KY FOUNDERS SPOTLIGHT: Nick Dokich – KY Innovation

Nick Dokich is founder and CEO of Covington-based Ulimi.  

What does Ulimi do? 

We are a software development company that makes smart software for the future of work. From workforce performance management, to recognition, and apprenticeship, we leverage technology to give back time to the working population. 

Click360 is our workforce management, performance review, and apprenticeship software. ULIMI – Reach is our automation employee engagement via texting software.  

We also build custom voice and chat applications. 

What sets Ulimi apart? 

We are not a Silicon Valley firm. We are all practitioners and have been working with this demographic for over 10 years. Our operational background allows us to create better software because we understand how to make technology work for you. We are the first voice-first software company in the Midwest and have been making bots for business processes for many years. 

What was the greatest challenge you encountered in launching your startup and how did you overcome it? 

Consumer education. The term AI is thrown around a lot. So we have to help customers figure out what makes sense to automate. Software should be there to aide in your day-to-day activities, not cause you to track things in multiple spots, or copy/paste data from one spreadsheet to the other.  

Now we can program an actual assistant for you. Teaching consumers that AI was not going to take their jobs was one of the hardest. 

What are you most proud of about Ulimi? 

Being able to affect change and give back time to America’s working population. With ULIMI – Reach we were able to automate COVID daily health checks and make sure that workers were safe. But giving time back is even more valuable as time is a resource we never get back.  

What piece of advice do you have for new founders – or – what have you learned that you wish you’d known when launching a startup? 

It takes a lot more patience than you can imagine. Make sure you validate your idea. And sometimes the less sexy/cool thing is actually the better business opportunity. 

What is the most important ingredient or ingredients for a thriving startup? 

Trust from each of your team members in each other. The ability to communicate during rough seas. And cash flow. 

What makes Kentucky a great place to innovate? 

Partially the necessity. There are workforce issues across the country, but KY is one of the places even more impacted. The majority of US manufacturing is around KY and it is a great place to be able to innovate and iterate on an idea. 

KY provides a lot of resources at the local and state level to help out entrepreneurs. Also, there is a great motivated working population with a Midwest attitude. 

Opportunity for growth and the ability to really affect change in your community. In KY you really can roll up your sleeves and help out. We are all working towards the same things and the companionship you get from your business connections feel more authentic than in other places. 

Find out more about Ulimi by visiting https://ulimidoes.com/. 

Know a startup founder or entrepreneur with a story to tell about their journey? Send your ideas to [email protected].