Early Risers is back this week! Our April Early Risers pitch will be virtual — join us Friday morning, April 23, to hear how local startups are shaking up cold brew coffee, athletic sensors and video shopping.
Pitches will start promptly at 8a. You’ll meet:
Early Risers is a morning pitch series that connects entrepreneurs to the things they need most, like first customers, key employees, mentors, funding, and more. Each startup gets 10 minutes to pitch, then the audience gets 5 minutes for Q&A.
In the last three years, 90% of startups have gotten their ask granted through a connection made at Early Risers. So pop online and find a place you can plug into Dayton’s startup community!
Let us know you’re coming! Register here.
Want to pitch Early Risers? Click here.
Want to sponsor Early Risers (and get two minutes in front of the audience)? Click here.
Hope to “see” you Friday!
Jonesing for a hot, fresh-baked cookie after hours? The Cookieologist has you covered.
Isiah Davis is the founder of Cookieologist, formerly known as The Cookie Joint, located at 1106 Brown Street in Dayton. Wednesday through Saturday, he’s baking your late-night eats, with pickup available as late as midnight on the weekend.
Isiah is a member of the current Retail Lab cohort, powered by Launch Dayton partner Downtown Dayton Partnership. We caught up with Isiah recently to talk about his company & his rebrand. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Isiah: We bake cookies fresh to order, so they’re hot when you swing by our pick-up window to get them. We’re open Wednesday through Saturday, from 4:20p to 9p on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 4:20p to 12a on Friday and Saturday. Customers can order anytime, they just have to order at least 30 minutes ahead to give us time to bake the cookies fresh for you. We’re building a cookie empire one bag at a time.
We also do nut milks and blended alternative milks. It tastes nothing like what you’ll find at the grocery store. We came out with the milks to complement the cookies.
I was visiting Indianapolis when I experienced something like this for the first time, and I thought, why doesn’t Dayton have this? We’re able to provide a product for people after everything is kinda closed. There’s nothing local open at 12a on the weekend, but people still get hungry, they want late-night eats. If I can order fresh-baked cookies at 11p, I’m all about that. They’ll get there hot, and I don’t have to bake.
Eventually we want to expand outside Dayton, to other cities and states. We want to build a new culture — most commercial kitchens are toxic environments — people are trained, if a chef isn’t a jerk, he isn’t good. But you don’t have to mean to get results from people. We want to create jobs, and then have our folks expand out and franchise. Dayton will be the location where we produce everything. We’ll ship the doughs to the other locations, and they’ll bake them on the spot, but Dayton will always be the heart of it. And we want Dayton to be known for this. We’re more than just cornfields and chili. So much talent and creativity exists here, we’re making it happen, and we’ll have a “fresh, hot-baked cookies’ sign on all day.
My favorite dessert has always been a cookie. It’s a more consistent product, it can be shipped, so it’s something I can make that can be distributed and still have a part of me in it. It’s not too delicate, or too big, or too small. But mostly, it’s the nostalgia. My mom made peanut butter cookies when I was a kid, it took 10 minutes, and they were there — it was easy. Cookies always made the most sense to me. And when I make a cookie, I always come back to tinker and see how I can make it better. There’s always room for growth.
Trademark your business name. I started my business in June 2020 as The Cookie Joint. I got my LLC, I filed with the Secretary of State. I knew I wanted to expand, and I wanted to trademark my name, but I thought it would be awhile. But when I started to look into it, my lawyer found a company in Chicago with the same name, and he told me that I couldn’t keep my name. It hurt. So don’t think it’s just about getting that LLC. It takes time to find the right name for your business, and you’re not the only one who has that great idea. Get your trademark, so you don’t have to go through a whole rebrand just as you’re building your name.
I think I did always know. Growing up, my grandfather was a bricklayer, had his own construction company, built houses. He was the first person I saw in my life with that work ethic. The Cookieologist isn’t my first business, I also had a food truck. When I went back to working in a restaurant, it didn’t feel right working for anyone else anymore. I didn’t make it two weeks. I thought, my kids are watching, they need to see this. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but it works for me.
Hippie Potion is our unity cookie. It has peanut butter, semisweet chocolate and white chocolate — it doesn’t matter what color you are, everyone can enjoy it. Wonder n’ McCartney is our ebony and ivory cookie. Notorious C.H.I.P. is our classic chocolate chip cookie. A lot of our cookies have stories and cultural inspiration behind them.
My mom always said food is love made edible. I say, in order to be great, you have to serve great. I’m excited to cook the food. If I provide a source of joy for even two minutes, that’s my legacy, that I provided those things for people.
Find The Cookiologist on Instagram @thecookieologistdyt or online at thecookieologistdyt.com to order. Also connect on Facebook @thecookieologist.
Tae Winston is a champion for our region’s entrepreneurs, and this Sunday, she will host the grand opening of her third storefront — The Entrepreneurs’ Connection.
Located on Wayne Ave. in downtown Dayton, The Entrepreneurs’ Connection will build on the offerings in her two Wright Dunbar stores, The Entrepreneurs’ Marketplace and the Entrepreneurs’ Shoppe. The Connection’s grand opening is Sunday, April 25, from 4 to 8p at 200 Wayne Ave., Dayton.
We recently caught up with Tae to learn more about the Connection and her journey from fashion truck founder to Dayton Powerhouse CEO. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Tae: In 2016, when I started Fashion Remedy Boutique, I held my first pop-up shop event and I fell in love. I loved the idea of helping everyone, including me, to make good money. I started hosting little pop up shops and saw success. Then I started food truck rallies because I never saw any on the west side of Dayton. I added vendors to start selling alongside the food trucks, And it just kept growing. I ended up seeking a storefront because I was tired of renting out banquet halls. It gets expensive, and a lot of entrepreneurs were relying on me. I built up a nice following, and Wright Dunbar gave me a chance.
Yes. As a kid, I had events with my barbies. When I got a little older, I did little runway events to sell clothes at garage sales. But I was actually a case manager for nine years. When I had my son, he was autistic, and mental health work was too stimulating to do all day and then also go home to it. I wanted to create a life where I could be a good mom.
I’ve never had a loan or grant yet. I saved money from my food truck rallies and pop-up shops. When I was still working, I stayed home, I didn’t go out, I knew I wanted a store, so I put all my money up. I just saved to fund my stores. Friends called me a grandma and laughed at me, but I knew what I had to do. Those bars weren’t going anywhere.
The Marketplace has 8 spaces for pop-ups and short-term leases. We have new vendors every day, you pick the times you want to come and sell, you take your own payments. The Shoppe has 22 spaces available for in month-to-month leases. The Connection will have a classroom in the back and about 25 shelf spaces in the front. At the Shoppe and the Connection, you don’t have to be there in person to sell. Shoppers can pay for products from multiple vendors in one transaction. A lot of Marketplace vendors are doing side hustles. The Shoppe and Connection are more serious about growing.
It’s retail and consumer products, crafters, beauty, skin care, boutiques. At the connection, I’ll be featuring more people who make their own products. I want unique items that you can’t find just anywhere. And I’m not just for Black-owned businesses. I was raised to love and be for everybody. Black-owned businesses are primarily who come to me right now, but I am for any one who wants to set up and test out a business. I want all three stores to have more diversity.
Anything from how to start your business, tax info to branding workshops. My goal is not to have people set up for failure. Just because you have your LLC — there are still other things you need to do to have a business. A lot of people have brands, but they’re packaging is bad. There are people in the Marketplace I wouldn’t put in the Shoppe yet, they’re not ready.
I love what I do because it makes a difference for people’s families. It gives them hope and makes them able to feed their families. Lots of people lost jobs in the pandemic, and I’m able to allow them space to take care of their family, believe in their brand.
DO NOT GIVE UP. Just keep going, no matter how your presence is on social media, we all start off slow. Do your work, do your research, and do not give up. So many small business owners walk away and it makes me sad. This isn’t an overnight thing, if you want to do this forever, you have to fight for it. In 2016, I didn’t have thousands of people at my events either, I had to build my name, prove who I am.
Support Tae by shopping with her vendors and connecting with her stores: the Marketplace, the Shoppe and the Connection.
The fourth episode of WYSO’s new web and radio series, Bouncing Back: Dayton Small Business Survive the Pandemic, features Elizabeth Wiley, known as Wiley, and Liz Valenti, two of three chef-owners from Meadowlark Restaurant and Wheat Penny Oven and Bar.
Friends of 40+ years, the business partners said COVID-19 has brought them closer together and renewed their commitment to the Dayton community that has shown them so much support.
“During ‘The Before Times,’ we would do maybe, six, eight carry outs. And when we were shut down on March 15 and we started curbside carryout only. Oh, my God, you know, the first day was like 55 carryout dinners. And we were like, whoa, you know, and little did we know. I mean, within a week it was closer to 200,” Wiley recalled. “And that’s what I’m talking about — the customers. We had to change everything and so did they. And it’s not just, oh, I’m hungry, let’s go get something. It’s more like these guys need our support. Let’s make sure that we get carryout from an independent restaurant in Dayton at least twice a week.”
“Always articulating to us, ‘thank you.’ Always saying we’re so glad you’re here, we’re so glad you’re doing things right,” Liz added. “They saw that we were really taking care of our staff and we were really trying to take care of them.”
Listen to or read the full interview here.
When it is complete, the WYSO series will feature stories from nearly a dozen entrepreneurs within our Launch Dayton community. The stories will air each Wednesday at 6:44am and 8:44am (during Morning Edition), again during All Things Considered at 5:44 pm and finally on the following Sunday Morning during WYSO Weekend between 10:00 and 10:30 am.
The series was produced by Jess Mador from The Eichelberger Center for Community Voices in collaboration with Audrey Ingram and Launch Dayton, a network supporting entrepreneurs across the Dayton region.
Parallax Advanced Research was awarded $750,000 last week to create the Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit, an online database of interactive videos and documents that will prepare first-time founders of new companies to tap into the community’s many resources for entrepreneurs.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration designed the Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge to harness America’s entrepreneurial spirit to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and to support innovation-focused economic recovery efforts.
“Parallax is a proud partner in the Launch Dayton community, and our local team has been central to the growth of the Dayton region’s startup community,” said Parallax President and CEO Dennis Andersh. “We are thrilled to continue this work to foster diversity and inclusion in Dayton’s innovation space.”
The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will house online resources created specifically to guide new entrepreneurs through the specific activities in qualifying and engaging with various entrepreneurial resource providers and programs available across the Launch Dayton community.
“Early grassroots efforts to connect entrepreneurs often involved one-on-one meetings to help new founders navigate the resources available across the Launch Dayton community. As we grow, new entrepreneurs outnumber resource providers, and these first-time founders are often overwhelmed by the range of programs and organizations they discover,” said Parallax Program Manager John Owen. “Launch Dayton partners believe everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to determine their own economic prosperity. The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will foster a more inclusive and diverse startup community by organizing and identifying the opportunities available to help all entrepreneurs grow their businesses.”
The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will assist entrepreneurs to build foundational business knowledge, connect with customers in the defense and MedTech industries, and establish ecommerce platforms to reach national markets. Topics will range from how to conduct market research, customer analysis or financial projections, to how to secure a government contract, write a proposal, or deploy an ecommerce business model.
The toolkit will build on work done by Launch Dayton partner the Entrepreneurs’ Center when they moved their T3 Defense Accelerator online last spring, just as COVID-19 hit and restricted travel and in-person meetings.
“With the impact of COVID-19, we needed to be agile and leverage all digital resources at our disposal. We moved quickly, acted boldly, and reset our mindsets to successfully deliver our high-quality training program remotely to our clients nationally,” said Lauren Tiffan, director of strategic programs, Entrepreneurs’ Center. “Creating value-adding digital assets to evolve the scope of our reach and efficacy has proven impactful in empowering small businesses for prosperity in the post-COVID future. We are looking forward and excited about continuing this work with fellow Launch Dayton partners.”
Learn more about the Launch Dayton partners here.
The winter 2021 Early Risers Academy general and tech cohorts will see 17 founders pitch their budding companies for prize money and support in the coming weeks.
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 tech cohort also explores an array of topics specific to STEM-focused entrepreneurship, such as prototype development; how to design to appeal to end users and for large-scale manufacturing; and financing pertinent to startups, such as how to secure seed and early-stage. It is helmed by Eric Wagner, Converge Technologies founder and chief strategy officer, and CEO of Converge Ventures, a high-tech start-up model that helps early stage companies fund, develop, and commercialize their products.
Each cohort will conclude with a virtual pitch competition.
The tech cohort will pitch Friday, April 16 at 12 p.m. Pitching entrepreneurs include:
The general cohort will pitch Thursday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. Pitching entrepreneurs include:
In 2020, 37 entrepreneurs 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.”
By Katie Aldridge
Jehanne Dufresne did not choose to be a businesswoman, but she was not afraid when the profession chose her. Around her full-time job as an IT Specialist at Wright Patterson Airforce Base, Jehanne balances her social life and runs her own business, Women Encouraging Women!: Living life with an excalamation, which is hosting its annual conference this Saturday, April 17.
Jehanne is a member of the current Early Risers Academy cohort, powered by Launch Dayton partner Parallax Advanced Research. We recently caught up with Jehanne to learn more about her experience and her company. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Jehanne: It started back in 2013 with a small group of women. After I saw how it impacted women – going after their dreams, pursing their goals – and when I realized it had a positive impact, I decided to expand it to Dayton.
I believe the idea chose me; I didn’t choose it. I never envisioned myself as a businessperson or as someone who would have my own business. Currently, I’m working full time. It was like, “Oh, I would love for women to come together and encourage each other, since I’ve done it before let me expand it” and later I realized, “We need a business behind this.” So, the business idea came after the fact.
The one thing I’m bringing in is “Ignorance is bliss.” I didn’t know what I was signing up for – if I had known I probably wouldn’t have pursued it – but not knowing was beneficial because it allows me to be so creative and do certain things that are outside of the box.
My biggest barrier, on the flip side, is not knowing enough and lack of experience. I have experience in bringing women together. The business side, I have no experience. I’m grateful for Launch Dayton because they give me a point of reference. A challenge is building a team because everything is new so I’m working on getting things off the ground.
It was supposed to be in person, but because of COVID we’ve had to make it virtual for everybody’s safety. We wanted to make it tangible and bring speakers who are experienced in self-worth and leadership. I wanted to create an atmosphere for any woman to be encouraged. I want each person, by the end of the day, to think “I can handle the craziness that is waiting for me at home,” now since it’s virtual, “I can handle it once I log-off.” It’s like a place where you get a break from life.
It’s really important for mental health to be able to connect with others, hear inspiration, and be able to think about new ideas and use them as tools. It’s a great place to realize that “even though life brought me down, I can get back up.”
I know what it’s like to be depressed and lonely because I used to be that person. I found a way to get out of it, and I want to share with other women who are willing to listen how to do it.
I didn’t think this was something I wanted to do, but it’s my passion. I always find myself encouraging women, I love seeing women win.
My Early Riser’s Academy experience has been great. Every week they bring a subject matter expert to talk about a particular topic. Often times, the speakers are business owners who were previously in the program, and of course their businesses are thriving. So, the shared experience is very, very appreciated. The communication is clear. They send out your weekly assignments and tell you what you need to do. There is a lot of stuff to read through, and there are modules you have to complete. It includes just practical things. It makes you question yourself, but they’re good questions – things you haven’t thought of before. In a nutshell, it is like going back to school, but in a nice environment that wants to see you win.
Follow WEW! on Facebook to learn more and stay up to date with events.
Wonder if the Early Risers Academy might be a good fit for your business? Learn more and apply for the next cohort here.
The third episode of WYSO’s new web and radio series, Bouncing Back: Dayton Small Business Survive the Pandemic, hit airwaves this week, featuring Chad Diggs, co-owner of Edible Arrangements in Kettering.
As in-person celebrations were curbed during the pandemic, Edible Arrangement’s sales exploded as people turned to products they could send to say congratulations or I miss you. But as revenue jumped, so did costs, as global supply shortages hit the main street business, Chad recalls.
“Everything became extremely difficult to find. It was all these extra expenses that you didn’t expect to come along with the increase of revenue,” Chad said. “I cancelled my salary. No matter how much money Edible made, we decided we weren’t going to take any home because we had to put our team first. And I think our employees saw that.”
Listen to or read the full interview here.
When it is complete, the WYSO series will feature stories from nearly a dozen entrepreneurs within our Launch Dayton community. The stories will air each Wednesday at 6:44am and 8:44am (during Morning Edition), again during All Things Considered at 5:44 pm and finally on the following Sunday Morning during WYSO Weekend between 10:00 and 10:30 am.
The series was produced by Jess Mador from The Eichelberger Center for Community Voices in collaboration with Audrey Ingram and Launch Dayton, a network supporting entrepreneurs across the Dayton region.
Aviatra Accelerators — Dayton will host a Launch cohort this spring, beginning May 3.
Applications are currently open.
Aviatra’s Launch cohort is for female business owners who already operate a viable, well-vetted business with an established revenue stream and customer base. Entrepreneurs participating in the class are eligible to compete for capital to take their businesses to the next level. At the end of the course, Aviatra — Dayton will award a cash prize to one or more of the participating businesses.
The Launch course provides business owners with a three-year financial projection workbook and business plan format validated by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Each entrepreneur is assigned an individual mentor and provided with introductions to vetted service providers.
CLASS INFORMATION:
Starts: May 3, 2021
Day & Time: Mondays at 6:00 p.m.
Location: The Arcade (15 S. Main St. Dayton, OH 45403)
Cost: $600 per person / $250 for additional business partners
CURRICULUM:
Week 1: Leadership, Business Plan & Pitch
Week 2: Small Business Insurance & Legal Considerations
Week 3: Sales Strategies & Strategic Planning
Week 4: Cash Flow Management & Pitch
Week 5: Financial Goal Planning & Pitch
Week 6: Financial Projections
Week 7: Social Media Bootcamp
Week 8: Traditional, Digital Marketing & SEO
Week 9: Talent Management/Core Values
Week 10: Selection Committee Pitches
A team of representatives from various Launch Dayton partners has been working on ways to better reach and engage the region’s Black founders through the Forward Cities Ohio Learning Collaborative, funded by Huntington Bank.
This work will culminate this week with the first Black Founders’ Night at The Hub.
The E3 Ohio engagement bought together five of Ohio’s mid-sized cities — Akron, Canton, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown. Reps from each city spent nine months evaluating their community’s equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The goal of Black Founders’ Night at The Hub is to remove barriers, build relationships, and increase exposure for Black business owners and neighborhood-based businesses to Dayton’s downtown startup ecosystem.
Team Dayton comprised the following individuals:
Belinda Matthews Stenson, Dayton Chamber of Commerce — Minority Business Partnership;
Elizabeth Sherwood, Huntington Bank;
Karlos L. Marshall, Greater West Dayton Incubator, (Project Lead & Co-Chair);
KeAnna Daniels, Parallax Advanced Research;
Kim Frazier, Entrepreneurs’ Center;
LeKeisha Grant, Small Business Development Center (Co-Chair);
Scott Murphy, Downtown Dayton Partnership;
Senay Semere, Minority Business Assistance Center;
Sheila Mixon, Women’s Business Enterprise Council Ohio River Valley;
Steve Naas, County Corp — BizCap.
31 S. Main St.
Dayton, OH 45402
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