At Launch Dayton Startup Week 2021, we’re teaming up with Tae Winston to bring you the Launch Dayton Startup Week Startup Market on Monday, Sept. 13 in the historic Arcade Rotunda!
Tae Winston is a Launch Dayton community champion and the founder of The Entrepreneurs’ Marketplace, The Entrepreneurs’ Shoppe and The Entrepreneurs’ Connection, each of which offers opportunities for area makers and small business owners to break into retail.
The Launch Dayton Startup Week Startup Market will have two rounds — a dozen spaces will be available in the morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (load in at 8 a.m., load out at 1:15 p.m.), and a dozen spaces will be available in the afternoon from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. (load in at 1:45 p.m. or 2:45 p.m., load out at 8 p.m.)
We are seeking both product vendors and food vendors.
A selection committee will review applications. We will consider:
We are seeking to build a representative vendor lineup that includes at least half women and half people of color.
Want to be one of the featured vendors for this event? Apply by Friday, Aug. 13!
While you’re running your vendor booth, you’ll still be able to catch all the inspiring talks from area founders on the main stage — we’ve got sessions ranging from tackling marketing myths to meeting the founder of Ohio’s first minority-owned and Black-woman led cannabis processing facility. Check out the full schedule & register today to snag your seat at the Dayton region’s premiere entrepreneurship conference!
Husband-and-wife duo Kevin & Jamie Watt wanted to take the family eggnog recipe to the world — so they jumped into the spring 2021 Early Risers Academy cohort, where new company Audrey’s Eggnog recently took first prize in the cohort’s culminating pitch competition.
“Christmas is eggnog,” Kevin said, as he recalled the memories of his mother’s eggnog, crafted with a blend of French brandy and Caribbean dark rum.
“I just want him out of my kitchen,” Jamie joked, as the couple shared how they have been making and giving away a couple hundred bottles of eggnog each holiday season.
The Audrey’s Eggnog founders are seeking connections to area co-packers and local retail stores to help move their business forward. Watch their pitch here, and connect with them at [email protected].
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 entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The bootcamp is designed to take aspiring entrepreneurs from idea to business launch. These workshops can also be valuable for founders early in their small business journey, or who jumped right into their business without formally developing the plans behind it and are now discovering they need some of that paperwork in place to grow.
Other spring 2021 cohort graduates included:
“Early Risers Academy is designed for aspiring founders in any industry,” Project Manager KeAnna Daniels said. “We’re particularly excited to work with more women and minority founders.”
This free, annual, week-long, community-focused conference brings together the region’s thinkers, dreamers, doers, makers, entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“Speakers and workshops have been curated to celebrate the diversity of our startup community and to spur tangible progress for local businesses,” said Launch Dayton Startup Week organizer Audrey Ingram. “At Launch Dayton, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to determine their own economic prosperity. We hope Startup Week serves as a launching point for these young companies that will drive the economic future of the region.”
This year’s conference is made possible thanks to generous support from title sponsors Canary Consulting, Fifth Third Bank, Parallax Advanced Research and the Entrepreneurs’ Center.
Monday, Sept. 13 we’ll kick off at 8:30a with inspirational stories and how-to talks from founders offering advice that applies across industry lines, all told from our main stage in the historic Rotunda. Shop local businesses throughout the day at the Launch Dayton Startup Week Startup Market, hosted in partnership with Tae Winston, founder of the The Entrepreneurs’ Marketplace, Shoppe & Connection.
Stick around after the final keynote for a social hour, followed by the Launch Dayton Startup Week Early Risers Pitch Competition, where 10 local startups will compete for cash + prizes, starting at 6p.
Want to pitch & win up to $5K in cash + prizes? Apply here by Aug. 13.
Tuesday through Thursday, dig deeper into your business with industry-specific tracks and get hands-on with various workshop opportunities. We’ll kick off after lunch and go until 8p to create more opportunities for aspiring founders to attend. Partners have curated a series of offerings for founders innovating in the areas of:
Join us in-person by entering the Dayton Arcade via The Hub Powered by PNC, at 31. S. Main Street, downtown Dayton. Park at the Reibold Garage on Fifth Street, or park at meters available around the building.
Prefer to attend virtually? Register now, and as the conference gets closer, we’ll send you a link to download the official Launch Dayton Startup Week app. The app, available on iOS, Android and the web, will allow you to personalize your schedule, attend sessions, connect with attendees, find resources, and win prizes.
Applications are now live for Project Enginuity, a new national initiative designed to accelerate and empower Black, Latinx and women innovators by helping them tap into the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research program.
SBIR is a highly competitive program that awards funding to small businesses to enable them to explore their technological potential and commercialize products that meet federal and defense industry needs. Participants will receive training and individualized coaching as they apply for SBIR awards of $50K to $1M+.
Apply if:
• You identify as a woman &/or you identify as Black or Latinx (or both)
• You own a tech-based business
• You have IP ready for commercialization
Project Enginuity is lead by Launch Dayton partners the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Entrepreneurs’ Center, backed by Chase.
“Project Enginuity is an opportunity to uncover what we know to be true — Black, Latinx and women innovators carry enormous talent that can transform our industries,” said Brian Lamb, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for JPMorgan Chase. “Our firm is committed to creating opportunities for these entrepreneurs to demonstrate that potential. We are proud to support Project Enginuity and look forward to witnessing the journeys of our brightest entrepreneurs from across the country.”
Project Enginuity is “dedicated to equity and inclusion in technological innovation.” It’s mission is to increase the number of Black, Latinx and women entrepreneurs that receive access to this non-dilutive capital in order to stimulate meaningful innovation and build long-term wealth.
The new program will serve minority- and woman-owned businesses across the country to provide:
Get in the action — APPLY BY AUG. 8.
By Katie Aldridge
Locally-owned candle bar Wick Therapy Candle is a space where candle lovers can create their own scented candles, as well as sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, milk baths, bath teas, and more. Founder Jhazlyn Sanders walks customers through creating their scents, so they can enjoy using their product as much as they enjoyed making it.
Jhazlyn was a member of the second cohort of the Retail Lab, powered by Launch Dayton partner Downtown Dayton Partnership. We recently caught up with her to learn more about her company and her experience with the Retail Lab.
I was an avid burner of candles. I love candles. I was spending so much money on candles, so I wanted to play around and see if I could create my own scents and see what could come about from that. I like creating, whether that’s doing hair or painting. Coming up with scents has been the most fun thing that I have taken on, and that is what fueled the idea to manifest it into a business.
When we first started this, it was a business that I could still maintain my 8-5 job as well as startup costs. I like making candles, coming up with scents, burning candles, and I found some cost-effective ways to bring it to fruition. People liked the scents I was producing, so it just became a business!
I don’t know if I have a real answer. I didn’t really learn about entrepreneurship until after college. The crazy part is, I’ve actually been an entrepreneur; I just didn’t have that title because I didn’t have articles of incorporation or anything that established a business. It was more so, I had a few hobbies and people would donate or pay me as I did them.
In college, a lot of my earnings came from braiding hair or selling hair. Not that I had a real business, but I used to wear a lot of extensions and people asked me where I got them. It was a good niche market because a lot of people on campus didn’t know where to get stuff or how to do stuff, so I could just say, “I have it” or “I can do it!”
One of my biggest strengths is looking for the way in. I can assess whatever market I’m entering and figure out what the need is. I can identify the opportunity and then create a business off of that. I can understand different markets and customer behavior. As demographics start to change, households start to change, and people are looking for new and different things. Understanding those changes is something I was able to bring to my entrepreneur side.
Building a team. Before COVID hit, this was a new business, so I was the sole employee. As we started to create new opportunities, and it started to get busier, I needed to expand my team. I needed to make sure I was building a cohesive team. Now, there aren’t many people that want to work. Trying to find people to help build a really good team has been our biggest barrier.
I don’t think there is anything better than making yourself feel good, and that is one of the most valuable benefits of candles. Each individual scent is crafted for you to get a certain emotion when you burn that candle. It is important that you create a safe space no matter where you are, and when you light that candle or burn that wax melt, you are creating that space. I love to share that.
I thought the retail lab was really good. I think they gave a lot of great resources and tools. I identified some gaps and some areas of opportunity in my business. It was great to be around a community of people that are experienced in entrepreneurship.
Read the article, share our story, and come in and visit us! I think we offer something that is very unique. There aren’t many places in Dayton where you can do this. I really feel like it goes beyond creating a candle for yourself. You can give it to someone, and the fact that you sat there and thought about what someone else might like speaks volumes because it takes time.
Connect with Jhazlyn & Wick Therapy Candle here.
Have your own idea for a first-floor business in downtown Dayton? Apply here by July 22 for the third cohort of the Downtown Dayton Retail Lab!
By Katie Aldridge
Brennaman Aerial Services is a drone service and repair provider and an authorized dealer of multiple different drone manufacturers. The company specializes in certain industries such as construction, real estate photography and videography, as well as roof and infrastructure inspections.
Brennaman Aerial Services was one of 10 companies tapped for the the second cohort of the Dayton Region’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) Defense Accelerator, powered by Launch Dayton partners Parallax Advanced Research and the Entrepreneurs’ Center.
We recently caught up with company founder Alex Brennaman to learn more about his journey and his experience with the defense accelerator. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Two years ago, I did a bunch of research to develop the drone program at the Miami Township Police Department, which is where I work full time. Six months later, the administration approved my proposal. We acquired our first drone; I was the first pilot and proved it was beneficial to our operations. We have aerial support that way. As a result of my research and experience, I started my own company.
I’ve always been interested in aviation and public safety. It’s kind of cool that I get to mix both. I enjoy learning about aerospace and different aircrafts. It’s a new industry, so there is so much potential for growth. I’m just excited to see what the future holds, which is why I’m in it.
The marketing part of it or getting the business. Especially starting out, you don’t have any customers really. I think last year, I had 20 jobs in six months, and now we’re pushing 100 jobs in six months. Starting out was difficult; it was cold calls, cold emails. I would drive and stop by certain industries to drop off business cards and flyers. I think that’s every startup business. As you go, you’re going to hit bumps on the way, and you just have to be flexible. Learn to adapt and overcome.
I’ve worked in the public sector for quite a while now, so my customer service skills are on par. I have never had an unsatisfied client. On our website, we have a testimonial page, and every time we do a job or sell a drone to a larger company or public safety agency, I like to put their feedback on there. We have a review from Dayton Power and Light and we recently had the Springfield Police Department submit an order for another drone from us. I don’t have a marketing director or anything like that, so lot of our clients are just word-of-mouth.
It’s a passion. I’m big on, if you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life. That’s what it is. I go out there and I make more money doing drone jobs than I do at the police department in one day. It’s fun, and it’s whole lot safer! It’s just that we don’t have the business to do it every day; right now, it’s just one or two days a week. I just enjoy what I do. I enjoy flying and working with clients. I like seeing the finished product because it’s like, wow, I did that.
I thought it was great. I definitely made a lot of connections there. Networking was huge because there were other people in startup businesses that I was able to connect with. I’m just not in the spot where I can branch out yet, but I have those contacts now.
The biggest thing right now is getting our name out there and building our clientele. If anybody is interested in doing part-time work – it’s a subcontracted 1099, which is what all of my pilots are at right now – they are more than welcome to contact me. I’m always looking for additional help.
Connect with Alex and Alex and Brennaman Aerial Services here.
The spring 2021 Early Risers Academy general cohort will see 7 founders pitch their budding companies for prize money and support this Thursday at 5:30p at The Hub.
The Early Risers Academy program is managed by Launch Dayton partner Parallax Advanced Research with funding from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment & Ohio Third Frontier’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider program.
“From Air Force and university research labs to urban kitchens and garages, innovation is a force in the Dayton region,” program manager KeAnna Daniels said. “Our diverse entrepreneurs are developing new technologies and processes, and we’re excited to offer these bootcamps to help them reach the world.”
The free, 10-week business-building program leverages Kauffman FastTrac coursework from the nationally-renowned Kauffman Foundation. Participants also receive pitch coaching and hands-on mentoring, weekly discussions with successful entrepreneurs and experts, & access to Dayton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The general cohort will pitch Thursday, July 15 at 5:30 p.m. at The Hub. Pitching entrepreneurs include:
To date, 54 entrepreneurs have graduated from Early Risers Academy cohorts, including What’s the Biz founder Te’Jal Cartwright who graduated in spring 2020.
“I could not talk to investors before Early Risers Academy,” she said. “Now, when I’m in a conversation about business and they ask about projections or my business plan, I can give real answers.”
Sierra Leone, founder of Acacia Health & Wellness, graduated from the fall 2020 cohort.
“There is something to be said for working in an environment that is professionally supportive and culturally safe,” she said. “Authenticity was at the forefront. You didn’t have to explain or go underneath or hide or suppress.”
Working to open a small business in downtown Dayton? Applications are open for the next cohort of the Retail Lab, a 12-week program designed to grow and support Downtown Dayton’s first-floor businesses.
The Retail Lab is powered by Launch Dayton partner Downtown Dayton Partnership. The program invites business owners to advance their first-floor concept through an intensive series of workshops, pitch events, and strategic business improvement projects. Each program element connects participants to new mentors, experts, ideas, capital, and resources that will help the businesses thrive and grow in downtown Dayton.
“Downtown Dayton’s first-floor businesses — boutiques, shops, cafes, yoga studios, restaurants, pubs, and more – are the lifeblood of our downtown community,” says program director AJ Ferguson. “These entrepreneurs create the amenities, connections, and experiences that make our downtown a vibrant place to live, work, and play.”
We are searching for entrepreneurs, especially minority-owned and woman-owned businesses, who are aiming to open a first floor business in downtown Dayton. The ideal candidate already has some traction and consistent revenue through e-commerce, events, participation in markets or vendor fairs, etc. But earlier stage businesses are still encouraged to apply.
Eligible business types include aspiring shops, cafes, small restaurants, galleries, boutiques, studios, or any concept that drives active use of first floor space by offering consumers unique products or experiences. (not offices, not meeting space)
Follow this link by JULY 22 to apply for the next cohort of the Retail Lab!
By Katie Aldridge
After more than two decades offering engineering services, Skyward is launching a new product — a drone designed to assist emergency responders fighting wildfires.
Skyward is one of 10 companies tapped for the the second cohort of the Dayton Region’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) Defense Accelerator, powered by Launch Dayton partners Parallax Advanced Research and the Entrepreneurs’ Center.
We recently caught up with company president Dan Cyphers to learn more about the company’s work. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Dan: Skyward is an engineering service and custom solution provider, focused on enhancing the survivability and mission effectiveness of our customer’s people and resources. We support both government and private industry. We help defense customers identify and fix vulnerability issues associated with combat vehicles, which in turn can help save the lives of crews operating these vehicles. Recently, we have expanded our support to other government and industry organizations involved in areas such as firefighting and disaster response.
Our new system is a UAS-based data collection and analysis architecture. Its first focus is providing real-time surveillance in combating wildfires. It enables the visualization of fire fronts, safe zones, and escape routes, while tracking firefighters on the ground. It can be targeted to a number of other applications, including disaster preparedness and response, border and event security, flood management, and electrical line inspection. The system is modular, so a number of different UAS and sensors can be integrated, if desired.
The theme of a lot of what we get involved with is survivability. Our company’s main focus is understanding fires, like how they’re started. I had a personal interest in fire safety. My father was a fire chief and I had relatives in search and rescue. We thought, if we’re going to expand into commercial applications and get out of our niche area, why not target game-changing technology.
In the back of my mind, I always wanted to be a part of a small business. I would say yes. Working for bigger companies, you have the potential to move up the chain, but you’re always answering to someone else. The idea of actually being able to be in charge of your own destiny has always been a thought in my mind.
It is part of fulfilling the inner need of taking charge of something and rise or fall based on what I do. One of the fun things about Skyward is that there is always something different going on all the time. The working environment here is very collaborative.
A lot of our projects are relatable to different industries. We are always looking to expand our relationships, so we can sell to them or become partners. We like to develop customize solutions; we are always looking for unique partners who want to do something constructive.
Learn more about Skyward here.
By Katie Aldridge
Kelsey Calderone dreamed of a space where young adults who struggle to make new friends could connect in the Dayton community, whether around a beverage, or an axe-throwing target.
So she launched Two Social, a bar where folks can find their community and hang out with friends, sometimes around unconventional sports.
Two Social was a member of the first cohort of the Retail Lab, powered by Launch Dayton partner Downtown Dayton Partnership. We recently caught up with Kelsey to learn more about her company and her experience with the Retail Lab.
I moved here about five years ago from Florida. I didn’t know anyone, and I just needed friends, so we started a kickball league. The other owner, Nathan, and I both played in other cities, and we were like, “let’s try it.” The first year there were eighty-something attendees and by the second year there were 225 people. After two years of that we thought, “why don’t we expand this?” Two Social is the brick-and-mortar and home base of the league.
It was just the right choice. I’m not a social person – I’m pretty shy and reserved – so to own a social company is a little strange. Once you start meeting people and start connecting those people with other people, especially in a relatively small city like Dayton, it’s really awesome to give people that outlet and opportunity. People feel more connected to their community and plan on staying when they know people.
I did not. I was planning on going to medical school. I have a degree in chemistry and biology, so the bar industry was never on my mind! When I moved to Ohio, I taught chemistry for a couple years and it just wasn’t for me. I found a really good opportunity with the league, and it progressed naturally from there. It definitely was not planned!
The biggest thing is that I didn’t really have a plan outside of med school. When I started teaching high schoolers, I learned that when you’re dealing with people – across the board – if you talk to them and are kind, the rest will come. I’m approaching Two Social as someone who didn’t plan on doing it, and I don’t know what I’m doing, so I’m learning everything on the go. Sometimes that is better because you see things from an outside perspective. You notice that the way they’ve done it forever might not be the best way.
We’re trying something fresh. We’re really interested in giving back to our employees and to community. We want them to feel valued. Yes, it is a business, and you have to make money, but we feel like if you start by making people – your customers and your employees – feel at home and good, then the business side of things will come. We have a different perspective on the entrepreneurial spirit.
First and foremost, I have met the most incredible people. Dayton was not my home, but it is now. I love it and plan on being here for a long time. I love the flexibility to be creative and have my own ideas. I love putting out into the world what I want to see happen. I get to make my own rules and be my own boss.
I loved it. In a time where you never get any face-to-face interaction because of the pandemic, it was really nice to continue building that downtown network and to have people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met. The resources were amazing. I worked with Teresa to develop our whole employee handbook and hiring process. I have never opened a bar before, so to get an actual business and entrepreneurial perspective was very nice.
Come out to the bar or join our leagues! We will open this summer, and we’ll be having events either every weekend or every other weekend at the bar. There is always going to be something for somebody! We are super excited to be in the Fire Blocks district, so come down to that area and spread the word.
Get connected with Two Social here!
31 S. Main St.
Dayton, OH 45402
[email protected]Get Directions
