Ayauna Goodwin is a confidence builder, and through her company, Absolutely Not, she is sharing that love with her fellow Black women.
In 2022, several of her friends completed Entrepreneur Rising Academy, a 10-week business-building bootcamp powered by Launch Dayton partner Parallax. At their encouragement, she jumped in herself, graduating with the 2022 fall cohort. We recently caught up with Ayauna to learn more about her business and her entrepreneurial journey.
I love what I do because I love to be a resource. I believe I am doing God’s work. As I learn along my journey, I am clearing the path for other individuals. I am gaining knowledge that I will be able to provide to the next entrepreneurs and any individual that needs it.
May seem cliché, but no matter what, keep going. If you believe, you shall receive. When the tunnel is dark, remember that the light MUST come.
Ayauna is currently looking for support to build a website. She’s also open to speaking engagements! Connect with her @absnotofficial on IG or email [email protected].
Build a startup in 54 thrilling hours at Launch Dayton Startup Weekend, Feb. 24-26!
Friday night, designers, developers, marketing experts, students, entrepreneurs, and startup enthusiasts across the Dayton region will converge on the Arcade Innovation Hub Powered by PNC. Snag your ticket by Jan, 31 for early-bird pricing + bring a friend for free!
Powered by Techstars, Startup Weekend is a jumping off point for entrepreneurship. Over the 54-hour event, attendees will share ideas, team up, and launch startups.
Launch Dayton Startup Weekend organizer Matt Veryser has participated and facilitated Startup Weekends and hackathons across Columbus, Miami University, Ball State University, Davidson College and Winston-Salem State University. He is excited to bring the event to Dayton.
“I love Startup Weekend because it is the single most catalytic entrepreneurial experience that I’ve ever witnessed,” Veryser said. “Firsthand, I’ve seen it change the career paths of 3 or 4 dozen people by changing the way they see the world.”
One of last year’s winners described the experience as “fantastic.”
“I went into college to study engineering with no experience in entrepreneurship outside a few personal things I wanted to pursue,” said Joe Fuchs, University of Dayton engineering student and first-time Startup Weekend attendee. “This contest has brought me a holistic idea of what it would look like to go into this space. I recommend a lot more students get involved in it.”
The goal of Launch Dayton Startup Weekend is to create an environment where passionate, driven, and like-minded people can come together to get things done — to learn, network, bridge the gap between trades, expose potential, and see actual results.
The event flows as follows:
On Saturday and Sunday, entrepreneurs and experts from the community will volunteer to serve as mentors for the Startup Weekend teams, helping them develop their business strategies and prototypes.
Early-bird tickets are on sale for $45 until Jan. 31, when tickets will go up to $75. Get an even better deal with a BOGO offer — a $45 early-bird ticket + bring a friend for free. Learn more and snag your ticket here.
Want to be a mentor or sponsor? Email [email protected]
As the Launch Dayton startup community continues to grow, we’re excited to see what’s in store for these companies in the new year! (Startups listed alphabetically.)
Erin Parrott launched her online boutique in 2019, then grew leaps and bounds during the pandemic, launching a have-to-be-there annual pop-up shopping event in 2020. In 2023, she’s bringing that vibe to downtown Dayton permanently with a brick + mortar in the Fireblocks District, and we can’t wait to check it out. She’s also part of the team bringing The Reserve on Third to Life just down the block from her future boutique.
In an era of increasing cybersecurity threats, an ethical hacker-turned-cloud security engineer is developing a new “FICO Score for cybersecurity” to help ensure your company has all the proper protections in place to protect both your own and your users’ data. Brett Ewing is the founder of Axe.AI, a Dayton startup developing the AXE Security Score (AXESS Score), a public grade a company can use to show they are protected from cyber attacks.
Got a sweet tooth for cheesecakes? CheezCake Lab has you covered with 50+ flavors in rotation. Founder Vivian Wong took first place in her Entrepreneur Rising Academy cohort’s pitch competition this summer. This year she also moved into a commercial kitchen at Spark Fairborn, started appearing on menus at cozy spots like the Coffee Hub, and she finished the year with a new space in Tae Winston’s District Market. We can’t wait to see where her cheesecakes go next!
Founder Chris Mack secured his first-ever investment through the new EC Angels. Follow @theofficialmackbrand_ to get your hands on his latest collection.
The brainchild of founder Kameron Seabrook, Open Bay Autos currently operates as a subscription-based mobile car detailing business. But the 2022 Flyer Pitch contender is set to move his business forward toward his original goal in 2023 — to open DIY mechanic shop.
Husband-and-wife duo Andrew and Tanor Banks offer top-of-the-line custom vinyl wraps on vehicles ranging from sports cars to semitrailers in their shop in Miamisburg. They’re eyeing the Cincinnati and Columbus markets next!
Gabrielle has been bringing her dream of a drunken bakery to life over the past few years in her home kitchen and, more recently, Second Street Market. This year she graduated from Entrepreneur Rising Academy and she was part of 6888 Kitchen Incubator’s first Sharpen the Axe cohort. She’s ending 2022 by expanding her oven + baking capacity. We snag one of her rum cakes regularly at The Last Queen, and we can’t wait to see where her desserts pop up next!
This year’s Launch Dayton Startup Week Pitch Competition innovation track winner, Seraphina Safety Apparel founder Kelly Franko is on a mission to level the playing field for women working in hot industries. The company’s line of undergarments is flame-resistant. They’re some of the first specifically designed to fit women’s bodies. In addition to winning the Startup Week pitch and joining the Entrepreneurs’ Center’s ESP portfolio this year, Kelly also took Seraphina’s products to their first tradeshow, and in 2023, Cintas will feature Seraphina’s line in its uniform catalogue.
For founder Lesley Jones, a piece of jewelry’s value comes from the stories it carries. Her company, Traveling Pendants, offers jewelry that carry stories of strength, courage and hope, accessible via a unique hand-stamped number present on each piece. Lesley won the Launch Dayton Startup Week Pitch Competition Main Street track this summer, just in time for her company’s relaunch. She’s locked down a Cincinnati company to produce the pendants so she can scale up production while still stamping the final touch on each piece by hand. We can’t wait to see how far her pendants travel in 2023.
UNLISTED is a software platform that helps homebuyers connect with the owners of off-market properties they covet. Want-to-be buyers send a personalized mailing — complete with vanilla frosted cookies — inviting the owners to join the platform to chat one-on-one about their future buying and selling plans. Founder Katie Hill took first place at the Polsky Center’s 4th annual Alumni New Venture Challenge in the spring. At the end of 2022, she announced she was stepping down from her role at the Entrepreneurs’ Center to work full-time at UNLISTED. We will miss her, but we are thrilled to see how far her new venture will go!
Amanda Miller, founder of The Village Hive, took first place last week in her Entrepreneur Rising Academy cohort’s culminating pitch competition.
The Village Hive will be a one-stop shop for moms to be able to get a variety of things done while their kids enjoy onsite childcare. The idea came from an unmet need Amanda herself felt as she fostered 14 children in the span of four years.
“I needed a village, desperately, and I didn’t have one,” she recalled.
The Village Hive aims to offer a meal prep kitchen; office, maker and gym space; and clubs and classes for moms to tap into their hobbies and connect with who they are outside of motherhood.
Thank you, Gail Johnson at Equapendence, for sponsoring the pitch prize for this fall 2022 cohort!
Participants complete Kauffman FastTrac coursework from the nationally-renowned Kauffman Foundation, receive pitch coaching and hands-on mentoring, weekly discussions with successful entrepreneurs and experts, & access to Dayton’s business resource providers.
The bootcamp helps early-stage founders and business owners build the foundational knowledge needed to launch and grow successful businesses.
There’s no one way to be an entrepreneur.
You don’t have to look a certain way, operate in a particular industry, pursue specific education, grow up in a particular household, or spend your free time nurturing any particular hobbies — entrepreneurs grow from all walks of life.
In a new video series we are excited to launch today, entrepreneurs, founders, and small business owners from across the Dayton Region share their individual stories in order to break down those pervading stereotypes about who can or can’t be an entrepreneur.
They proudly declare, “I Am an Entrepreneur” — and you can be, too.
Can you recognize and pronounce the ingredients in your body care products? If you shop Baba Love Organics, the answer is yes.
The birth of her daughter, Primrose, inspired Vaniti Byrd to launch her company, specializing in natural body care products.
“I just really indulged in our bath time, it was a really nice time that we bonded. So I just wanted to provide moms with a very simple way to bathe their babies,” she recalled. “I created products that could be used for both hair and body, because being a new mom is already stressful enough.”
But what began as a product line for babies morphed into more when Vaniti saw the need in her community.
“I bought into this skincare stuff prior to making it, and I was like, I can’t get this stuff close. I have to drive at least 15 to 20 minutes to get my hands on a product that is good for my babies, that’s good for me. And I want people to have access to these products here,” she said.
Vaniti developed the formulas for all of her products, making them from scratch in her home kitchen. She sold products at pop-ups, then through an Etsy store.
Today, she sells online and at her storefront at 116 W. 5th St., in downtown Dayton.
“People are becoming a lot more ingredient-conscious, and they really resonate with products that have ingredients that they can actually pronounce. A lot of my products you might see in your kitchen, like coconut oil or grape seed oil,” Vaniti said. “It gives people a peace of mind being able to say, oh this product was made in Dayton, let me Google this person, or being able to physically walk into this space and purchase products here.”
Vaniti is also an elementary school teacher.
“Teaching small people, you know your level of patience is definitely tested. Transitioning to just educating people about skin care, something that I already love, it was just really easy. There is a problem and I’m just easily providing a solution,” she said.
For Vaniti, making body care products was a hobby before it became a business.
“I ran myself ragged the first three years,” she recalled. “It was like, okay, I think I want to do this, and then it started picking up, and I was like, okay I guess I’m doing it. It wasn’t like, okay, let me go get all these things in a row. I got in there, I got hands on with making that product, and I just fell in love.”
That doesn’t mean every day is easy, though, she said.
“There’s days that you’re in it alone. I was making products until 4, 5, 6 in the morning, and then going straight to work. It’s just you and your thoughts and whatever you’re trying to do,” Vaniti said. “There are people on the outside who are supporting you, but before you have those people supporting you, it’s just you, and so you really gotta want it for you before you can introduce anything.”
Just start, she said.
“Don’t wait until you feel like you have all the pieces, because essentially, as you’re building this business, or this idea, you’ll never have all the pieces,” she said. “You’ll continue to just add to the puzzle.”
And don’t allow fear or other people’s opinions to sway your your journey, she added.
“Everyone is going to have an opinion, but if you’re truly passionate about it, it will show through to whatever it is that you’re doing,” she said. “Money is oftentimes a deterrent for people. I literally started this business with $500. I thought that I needed all this stuff, and I didn’t, I just needed the drive, and with that drive, you can attain anything.”
My name is Vaniti Byrd, and I am an entrepreneur.
Dream of opening a vibrant storefront that contributes to your hometown community? Have an idea for the next great gadget? Looking to leave a legacy for your children in the form of a business you built from the ground up?
Entrepreneur Rising Academy (previously known as Early Risers Academy) is a free, 10-week, cohort-based business class designed to help business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs build the foundations they need to make their businesses successful. More than 100 business owners have graduated the academy since it launched in late 2019.
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then Entrepreneur Rising Academy is for YOU.
Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in Entrepreneur Rising Academy meet one evening a week for 10 weeks in a supportive environment that offers one-on-one coaching, access to networks and business support resources, accountability partners and business foundation-building.
Participants learn from the Dayton, Ohio region’s experts in areas including market research, financial projections, business taxes, customer discovery, prototype development & marketing. Each week also includes pitch coaching, and graduates pitch their business for a chance at seed funding.
Participants will complete Kauffman FastTrac coursework from the nationally-renowned Kauffman Foundation, receive pitch coaching and hands-on mentoring, participate in weekly discussions with successful entrepreneurs and experts, & access Dayton’s entrepreneur and small business resources.
All cohort participants go home with valuable deliverables including market research, a completed business plan, and a high-quality pitch deck. And the culture of support carries beyond graduation.
The next cohort kicks off Jan. 10, 2023. Apply by Jan. 3 to be part of it!
By Meghann Naveau
Meredith Florkey believes there is magic in helping others — especially children — experience creation and learn outside. This year, she’s building the Wildflower Child & Family Center around those passions as she works to create an accessible, new type of childcare in the Miami Valley. Meredith recently participated in the Startup Week Pitch Competition, and she shares her experience and ideas with us here.
Meredith: I’ve always loved learning about, in and with nature, and for the past 10 years, I’ve been a nature-based educator with programs at Learning Tree Farm and Centerville Schools. My passion is a combination of the fields of environmental and early childhood education, and to me, it feels like the best of both worlds. Learning in nature helps foster confidence and resilience in children, and in the last few years of the pandemic, we know those are abilities we all need!
As a society, we’ve also been reminded during the pandemic of the value and necessity of quality childcare. My vision with Ohio Naturally and now with Wildflower is to help level the field in making quality, nature-based childcare more broadly available, rather than being limited to families who can afford to pay higher costs.
The timing! I’d had this idea, and when I heard about the pitch competition, it gave me a timely reason to really solidify the concept and hone my elevator pitch.
Everyone was so supportive during the process, including the other entrepreneurs. We all wanted each other to succeed, and it was incredible to learn from and with people across all different sectors and types of businesses.
I’m learning how to be patient and wait. There’s a tension in knowing it will happen when it’s going to happen and realizing what I have control over/can do now and what I need to simply wait on. It’s hard to wait, especially when you know there is a desire for this type of program among area families!
So, I’m trying to be really purposeful in my time. I’m pursuing a Master’s degree in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education, and I’ve been able to use my coursework as a scaffolding to build my business. Step by step, I’m pairing that education and training with my vision to make this a reality.
We have some funding secured and we’re looking at property options. We’re thinking about items like what gear families would need for a nature-based program and how we can make that accessible, maybe a gear-lending library. We’re thinking about items like cleaning clothing on-site and what type of space we need for outdoor classrooms, as well as looking at what families in our community need for childcare.
We also plan on working with Preschool Promise and helping continue their great work in helping families afford preschool and childcare. We’ll be reaching out to local parks departments and green spaces to find a space that will support repeated time in nature throughout the whole year.
There is great work happening all across the region, and we’re excited to be part of it!
For more information and updates about Wildflower Child & Family Center, visit https://www.ohionaturallyeducation.com/.
There’s no one way to be an entrepreneur.
You don’t have to look a certain way, operate in a particular industry, pursue specific education, grow up in a particular household, or spend your free time nurturing any particular hobbies — entrepreneurs grow from all walks of life.
In a new video series we are excited to launch today, entrepreneurs, founders, and small business owners from across the Dayton Region share their individual stories in order to break down those pervading stereotypes about who can or can’t be an entrepreneur.
They proudly declare, “I Am an Entrepreneur” — and you can be, too.
Kourtney Terry had it all — a beautiful family, big house, a good-paying job in corporate healthcare.
But she wasn’t happy.
The realization led her down a path of discovery, at the end of which, she launched her company, Taste-T-Love Baby Food.
“I wasn’t born to go to work so I could pay my bills, and then go to sleep and wake up and do the same thing the next day,” she said. “If I’m not passionate about what I’m doing, then I’m wasting my time here on this Earth. It made me dig deeper to figure out what it was that was going to make me happy.”
Kourtney had just given birth to her third child when she began to seriously contemplate a career change. She was applying to jobs in other healthcare systems, but nothing sparked her interest. She cried, prayed, fasted. Then two friends in opposite parts of the country suggested she start a baby food business.
They’d seen her share photos of the food she’d started making for her son.
“There was a lot of opportunity, there was a need. There’s a lot of people like me in Dayton, who work full-time, or even if you don’t work full-time and you’re a stay-at-home mom or a parent, there is a need for fresh and healthy food in general,” Kourtney said. “When it comes to baby food, it’s twice that, because you’re introducing a healthy way of living to a new generation, literally.”
Tapping Into Aviatra Accelerators
“There is a facade that can people can put on sometimes about being an entrepreneur, like it’s this glam, fun life, and you work for yourself,” Kourtney said.
Initially, being a new business owner was fun, fresh, new, she recalled. Designing a logo, crafting recipes, figuring out packaging, brought her happiness. Then she realized she had to figure out marketing, find customers, hone in on her target market.
“If I had paid attention to, or if I had gave in to the disappointment of that reality, I wouldn’t be in business today,” she said.
She reached out for help — and found it at Aviatra Accelerators.
“When I decided that I needed to walk away from my job, Aviatra was that pillow for me,” Kourtney said. “Aviatra taught me or refreshed me in every aspect of how to make my business successful. It was that comfort that I needed to just get out and fly and be all right.”
Today, Kourtney is stepping into a new project manager role with the organization to bring Aviatra’s programing to the Dayton region.
‘Be hungry’
Kourtney’s oldest daughter dreams of following her mother’s footsteps to become a business owner.
“It is really just impacting them to know that they can do anything that they put their mind to. They can do anything that they want,” she said.
And so can you, she adds.
“And you can make a living doing something that you love. You can, that’s what we were put on this Earth for, is purpose, Kourtney said. “Even if you feel like you don’t have all the resources or information, if you have a passion or purpose for something, just do it. ”
Take that first step — and then be hungry.
“Be hungry for information and education because it’s one thing to start a business, but starting a business and being an entrepreneur is not depending on other people, it’s depending on yourself,” she said. “You have to constantly be hungry for knowledge and information in order to keep moving forward and growing your business.”
“My name is Kourtney Terry, and I am an entrepreneur.”
Shop small this holiday season with the Launch Into The Holidays Gift Guide!
We’ve broken this year’s guide into a few categories to make it easier for you to shop local. Jump over to the @LaunchDayton Instagram account to meet these small business owners all month long.
Are we missing your favorite small businesses? Any local business owner can sign up to participate — Tell them to jump into this year’s campaign!
By Katie Aldridge
Wondering about where you can find funding for your startup in the Gem City? Entrepreneurs’ Center’s Scott Koorndyk and Kim Frazier shared on overview of local capital opportunities at this year’s Launch Dayton Startup Week.
They highlighted:
Want to get involved? Email Kim at [email protected].
31 S. Main St.
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