Lamont Mackley Joins Fellow Community Leaders for WVIZ/PBS Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion
On October 15, JumpStart’s Chief Inclusion and Outreach Officer Lamont Mackley sat down with Brian Hall from Greater Cleveland Partnership and Vanessa Whiting, Board Chair of MetroHealth and President of A.E.S Management for “An Inclusive Economy: What Does That Mean?” part of the Cleveland Connects series. Sponsored by PNC Bank and produced by cleveland.com, The
Hispanic Heritage Month 2019: Talking Culture, Community and Curiosity with Marcia Moreno
Each year from September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration spans two months because Sept.15 marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American nations (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua). Mexico and Chile also celebrate their independence later in the month while Columbus Day—also known as
Meet Our Newest Portfolio Company: Axuall
On September 25, Cleveland startup Axuall closed a $3 million seed financing round. JumpStart led the round with an investment from our Evergreen Fund, and we were joined by large group of prominent investors including Zapis Capital Group, M25, North Coast Angel Fund, Kettledrum Ventures and Drummond Road Capital. Read more about Axuall’s seed round in Crain’s Cleveland Business We’re excited about Axuall because
For Startups, Value Attracts Funding
At the most basic level, you cannot grow a startup without capital. And yet, getting too fixated on the capital-raising process risks losing focus on creating value, which is what potential investors are actually buying. Early-stage investing is a very risky business, which means investors are always looking for some early proof points of value
Meet Cohort Two Of The Northwest Ohio Impact Program
We are excited to announce cohort two of the Northwest Ohio Impact Program! This 12-week business assistance program is designed to drive economic impact in the city of Toledo by helping individuals overcome obstacles to entrepreneurship through hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring. Over the next three months, these five businesses will be learning and working together alongside JumpStart’s Northwest Ohio team
Meet Cohort Eight Of The Core City: Cleveland Impact Program
We are excited to announce cohort eight of the Core City: Cleveland Impact Program! This 12-week business assistance program is designed to drive economic impact in the city of Cleveland by helping individuals overcome obstacles to entrepreneurship through hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring. Over the next three months, these five businesses will be learning and
Zobaida Falah Wins The $10,000 Grand Prize At Our First Northwest Ohio Entrepreneur Showcase
On Tuesday, September 17, Northwest Ohio Impact Program participant Zobaida Falah delivered the winning pitch for her business, CURE during the program’s culminating entrepreneur showcase—taking home the top prize of $10,000. Zobaida Falah created CURE with a goal to “Make Healthy Taste Good” while funding projects to help end world hunger. The company’s CURE bar is
Five Questions with Wes Grudzien of Marketplace Ninjas
Marketplace Ninjas develops strategies for sellers on Amazon to outperform all competition. Founder Wes Grudzien would like to increase his staff and joined the Northwest Ohio Impact Program to gain as much knowledge as possible and solidify his business model. What inspired you to create your business? Marketplace Ninjas actually sprang off from a local
Five Questions with Blair Johnson of BMJ Enterprises
Blair Johnson and BMJ Enterprises have been renovating homes since 2014 and recently expanded into property management and maintenance. Blair would like to provide more jobs locally and joined the Northwest Ohio Impact Program to help him develop a plan to scale his business. What inspired you to create your business? It started off with
Five Questions with Moni Featchurs of Premier Screenings
Launched by entrepreneur Moni Featchurs, Premier Screenings provides inflatable movie-style screens for any outdoor or indoor event. The City of Toledo took notice of the business and became a client in an effort to attract more people to city parks. Moni joined the Northwest Ohio Impact Program to gain new insights on the best way
Five Questions with Zobaida Falah of Cure
Zobaida Falah created Cure with a goal to “Make Healthy Taste Good” while funding projects to help end world hunger. The company’s Cure bar was the first snack bar to include the superfood black seed and Zobaida joined the Northwest Ohio Impact Program to improve her understanding of strategic partnerships and managing a staff. What
Five Questions with Nilanna Thompson of Nilanna’s Studio Nails & Spa
Founded by Nilanna Thompson in 2016, this full-service nail spa (complete with a wax and eyelash boutique) has grown rapidly by gaining the trust of each visitor. Nilanna joined the Northwest Ohio Impact Program to develop her business skills for long term success. What inspired you to create your business? I’ve been inspired by nail