IMPACT & WINS • HOW WE HELP • CASE STUDIES
Babbage Cofounder is a leading, award-winning consulting and advocacy firm with deep expertise across industries and government.
Based in Kentucky and Washington DC, Babbage Cofounder has a highly recognized record of success in government affairs, public relations, business development, and association management.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Direct legislative and executive advocacy
Decision management
Policy research & analysis
Local, state, national expertise
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Procurement
Relationship management
New market identification
Capital campaigns
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Strategic messaging & media relations
Crisis management
Brand awareness
ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT
Coalition building and grassroots organization
Strategic and financial planning
Staff augmentation
Impact
& Wins
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Expansion of Historic Property Tax Credit: To address statewide housing shortages, historic properties needed dramatically increased incentives for redevelopment. The Babbage team collaborated with industry stakeholders to reinstate and expand the tax credit pool through signature tax reform legislation (HB 8). This effort increased the maximum permissible tax credit twenty-five times to $10 million, providing a crucial tool for redevelopment and creating a $100 million annual impact.
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Recycling Statute Update: The recyclable material sector, including the scrap metal industry, was hampered by outdated and overly burdensome statutes regarding material waste disposal. BC coordinated action across affected industries to develop more technology-current and business-friendly laws. Babbage secured bipartisan legislative support and executive action (HB 79), successfully creating a more industry-friendly operating environment.
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Practice Act Modernization: A healthcare professional society needed to update its decades-old practice act but required negotiations and consensus among four related healthcare professions. The Babbage team directed these complex, successful negotiations across the four groups. This effort paved the way for overwhelming bicameral support and the final passage of SB 125, earning the client national recognition.
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Hiring Law Updates: Persistent shortages in health provider hiring necessitated changing employment conditions and cutting red tape related to the qualifications of public health commissioners. The Babbage team led the campaign to make necessary statute changes (SB 111), requiring buy-in and consensus from all 61 health departments and related stakeholders. BC successfully negotiated compromises among these diverse entities, leading to the final passage of the law.
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Child Advocacy Record Funding: A child advocacy nonprofit was left out of the state budget year after year. They required significant funding increase to expand its presence into high-need areas, particularly where child abuse statistics were high. The Babbage team initiated a campaign to educate the General Assembly on the program's value. After the initial appropriation, Babbage has helped them secure nearly $10 million, a 70% increase in the total amount, allowing the program to expand to 30 new counties.
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Energy Tax Credit: A mid-sized solar company discovered that a new clean energy tax credit in their state only applied to utility-scale projects. They hired a lobbyist to advocate for distributed solar to be included in the program. After weeks of targeted meetings and a legislative amendment, small-scale solar providers were added—opening up millions in new revenue.
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Alcohol Shipping: The state’s signature beverage industries needed updated legislation to allow for direct-to-consumer shipping while ensuring market parity for both in-state and out-of-state producers. Babbage played a key role in the statewide campaign, consulting with leaders in all affected trades. Continued outreach secured the passage of the first-ever direct-to-consumer shipping bill (HB 415), resulting in substantial positive policy changes for distillers, winemakers, and brewers.
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Access to Pharmaceuticals: Patients suffering from severely inhibiting neurological conditions required immediate access to spasticity-reducing medicines upon their FDA approval, avoiding state-level policy delays. We worked across legislative chambers and executive agencies to pass HB 307, which cleared the path for accessing these life-changing medications. The new law ensures efficient implementation and also positions the state to benefit from research in its expanding hemp and CBD industry.
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Historic Broadband Expansion: "Last mile" broadband deployment needed historic infrastructure investment to connect underserved homes across the state. Babbage’s coalition efforts persuaded the General Assembly to allocate a massive $300 million toward broadband development. This investment, matched by private corporations, constitutes one of the state's most significant infrastructure projects aimed at expanding connectivity.
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Commercial Airport State Appropriation: Commercial transportation hubs needed major infrastructure and facility upgrades due to increased traffic but lacked prior state funding. The Babbage team led a coalition that commissioned a study and successfully lobbied the General Assembly for their first-ever state funding appropriation. This effort secured a total of $35 million for commercial airports, including the largest single appropriation ($20 million) for Babbage's specific client.
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Aerospace Funding: The state’s $15 billion aerospace industry required significant workforce development, necessitating the expansion of a key educational non-profit. The Babbage team led a strategic advocacy campaign, organizing key PR events to showcase the organization's impact to legislators. This successful effort secured $4 million for the non-profit to relocate and expand its Aerospace Education Center and camps, supporting the future workforce.
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Economic Development Project: An international company sought to expand its regional footprint but needed strong local relationships and strategic alignment to move forward. Our team built a coalition of key community and state leaders to generate meaningful stakeholder support while also negotiating competitive economic incentives at both levels of government. The result: a successful expansion that strengthened the workforce, attracted new investment, and delivered lasting economic impact for the region.
Industries We Serve
Agribusiness
Aviation
Biotech
Budget & Appropriations
Chronic Disease
Civic & Community Advancements
Criminal Justice
Cybersecurity
Economic Development
Education
Energy & Environment
Financial Services
Healthcare
Housing & Real Estate
Manufacturing
Nonprofit & Human Services
Private Equity & Startups
Public Health
Public Safety
Sports & Entertainment
Tax Policy
Technology
Telecommunications & Broadband
Tourism & Hospitality
Transportation & Infrastructure
How We Help
A Real Estate Developer
engaged us to reform local zoning rules that stalled a much-needed housing project.
A Regional Transportation Coalition
partnered with us to pursue infrastructure dollars for public transit improvement.
A Digital Platform
hired us to help shape fair regulation of interactive online products.
A Professional Association
hired us to manage their core executive functions – operations, finance, advocacy, membership, education and communication.
A University
sought our help to protect higher education research funding during looming budget cuts.
Industries We Serve
Agribusiness
Aviation
Biotech
Budget & Appropriations
Chronic Disease
Civic & Community Advancements
Criminal Justice
Cybersecurity
Economic Development
Education
Energy & Environment
Financial Services
Healthcare
Housing & Real Estate
Manufacturing
Nonprofit & Human Services
Private Equity & Startups
Public Health
Public Safety
Sports & Entertainment
Tax Policy
Technology
Telecommunications & Broadband
Tourism & Hospitality
Transportation & Infrastructure
It’s Never Too Early To Hire A Lobbyist.
CASE STUDY
A statewide coalition hired us to launch a grant matching program that thus far has unlocked $1.6 billion in federal funds— an 8x ROI on state dollars to date, and a new national model.
Model Billion-Dollar Grant Matching Program
Local governments and nonprofits needed access to historic levels of federal grant funding but lacked the matching dollars and infrastructure required. Our team led the establishment of the GRANT Program. This work resulted in a $200 million appropriation in 2024, enabling the state to realize over $1.6 billion to date in federal funds for development, an 8x return on investment, and solidifying the program as a national model.
CASE STUDY
A national energy infrastructure company hired us to create new safety and zoning standards that made Kentucky a national leader in pipeline development policy.
Creation of Model Pipeline Legislation
With rapid business and housing expansion occurring, there was a need for improved communications among property developers, owners, and pipeline operators to maximize public safety. Babbage directed the creation of model pipeline development legislation (HB 195) that established guidance for developer-operator collaboration in planning and zoning processes. This policy maximizes government efficiencies and safety, making Kentucky only the second state to pass these specific guidelines.
CASE STUDY
A public health network hired us to lead a comprehensive overhaul that redefined how communities are funded and served statewide.
Public Health Overhaul and Funding
The state's declining health statistics and inefficient model required a major overhaul of public health programs that had repeatedly stalled. Babbage was instrumental in leading consistent conversations that resulted in the bipartisan Public Health Transformation (PHT) legislation. We secured critical funding campaigns, delivering $115 million in 2022 and $148 million in 2024 to local health departments, making PHT a nationally recognized gold standard program.
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