Jason Allen (Callsign "DIGI") - Executive Director
Jason Allen (Callsign "DIGI") - Executive Director
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Jason is a seasoned professional with a strong background in both the operational and marketing sides of small businesses, paired with a proven record of technical innovation in CNC machining and 3D printing for custom sign-making and prototyping. But his real edge goes far beyond technical chops — Jason has an innate gift for communication, vision-building, and fostering structures that help ideas take flight.
Currently, Jason serves as the Executive Director of the Franklin Center for Innovation, where he’s expanded the center’s reach and relevance by building bridges between local businesses, educators, and makers — ensuring that cutting-edge technology, hands-on education, and community-driven problem-solving stay within everyone’s grasp.
Recently, Jason has doubled down on this mission with ambitious new projects. He founded the Drone Flight School, giving students and hobbyists alike a structured path to mastering drone piloting and commercial certifications. He also launched an Online Community, a dynamic hub for drone enthusiasts, students, and professionals to connect, share resources, and push UAV innovation forward together. This spring, Jason took his hands-on STEM approach all the way to Unalakleet, Alaska, where he participated in a STEM Camp that gave local students a chance to dive into drone tech and real-world applications in one of the most remote parts of the country — showing that innovation shouldn’t be limited by geography.
Before his current role, Jason spent two and a half years transforming an innovative high school program in Fayette County. There, he developed the “5 P’s” framework — Proposal, Pattern-Making, Prototyping, Production, and Presentation — to guide students through every phase of turning ideas into reality. He pioneered community-engaged learning, championed cross-disciplinary projects, and built student leadership models that emphasized real responsibility and specialization.
On the organizational side, Jason was instrumental in restructuring The Learning Center into product-based departments, launching a dedicated “Department of Innovation” where every classroom was a step in a seamless pipeline from concept to execution. He tied student roles directly to project deliverables, building a culture of accountability and community pride — all showcased in regular public exhibitions of student work.
Jason’s knack for forging partnerships and telling the story behind the mission has brought in donations and support ranging from high-end tech like CNC machines and 3D printers to collaborations with major players like the University of Kentucky Solar Car Team and Microsoft. His blend of technical skill, entrepreneurial grit, and community-first mindset continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible when education, innovation, and real-world impact intersect.
LinkedIn Profile - 502-401-9300 - fcfi.space@gmail.com
Jason is dedicated to sharing the power of drone technology with anyone that is interested.
Jason Allen's callsign, "DIGI," comes from his deep roots in the world of digital fabrication—a space he's helped shape for years. From CNC machining to 3D printing and laser cutting, DIGI has been in the trenches, not just running the tools but building the systems and teaching others how to use them. He’s spent decades turning digital designs into physical reality, empowering students, makers, and entrepreneurs to prototype, build, and innovate. The name "DIGI" isn’t just a nod to his technical chops—it’s a badge earned through hands-on hustle and a relentless drive to push technology into the hands of the community.
Caption: Jason R. Allen, just a guy in a T-shirt and cap, leads a group of excited kids at Drone Flight School STEM Camp in Unalakleet, Alaska—proving that with a drone, a smile, and a little curiosity, the sky really is the limit.
The Backstory — I was born on May 10, 1972 — brown hair (now touched with a bit of gray), brown eyes, and a restless spirit that has carried me through more towns, jobs, and unexpected turns than I can count. I grew up in a small farm town in Illinois, where wide fields and quiet roads taught me freedom early, and where curiosity became my compass. School never quite fit — my mind was always somewhere else, busy sketching possibilities and building worlds too big for a textbook. Art was my first language, giving form to the noise and ideas swirling in my head.
Structure found me through the police explorers program and later in the U.S. Army, where I served as a psychiatric specialist. Those years taught me something priceless: people are endlessly complex, fragile, and resilient — and worth understanding. After that, I let my restless nature lead the way. I’ve worn countless job titles, lived in more zip codes than I’d ever confess, and followed every spark that promised to keep life from growing dull.
Through all of it, one thing has remained constant Meredith Kendall Allen, my wife since July 10, 1999, and the steady anchor through every wild chapter. Together, we share our greatest adventure yet: our child, Salem, who reminds us daily why this unpredictable, beautiful life is worth living fully.
After years of chasing the horizon, we finally planted roots in Frankfort, Kentucky and for the past decade, this place has been our home base, our launchpad, our community. It’s here that we’ve found the rhythm to keep dreaming bigger, building boldly, and living with the kind of purpose that turns ordinary days into extraordinary ones.
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