Sept. 23, 2021 —  Two Northern Kentucky University students are featured in Cincy Inno’s "Five Under 25" list, which highlight five Cincinnati-area entrepreneurs under the age of 25 worth watching. All five were nominated by community members.

Graduate student Isaiah Kelly is featured for his company Smoove Creations, a custom shoe and apparel company, while senior Elizabeth “Liz” Shrout is featured for Avasha, a personal styling startup.

Isaiah founded Smoove Creations in 2017. Since then, he has assembled several accolades, including winning the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Cincinnati regional competition twice and winning second place at KY Pitch. Isaiah was also a participant in the Rice Business Plan Competition this past April.

"This originally started out as just a hobby of mine, now it's evolved into something much greater," said Isaiah, who is pursuing is MBA at NKU. "It's great to see years of hard work finally starting pay off."

Liz founded Avasha in 2020 with her friend, Ally Creech. The two worked with NKU faculty members and the INKUBATOR business accelerator program to bring the company, which started as a high school dream, to reality.

 "With the world becoming increasingly dependent on technology and virtual alternatives to services becoming available, the future of Avasha is set up nicely," Liz said. "I want to thank everyone who has helped me in getting this dream off the ground.”

Both Isaiah and Liz are students in NKU’s Haile College of Business. NKU professors and staff congratulated the students on their important recognition, citing the two students as premium examples for entrepreneurial success.   

“Both of these students exemplify exactly what it means to be a student in the Haile College of Business,” said Dean Hassan R. HassabElnaby, Haile College of Business. “They are tireless workers, innovative entrepreneurs and visionaries. I’m so proud of their accomplishments.

More information about NKU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship can be found on its website.

About the Haile College of Business: With more than 2,000 students, the Haile College of Business’ goal is to educate and connect with the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati business community by delivering globally relevant, innovative and sustainable programs and practices. The college offers 12 undergraduate degrees and three master’s level programs. For more information, visit its website.