LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- He is the kind of entrepreneur Louisville business leaders would like to see more of.
Louisville native Jonathan Erwin spent 20 years away from his hometown.
"I spent a lot of time away from Louisville in Silicon Valley with California-based companies," he said.
But a couple of years ago, he came back to Louisville to start a high-tech company, Red e App. During that time, he and a couple of other employees worked out of local coffee shops.
"Building and innovating and doing things that really are creating a new business climate in the city," he said.
Just in the past month, Erwin moved his company into a beautifully restored building in the city's ever-growing, ever-popular NuLu area along E. Market Street.
"There are a lot of entrepreneurs down here," said Erwin, "which is really the big reason we came down here."
There are no cubicles in the Red e App offices. Erwin has created an open space that he says encourages innovation.
"It's a unique space that allows us to interact more, but also has enough room to spend some time apart, so we love it," he said.
There is even a ping-pong table to unwind from the daily pressures of work.
"At the end of the workday we often come over here and play a game or two."
Red e App works with companies to create mobile communication networks so companies can better communicate with their workers.
He explained, "With technology and smart devices, we can touch them much more, we can provide them the appreciation, respect and accolades on a real-time basis."
Erwin believes Louisville is a good place for start-up high-tech companies; but it is not quite Silicon Valley just yet.
"We need a few more risk takers, a few more people who want to study and take risks as they get out of school," he said.
Right now Red e App has just 10 employees, but Erwin has big dreams for his company, so the sky is the limit.
"We think we can get as big as Microsoft, quite honestly," he smiles.
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