We are excited to announce the first cohort of newly launched Northwest Ohio Impact Program.

This 12-week business assistance program is designed to drive economic impact by helping individuals overcome obstacles to entrepreneurship through hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring.

Over the next three months, these five entrepreneurs will be learning and working together alongside JumpStart mentors—culminating in a demo day-style competition on September 17, where they will use their new knowledge and skills to pitch to a panel of judges for a chance to take home up to $10,000 to grow their business.

Meet the cohort:

Cure
Zobaida Falah
Cure’s goal is 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. Zobaida hopes to use the Toledo Impact Program to improve her understanding of strategic partnerships and managing a staff.

 

Premier Screenings
Moni Featchurs
Premier Screenings provides inflatable movie-style screens for any outdoor or indoor event. The City of Toledo took notice and recently became a client in an effort to attract more people to city parks. Moni hopes to use the program to gain new insights on the best way to market his business.

 

Marketplace Ninjas
Wes Grudzien
Marketplace Ninjas develops strategies for sellers on Amazon to outperform all competition. Wes would like to increase his staff and hopes to use the program to gain as much knowledge as possible and solidify his business model.

 

Nilanna’s Studios Nail & Spa
Nilanna Thompson
Founded 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 is interested in leveraging the Toledo Impact Program to develop her business skills for long term success.

 

BMJ Enterprises
Blair Johnson
BMJ Enterprises has been renovating homes since 2014 and recently expanded into property management and maintenance. Blair would like to provide more jobs locally and hopes to use the program to help him develop a plan to scale his business.

 

Stay tuned for more information about our Northwest Ohio Impact Program entrepreneurs and their businesses. And, be sure to save the date to attend their demo day showcase on September 17.