Celebrating Black Brewers Day: A Toast to Ohio’s Brewing Pioneers
In the heart of Ohio, where the craft beer industry thrives, there’s a brewing revolution quietly gaining momentum. It’s a movement driven by passion, innovation and dedication to breaking barriers. This movement is embodied by the Black brewers who have been reshaping the brewing landscape in the Buckeye State. JumpStart is proud to join the
Meet the Participants of the Cleveland Small Business Impact Program’s 19th Cohort
JumpStart’s Small Business Impact Program is a 12-week business accelerator that provides hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring to participants. The program focuses on helping these entrepreneurs overcome key business issues, with a significant emphasis on financial projections and capital pitches. Throughout the program, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with the Impact Program
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
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
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
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
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
Meet The Participants Of The Cleveland Small Business Impact Program’s 18th Cohort
JumpStart’s Small Business Impact Program is a 12-week business accelerator that provides hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring to participants. The program focuses on helping these entrepreneurs overcome key business issues, with a significant emphasis on financial projections and capital pitches. Throughout the program, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with the Impact Program
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
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Amy Witzigreuter of Witzi’s Raw Granola
Back when Amy Witizigreuter’s son was young, she was a mother on a mission. Faced with multiple health problems, including an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, Amy was doing everything in her power to help her son Paul find relief and optimize his health outcomes. By the time he was eight, Paul had received both