JumpStart Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Every year from September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting the contributions and the culture of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The celebration runs across two months because September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American nations (Costa
Core City: Cleveland Open Mic Night Offers Inspiration To Entrepreneurs
Two minutes isn’t a very long time, but it’s all the time local entrepreneurs and small business owners had to present their elevator pitches during our recent Core City: Cleveland Open Mic Pitch Night. In a casual atmosphere, without any pressure to compete, more than a dozen participants polished their skills in front of a
New $25k Startup Competition Seeks CWRU Student And Alumni Founders
Late in the summer, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) partnered with university trustee and venture capitalist Bob Pavey, JumpStart and the Morgenthaler family to introduce the new Morgenthaler-Pavey Startup Competition. Designed to identify and support high-potential startup companies coming out of CWRU, the annual competition is currently seeking applications from ventures whose founding teams include
Midwest ZIP Codes May Provide Entrepreneurial Edge
By Judy Stringer, Crain Content Studio-Cleveland Not so long ago, Ohio entrepreneurs were often urged by outside investors to relocate to Silicon Valley, where a well-established startup ecosystem increased the odds of getting the right leadership, talent and funding to propel an idea forward. Today, the notion that Silicon Valley is the only place to
Rust Belt Riders Is Turning Food Waste Into Gold
Daniel Brown and Michael Robinson spent many years working in the restaurant industry, seeing exactly how much food ends up in the trash. Aware of the stark reality that nearly 40% of food is wasted*, they were inspired to find a productive use for that waste. THE SOLUTION They started by collecting compostable food
Meet Our Core City: Cleveland Impact Program’s Fall 2017 Cohort
We are excited to welcome the fourth cohort to our Core City: Cleveland Impact Program! As the name implies, the 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. The free program accepted five aspiring entrepreneurs
[PODCAST] Using Outside Influencers To Grow Your Business
Building a brand today requires more than some brochures and the occasional press release. Whether you’re wooing social media influencers on Instagram or pitching reporters in a newsroom, knowing how to find and engage the people who can help get your message to your customers is key. On Wednesday, September 20th, JumpStart welcomed Kate Lienesch,
Studio Stick Founder Brandyn Armstrong Talks Crowdfunding And His Winning Appearance On Steve Harvey’s Funderdome
Before he found out the studio audience on Steve Harvey’s Funderdome had awarded him $50k, Studio Stick Founder Brandyn Armstrong was already planning for what he would do with the money. “Honestly, I thanked God for winning before I even hit that stage,” he said. “It’s not that I was overconfident, I just had this
Want Profit? Take Care Of Your Customers First
Let’s be honest, you need your customers more than they need you. Without them, your business doesn’t exist. To attract and keep these customers, you need a product or service that solves a real-world problem for them in an effective, efficient way. Of course, that’s much easier said than done. “Perfecting” a product/service takes round
Entrepreneur Insight: Tom Barrett, 7Signal
In today’s workplace, manufacturers, universities, hospitals and many other enterprises all depend on reliable wi-fi networks. These organizations are full of mission-critical, and in some cases life-critical, equipment and processes. And while wi-fi tends to make everything run more efficiently, interference, network congestion and coverage issues can cause major headaches. Fortunately, Cleveland-based 7Signal offers a
[Podcast] Scaling Up: Grow Or Die
When it comes to running a business, time stands still for no one. New competitors, new customers and new industry disruptions add up over time to create one simple truth—If you stop working to stay relevant, your business will inevitably start to decline. In this session of “Scaling Up”—a new JumpStart event series focused on
Five Tips For Applying What You Learned At Startup Scaleup 2017
At this year’s Startup Scaleup, you heard inspiring talks from subject matter experts, learned a thing or two about growing your own business and made valuable connections. But what happens now? How do you go about implementing all of this knowledge in a real-world setting? Here are a few tips to help you get started: