Entrepreneur Spotlight: Brady Payne of Cleveland Rugby League
Savvy entrepreneurs know that identifying a gap in the market is a crucial first step in building a successful business. When Brady Payne’s high school friend and former football teammate, Monté Gaddis, approached him with the idea to create a North American professional rugby league, Brady’s interest piqued. A college athlete, sports enthusiast and enterprising
10 Reasons Why “Good Old Email” Is Still the Best
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, trends come and go. But amidst the never-ending stream of fleeting fads and emerging technologies, email remains a constant and effective tool for increasing brand awareness and driving actionable conversions. But Freddie, it’s 2023… surely Ray Tomlinson’s 52-year-old ARPANET messaging system can’t still be the top dog in
Small Business, Big Conversations: Emily Harpel of Art of Sucre
In 2016, Emily Harpel was inspired to give a nostalgic childhood treat a chic upgrade. Emily secured all of the social media handles, ordered her first machine and Art of Sucre was born. Emily launched @artofsucre as an events-based business, spinning out-of-the-box flavors of cotton candy at weddings, parties and concerts. In 2020, Emily knew
Celebrating Black Business Month 2023
Every August, Black Business Month invites us to champion the more than 3 million Black-owned businesses across the nation. Black Business Month was created to not only highlight Black-owned businesses in the United States, but to raise awareness of the unique challenges Black entrepreneurs face and to help shape and inform policy decisions that affect
Entrepreneur Spotlight: The Aarons of Skin District
The Aarons are the definition of a tight-knit family. Deborah and her wife Neicya and their four children do everything together—from school to play to work. After making a mint selling handmade lip balm at their lemonade stand during a Juneteenth celebration, Deborah and Neicya asked daughters 7-year-old Raveah, 8-year-old Riley and 10-year-old Myah what
Breakthrough Science, Based in Cleveland: Afif Ghannoum of BIOHM
Afif Ghannoum calls himself an ignition entrepreneur; he thrives on turning ideas into reality. As CEO of BIOHM, an innovative microbiome company, he has done just that. Founded on his father Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum’s discovery of the important role fungus plays in digestive health, Afif converted biotechnology into commercial opportunities. Born and raised in Lebanon,
Crafting A Community: Chris Harris of Black Frog Brewery
Like so many brewers, Chris Harris got his start in the garage, trialing new recipes to share with friends. Chris launched Black Frog Brewery soon after, inspired by his roots and his hometown of Toledo, Ohio (lovingly dubbed Frog Town). The beer took off, and his homebrewing hobby soon gained local notoriety. What started as
Building Solutions For Enterprise Influencers: Joshua Reid of Inphlu
No matter what, Joshua Reid goes all in on his ideas. Be it developing a fitness program, setting up a coworking space or running a digital marketing agency, this drive has fueled his passion projects and built businesses from the ground up. Most recently, Joshua founded lnphlu, an Ohio-based social media automation platform that enables
Advocating for Educator Wellness: Chanelle Walker of Professional Inspiration
Chanelle Walker was forever changed by her decade as a public-school educator. She knows first-hand how joyful working with, and inspiring young people can be. She also remembers the burnout she encountered. Chanelle launched Professional Inspiration to help other teachers combat that burnout. The Cleveland-based company empowers clients to embrace wellness and self-care by offering
Small Business, Big Conversations: Vic Searcy of Sauce the City
Cleveland has no shortage of claims to fame, but Vic Searcy’s Chicken Sandwich stands out even in a city of bests. With locations in University Heights, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse and Cleveland Browns Stadium, you’d think Sauce the City has been around for decades. On the contrary, Chef Vic launched (almost by accident) in 2018 when
Leveling Up In Style: Valerie Mayén of Yellowcake Shop
As a recent art school graduate, Valerie Mayén didn’t see her style reflected in the retail chains, so she created her own clothing line. When a dress she designed didn’t sell quickly, she took it as a signal from the market and went back to the drawing board to create what would ultimately launch her
Making Hiring Personal: Beth Potratz of Drive My Way
As a seasoned HR professional, Beth Potratz is passionate about helping people find jobs that fit their lifestyles. But the way people work has changed drastically in recent years – and Beth understood that the hiring process needed to shift as well. While consulting for a large carrier that needed drivers, Potratz realized that the