Five Questions with Jera Stewart of Jera’s Heavenly Sweet Bakery, LLC
Jera’s Heavenly Sweet is a made-from-scratch bakery with traditional style customer service. They produce and sell cookies, cakes, pies, breads, brownies, cake balls, candy and a variety of pastries—always made the old-fashioned way. Heavenly Sweet also provides made to order desserts and custom-made cakes and cookies. What inspired you to create your business? My
Five Questions with Antonio Coleman of Game Speed Performance Academy
Game Speed Performance Academy provides professional training to maximize athletic performance. The business offers many training services, including 6-8-week post-rehabilitation programs for athletes. Sessions are structured to include dynamic warm-ups, flexibility, coordination and balance exercises; with a strong emphasis on movements to build stability, accuracy and speed. What has been your biggest takeaway from the Core
Five Questions with Tiffany McMorris of Elegant Beauty Salon
Located in West Toledo, Elegant Beauty Salon provides high standards of excellence and the most updated professional haircuts, colors, nail services and skincare needs. Elegant Beauty Salon is known for attentive client care, inviting interiors and premium products. What inspired you to create your business? I have been doing nails since I was 15
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
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