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

Read Story

Partnerships Fuel The Future: Read Our 2023 Community Impact Book

For years, entrepreneurship has fueled economic growth in Northern Ohio. Building on a groundswell of community support for local startups and small businesses, entrepreneurial service organizations like JumpStart are helping accelerate this regional transformation. In 2022, the businesses JumpStart serves created nearly 11,000 jobs and generated more than $1.3B in economic impact. But beyond the

Read Story

DE&I In Our DNA: A Farewell Interview with Lamont Mackley, JumpStart’s Retiring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Community Engagement Officer

Lamont Mackley’s unwavering commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has shaped both his personal and professional life. Over the course of thirteen years at JumpStart, Lamont has consistently emphasized the importance of integrating DE&I into our very core. As our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Community Engagement Officer, Lamont has seamlessly merged his personal

Read Story

Celebrating Women’s History Month: The Importance of Supporting Women-Owned Businesses

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the countless contributions and accomplishments of women throughout history. One way to celebrate Women’s History Month is to support women-owned businesses. Not only is it a way to uplift and empower women, but it also has tangible benefits for society as a whole. Here are four

Read Story

Celebrating the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the nation comes together to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, I am taken back to a moment in history that helped shape my life and my purpose. I was ten years old living in Arlington, Virginia on August 28, 1963 when Dr. King marched in Washington D.C. and delivered

Read Story

MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA: Cómo acceder a Recursos Comerciales en la región Norte de Ohio.

Todos los años nuestra nación conmemora el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, del 15 de setiembre al 15 de octubre, celebrando las historias, cultura y contribuciones de nuestra población Hispana y sus antecesores, que vinieron desde México, España, el Caribe, Centroamérica y Sudamérica. Click here to read the blog in English Las celebraciones que se

Read Story

Hispanic Heritage Month: Exploring Business Resources in Northern Ohio

Every year, Americans commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Presione aquí para leer el artículo en español National months are dedicated to bringing awareness to important or

Read Story

Celebrating Black Business Month

Every August, Black Business Month invites us to champion the more than 3 million Black-owned businesses across the nation. Black Business Month began in 2004 when engineering entrepreneur Frederick E. Jordan partnered with author and historian John William Tempelton to start the annual event. Black Business Month was created to not only highlight Black-owned businesses

Read Story

JumpStart Celebrates Juneteenth, America’s Liberation Day

This Juneteenth, in partnership with our leadership and board, we, as a diverse staff, acknowledge the continued struggle for equity in America. Individually and as a team, we are committed to learning the history and supporting local Black businesses and events commemorating this important holiday. For many African Americans, June 19, 1865, represents America’s true

Read Story

Meet Cohort Twelve Of The Cleveland Small Business Impact Program

Congratulations to the graduates of the twelfth cohort of our Small Business Impact Program. This 12-week business accelerator program is designed to help individuals overcome the obstacles of entrepreneurship through hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring. Over the course of the program, these entrepreneurs worked together alongside JumpStart’s Impact Program team to tackle key business issues,

Read Story