.com. Sign up to become a subscriber on any page of our site for a free email with a monthly wrap up of stories.
Operated by Issue Media Group, NKY thrives re-joins a family of publications across the state and nation. The Michigan-based company started 12 years ago with Model D in Detroit, and went on to launch more than 20 similar online magazines as far west as Denver and as far south as Tampa. Soapbox Cincinnati, which launched in 2008, is also a publication of Issue Media Group. NKY thrives content will be created and managed in partnership with Soapbox Media.
Patrice Watson is publisher of Soapbox Cincinnati and NKY thrives. Patrice brings 23 years of journalism experience — including a decade-long stewardship of Cincinnati Magazine as publisher — plus years of business development and management with three of our region's top radio stations. She joined Issue Media Group in 2016.
Soapbox Managing Editor, Jessica Esemplare, will oversee NKY thrives and a team of writers and photographers. Jessica is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Shortly after completing her degree in magazine journalism, she began covering local and regional topics at The Cincinnati Herald and, later, as an editor at Ohio Magazine. Her Ohio-based writing has also been featured in U.S. News and World Report. Jessica took over the editorial helm this summer.
Joining Jessica on the NKY thrives team are Soapbox contributors and veteran journalists:
Carey Hoffman has been a Cincinnati-area native for nearly all his life. He has written about numerous subjects involving almost every Greater Cincinnati area neighborhood, and enjoys history — both local and beyond — reading, anything to do with golf, most things related to basketball, and all things that make our area a more interesting and better place.
Kareem Simpson, who was raised in the inner city of Covington, Kentucky, is an author, innovator, community enthusiast, military veteran, serial entrepreneur, foodie, and lover of all things creative.
David Holthaus is an award-winning journalist, Cincinnati native, and father of three. When not writing or editing, he's likely to be bicycling, hiking, reading, or watching classic movies.
Liz McEwan is a proud wife, mama, urbanite, musician and blogger. Liz was our lead Soapbox writer for the embedded Covington On the Ground series in 2017. Follow her at The Walking Green and on twitter at @thewalkinggreen.
Joe Simon, is a Cincinnati native and freelance photographer whose work includes wildlife, landscapes, fine art, architecture, commercial photography, portraits, and events. His work has been published in The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Catholic Telegraph, Xavier Magazine, Food Network Magazine, Cincy Business, and Soapbox.
NKY thrives is funded through grants and sponsors underwriting coverage of focus areas that are crucial to attracting transformative talent to NKY, including business + innovation; nonprofits + philanthropy; health + wellness; and jobs + workforce development, plus neighborhood stories archived in 23 communities stretching across Campbell, Kenton, and Boone counties. Our supporting funders are part of an editorial advisory that meets regularly as our sounding board, however they do not assign, approve, or review content. NKY thrives unilaterally maintains editorial independence.
To contact NKY thrives, email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.